Educating & Empowering Individuals and Families to Make Responsible Choices and Develop Life SkillsPlan of Work

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Jefferson County CES

Title:
Educating & Empowering Individuals and Families to Make Responsible Choices and Develop Life Skills
MAP:
Developing Life Skills
Agents Involved:
J. Carter, L. Caudle, C. Hall, V. Holland, l. Milligan, B. Pratt, K. Smith, and P. Thompson
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Community Engagement
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)
Situation:

Developing life skills and making responsible, healthy choices can have a profound impact on family stability, individual well-being and community sustainability. Budgeting, interpersonal relationships, communication, family management and other skills are necessary for success. 
 
The consequences of the Great Recession and the extended period of slow economic growth which followed, encouraged Kentuckians to become more aware of their financial situation. Kentucky consistently lags behind other areas of the United States in key household economic indicators, including: personal income, population living below the poverty line, unemployment, and revolving debt. These indicators, especially unemployment numbers became more exaggerated during the period of the Great Recession. However, at present economist are cautiously optimistic regarding future economic forecasts. It is important to acknowledge the impact of current economic conditions on family financial management. The goal of the Securing Financial Stability Initiative is to help Kentuckians understand and respond to changing economic conditions, while promoting healthy financial behaviors across the lifespan. 
 

The development of life skills, like leadership, allows youth to cope with their environment by making responsible decisions, having a better understanding of their values, and being better able to communicate and get along with others. (Boyd, Herring & Briers, 1992, Journal of Extension). Almost 30 percent of youth in the United States (or over 5.7 million) are to be involved in bullying as a bully, a target of bullying or both. A troubling statistic that needs to be addressed. 

Youth participating in experiential learning opportunities coupled with setting goals, solving problems, and making wise decisions will help students develop their leadership skills, and in turn will provide them with the necessary skills for leading a successful life (Boyd, 2001).  

Healthy couple and parenting relationships and resulting family stability benefit the well-being of adults and children. Furthermore, children who start kindergarten with delayed development and fewer assets are by far more likely to repeat grades, get tracked into lower-tier classes and drop out of high school than more advantaged children. 


Boyd, B.L. (2011). Bringing leadership experiences to inner-city youth. Journal of Extension [Online]. 39(4). Available:  https://www.joe.org/joe/2001august/a6.php  

Long-Term Outcomes:
Intermediate Outcomes:
Initial Outcomes:
Evaluation:

 

 

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Adults & Youth 

Project or Activity: Community Garden implementation; school garden 

Content or Curriculum: Extension publications 

Inputs: specialists; content curriculum 

Date: July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021 

Program Code: 1031 

 

Audience: Adults 

Project or Activity: Community Gardens 

Content or Curriculum: CES publications 

Inputs: agents, garden space 

Date: July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021 

Program Code: 1031 

 

Audience: Youth 

Project or Activity: In – School Clubs 

Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventures, What’s on Your Plate, Exploring Food Science, Step Up to Leadership, Cooking, Keeping Fit & Healthy, Be SAFE: Affirming and Fair Environments, STEPS to a Healthy Teen, Welcome to 4 – H: New Members Guide, National 4-H Curriculm 

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding 

Date: Sept. 2020 – Apr. 2021 

Program Code: 4001 

 

Audience: Youth  

Project or Activity: Reality Store 

Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventures, What’s on Your Plate, Exploring Food Science, Step Up to Leadership, Cooking, Keeping Fit & Healthy, Be SAFE: Affirming and Fair Environments, STEPS to a Healthy Teen, Welcome to 4 – H: New Members Guide 

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding 

Date: Sept. 2020 – Apr2020 

Program Code: 4031 

 

Audience: Youth  

Project or Activity: Dollars & Sense, Reality Store 

Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventures, What’s on Your Plate, Exploring Food Science, Step Up to Leadership, Cooking, Keeping Fit & Healthy, Be SAFE: Affirming and Fair Environments, STEPS to a Healthy Teen, Welcome to 4 – H: New Members Guide 

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding 

Date: Sept. 2020 – Apr. 2020 

Program Code: 4031 

 

 

Audience: Youth 

Project or Activity: Teen Summit 

Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventures, What’s on Your Plate, Exploring Food Science, Step Up to Leadership, Cooking, Keeping Fit & Healthy, Be SAFE: Affirming and Fair Environments, Steps to a Healthy Teen, Welcome to 4 – H: New Members Guide 

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding 

Date: Sept. 2020 – Apr. 2021 

Program Code: 4041 

 

Audience: Youth  

Project or Activity: Jr. MANRRS 

Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventures, What’s on Your Plate, Exploring Food Science, Step Up to Leadership, Cooking, Keeping Fit & Healthy, Be SAFE: Affirming and Fair Environments, STEPS to a Healthy Teen, Welcome to 4 – H: New Members Guide 

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding 

Date: Sept. 2020 – Apr. 2020 

Program Code: 4041 

 

Audience: Youth  

Project or Activity: 4-H SPIN Clubs 

Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventures, What’s on Your Plate, Exploring Food Science, Step Up to Leadership, Cooking, Keeping Fit & Healthy, Be SAFE: Affirming and Fair Environments, STEPS to a Healthy Teen, Welcome to 4 – H: New Members Guide, National 4-H Curriculum 

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding 

Date: Sept. 2020 – Apr. 2020 

Program Code: 4001 

 

Audience: Youth  

Project or Activity: 4 – H Embryology 

Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventures, What’s on Your Plate, Exploring Food Science, Step Up to Leadership, Cooking, Keeping Fit & Healthy, Be SAFE: Affirming and Fair Environments, STEPS to a Healthy Teen, Welcome to 4 – H: New Members Guide 

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding 

Date: Sept. 2020 – Apr. 2020 

Program Code: 4011 

 

Audience: Youth  

Project or Activity: Babysitting 

Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventures, What’s on Your Plate, Exploring Food Science, Step Up to Leