Extension
It Starts With Us
Building Life Skills in Youth
Building Life Skills in Youth
Boone, Higginbotham, Potts, Heisdorffer, Hardy
4-H Youth Development Programming
Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
Agriculture 4-H Core Curriculum
Historically, 4-H is known as a program that teaches life skills. Millions of people have taken advantage of these 4-H programs. According to the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development skills individuals gain through 4-H participation play a vital role in helping them achieve future successes. Learning basic life skills is still as important as ever, however, many schools no longer include family and consumer sciences classes in the curriculum. Additionally, today’s youth and adults are busier than ever. As a result many of the basic life schools such as cooking are not being taught. 4-H is also one of the only organizations teaching communication skills to youth ages 9-13. The development of communications skills is one of the preeminent skills necessary to grow as an individual, a community member and a leader.
Youth will grow into responsible and contributing individuals and family members.
Youth will utilize the skills gained through education and involvement in 4-H programs to serve as leaders in 4-H and other organizations.
Youth will utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations.
Youth will construct a speech that has a clear introduction, body and closing.
Youth will demonstrate an increased level of confidence when presenting in front of groups.
Youth will learn to read and follow instructions.
Youth will gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences projects and programs.
Youth will research and create a speech using a written outline.
Youth will be prepared to present before their family, a group of their peers, and a school or county qualifying event.
Long-term Outcome: 4-H Alumni will grow into responsible and contributing individuals and family members. 4-H Alumni will utilize the skills gained through involvement in 4-H programs to serve as leaders in 4-H and other organizations.
Indicator: 4-H Alumni using 4-H skills as adults
Method: Personal testimonials
Timeline: All year
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Communications Lessons, 4-H Communications Contest
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Speeches publication, 4-H Demonstrations publication, 4-H Communications – Picking up the Pieces, Putting in Together and The Perfect Fit.
Inputs: 4-H Agents, 4-H Program Assistant, teachers
Date: School Year 2017-18
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Cooking, Food Safety, Nutrition
Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef, Fantastic Foods, Luv-an-Egg, Put it up! Food Preservation, Cooking 101-401
Inputs: 4-H Agents, 4-H Program Assistant
Date: School Year 2017-18 and June 2018
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Sewing
Content or Curriculum: Keeping 4-H in Stitches Notebook, Kentucky 4-H Needlework Notebook, STEAM project books
Inputs: 4-H Agents, 4-H Program Assistant
Date: School Year 2016-17 and June 2017
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Camp
Content or Curriculum: West KY 4-H camping curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agents, West Kentucky 4-H Camp facility
Date: June/July 2018
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Jr. Homemaker Club
Content or Curriculum: approved curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agents, 4-H Program Assistant, Homemaker Volunteers
Date: School Year 17-18
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Photography Club
Content or Curriculum: approved curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Volunteer Leader
Date: School Year 17-18
Audience: Elementary School 9-12
Project or Activity: Progressive Agriculture Youth Safety Day
Content or Curriculum: Progressive Ag Safety Materials, approved curriculum
Inputs – Extension Agents and volunteers
Date: September 2017
Audience: Youth ages 9-18
Project or Activity: 4-H Garden Club
Content or Curriculum: Raised Bed Demonstration Garden, 4-H Horticulture Curriculum
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, Horticulture Technician, Master Gardeners
Date: Monthly 2017-2018
Audience: Youth Ages 9-18
Project: 4-H Natural Resources Club
Content or Curriculum: Approved 4-H Natural Resources Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, 4-H Volunteer
Dates: School year 17-18
Audience: Youth 9-18
Project: 4-H Homeschool & Homeschool Cloverbud Clubs
Content or Curriculum: Approved 4-H Curriculum, LEAP program
Inputs: 4-H Volunteers
Dates: School year 17-18
Audience: School age youth
Project: Science
Content or Curriculum: STEM curriculum
Inputs: 4-H agents & assistants
Date: School year 17-18
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts 4-H Core Curriculum
Providing youth with the ability to enhance and develop communication skills is of great importance in Kentucky. The development of communications skills is one of the preeminent skills necessary to grow as an individual, a community member and a leader. Using age appropriate activities selected from the approved Kentucky 4-H Communications & Expressive Arts Curriculum, educators can maximize the ability of youth to develop their writing, reading and personal communication capaci
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Gardening benefits youth through the application of knowledge gained in math and science according to Dun Munn from the Michigan State University Extension. In addition, gardening provides moderate exercise. The Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with Girls Inc. to teach gardening skills that can be used throughout life to the girls. The girls in this program have limited access to gardening locations. In the area at the Girls Inc. building where garde
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Unintentional injury, while declining, remains the leading cause of death among children ages 19 and under. (Source: Safekids.org) To raise awareness and show children ways to prevent these types of injuries, the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service applied for and received a grant from the Progressive Agriculture Foundation to host a Progressive Agriculture Youth Safety Day. The grant provided access to training, along with educational and planning materials. It
Author: Lindsey Dunn
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Participation in the Kentucky 4-H Achievement Awards process can be very rewarding. In this process, 4-H youth learn the skills and importance of record keeping. Daviess County has had low participation in this process for several years, even after offering incentives of a vest and jacket for junior and senior 4-H’ers who excel in completing the Awards application. In recent years, 4-H Agents and Staff in Daviess County have brainstormed to find other ways to boost 4-H’ers involvemen
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Research suggests distinctive characteristics of young adolescents (middle school aged youth) regarding their physical, cognitive, moral, psychological, and social-emotional development, as well as spiritual development (Scales, 2010). Young adolescents (middle school aged youth) warrant educational experiences and schools that are organized to address their physical, intellectual, emotional/psychological, moral/ethical, spiritual, and social developmental characteristics (Caskey & Anfara, 2
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Cooking is a valuable life skill that teaches children about nutrition and food safety, as well as building math, science, literacy and fine motor skills. Retrieved from http://www.homefoodsafety.org/kids/teaching-kids-to-cook. The 4-H Chicken and Poultry Barbecue Project is designed to teach youth the basic principles of food safety and to help youth develop food preparation skills. Daviess County 4-H offered a Poultry BBQ Day Camps in June 2018 as part of the summer 4-H progr
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Daviess County 4-H offered a six-part program entitled #adulting during March and April of 2018.The program was geared towards juniors and seniors in high school. Nine teens completed the program, four of whom were residents of the local girls group home. Lessons included hands on learning and activities with the topics of car maintenance, employment and etiquette, being a smart consumer, kitchen know-hows, money smarts and laundry and clothing repair. Instruction was provided
