Extension
It Starts With Us
Youth Development
Youth and Families
Macy Fawns, Mary Jane Little
Family and Consumer Science
Leadership
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Volunteer Development
Leadership is a needed and important programming emphasis in Kentucky 4-H. The Cooperative Extension Service provides opportunities for youth and families to help improve their leadership ability and create a positive impact on their future. Leadership opportunities for youth create a setting that reduces the access of youth to risk factors that can negatively impact their success. Basic leadership knowledge & skills are essential for success in almost any field. The skills associated with leadership are necessary when working in a group or communicating with others. Employers look for leadership skills in future employees. Developing leadership in the youth and adults who are involved in the 4-H program is a priority. By assisting the development of leadership skills in today’s youth, we improve their ability to face the challenges of tomorrow. As we progress in to the 21st century a number of factors have gained prevalence within Family and Consumer Science driven by the increase of online and mobile shopping, the rise of video based at home tutorials, and the shifting family structures as evident by 17% of stay-at-home parents being fathers. The ever changing landscape of the family and the consumer highlights the need for a responsive and innovative FCS program while also providing the basic needs that all families have as they navigate lives many challenges. Kentucky 4-H Seeks to meet these needs through working with youth and families in a variety of situations to increase their consumer awareness, financial management, nutrition, culinary arts, textiles, housing, and human development. 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 Communication & Expressive Arts Curriculum, educators can maximize the ability of youth to develop their writing, reading and personal communication capacities. This in turn creates a solid foundation for positive youth development. Kentucky 4-H provides communication and expressive arts by engaging youth in hands-on educational experiences that inspire confidence and foster a love for the arts. Programs and projects are offered in the areas of public speaking, visual arts, and performing arts.
- Overall leadership competency has increased as a result of participation in 4-H.
- Gain the needed leadership skills that will allow them to serve as teen and adult leaders in their communities and in community organizations and as mentors for younger youth.
- Receive education on diversity, inclusivity and multiculturalism.
- Identify and address critical issues that impact the community
- Demonstrate the necessary teamwork, leadership and communications skills needed to be successful in the workplace.
- Be responsible and contributing individuals and family members
- Gain and maintain employment through life skill development
- Contribute to a safe and healthy home and community.
- Youth share the elements of the music, dance, drama and visual arts with their community
- Youth will be advocates for the arts.
- Youth complete a community service project
- Demonstrate leadership, teamwork and communication skills in their day to day lives.
- 4-H members will utilize leadership skills learned during their time in 4-H in clubs, activities and other venues with 4-H and other community organizations.
- Senior 4-H members will become leaders or co-leaders of a 4-H project club, day camp or other project-based group of younger 4-H members.
- Participants will indicate increased awareness of diversity issues in their community and personal lives.
- Engage in community-based service projects selected to address identified needs.
- Utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations
- Project a positive image and self-confidence
- Practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making
- Practice healthy eating choices
- Make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results
- Adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future
- 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 apply elements of music, dance, drama and visual arts in creating and performing
- Youth will contribute to their communities
- Youth will practice refusal skills
- Youth will intervene to prevent use/abuse
- All agents trained in YMHFA
- Youth will plan and care for gardens.
- Youth will increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
- 4-H club participants learn the communication, leadership and procedural skills that will allow them to run a meeting.
- 4-H members increase their knowledge about leadership and how to be an effective leader, team player and communicator.
- 4-H members will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics.
- Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences projects and programs
- Understand the decision-making process
- Gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action
- Learn to read and follow instructions
- 4-H members will learn about diversity
- Youth will gain knowledge in researching, preparing and presenting a speech or demonstration
- Youth can identify key elements of music, dance, drama and visual arts
- Youth gain knowledge in horticulture and natural resources.
Initial Outcome: Gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action
Indicator(s): Number of youth who indicated they are comfortable working in groups (Common Measures – UN 14), Number of youth who indicated they have respect for others’ ideas (Common Measures – UN 13)
Method: Pre & Post Evaluations
Timeline: 2021
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will demonstrate an increased level of confidence when presenting in front of groups
Indicator(s): Number of youth who have improved their communication skills by completing a speech, demonstration, or other public presentation
Method: Pre & Post Evaluations
Timeline: 2021
Long-Term Outcome: Identify and address critical issues that impact the community
Indicator(s): Number of youth who can take responsibility for their actions, Number of youth serving as direct mentors to younger youth
Method: Pre & Post Evaluations
Timeline: 2021
Initial Outcome: Youth gain knowledge in horticulture and natural resources.
Indicator(s): Number of youth who have gained an understanding of forest/natural resource stewardship.
Method: Observation and interviews
Timeline: Spring & fall
Intermediate Outcome: Youth learn how to garden and submit to county fair
Indicator(s): Number of youth who plan to or have completed a 4-H forestry/natural resources education project (ex. county and state fair projects)
Method: Observation and interviews
Timeline: Spring & fall
Long-term Outcome: Youth Complete a community service project
Indicator(s): Number of youth who have engaged in a community project related to forestry/natural resources
Method: Observation and surveys
Timeline: 2021
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Life Skills Workshop
Content or Curriculum: 4-H curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, volunteers
Dates: Summer
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H/EFNEP Healthy Cupcake Wars
Content or Curriculum: UK research based information
Inputs: 4-H Agent, EFNEP assistant, volunteers
Date: Spring
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: County Communications Contest
Content or Curriculum: UK research based information
Inputs: 4-H Agent, parents, volunteers
Date: March/April
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Teen Club
Content or Curriculum: Unlocking Your Leadership Potential, Teambuilding with Teens, My Leadership Workbook (Level 1), My Leadership Journal (Level 2), My Leadership Portfolio (Level 3), Leadership Mentor Guide 1: K-5, Leadership Mentor Guide 2: 6-12, 4-H State Teen Council and Leadership Boards, 4-H Leadership Boot Camp, 4-H Teen Conference, 4-H Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference, 4-H National Congress, 4-H Achievement Program, 4-H National Conference, 4-H Summit, 4-H Camp Counselors, Local Leadership Clubs/Events
Inputs: 4-H Agent, UK specialists, volunteers
Date: Monthly from September through May
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Summer Camp
Content or Curriculum: UK research based information
Inputs: 4-H Agent, volunteers, UK specialists, camp staff
Date: Summer
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Farm Lesson
Content or Curriculum: Agriculture in the Classroom
Inputs: Horticulture Agent, volunteers, teachers
Date: Monthly during school year
Author: Mary Jane Little
Major Program: Agriculture
In order to attain experiences that aid in positive development, it is important for youth to be engagedlearners. Researchers and practitioners have identified core competencies for quality programming(Eccles & Gootman, 2002; National 4-H Impact Assessment, 2001; Search Institute, 2004). Inaddition, Experiential Learning Theory has been applied to a variety of contexts. Although a number ofmodels exist, the common foundational theme is that the human experience aids significantly in thelearn
Author: Mary Jane Little
Major Program: Natural Resources
Pumpkin Palooza was offered during the month of October at the Extension office. 4-H, Horticulture, and EFNEP partnered to provide this program to all youth and families in the community. Each Friday we released a follow-along video and a pickup bag full of pumpkin related activities, recipes, information, and crafts. We offered pumpkins to participants to carve and return for a carving contest. We gave out 100 pumpkins and carving kits, along with over 200 bags. The bags also included trick or
Author: Lorin Fawns
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Pumpkin Palooza was offered during the month of October at the Extension office. 4-H, Horticulture, and EFNEP partnered to provide this program to all youth and families in the community. Each Friday we released a follow-along video and a pickup bag full of pumpkin-related activities, recipes, how to grow a pumpkin, seeds, information about pumpkin farms, and crafts. We offered pumpkins to participants to carve and return for a carving contest. We gave out 100 pumpkins and carving kits, along wi
Author: Mary Jane Little
Major Program: Agriculture
"Sense of belonging is an essential element of a high-quality 4-H program. However, little research exists quantifying sense of belonging among 4-H club members...parental involvement, 4-H events, and interactions with friends were factors important to participants' continued enrollment. Interaction with a caring adult was the factor most strongly positively correlated with perceived sense of belonging, suggesting the importance to retention of providing a framework that allows a new 4-
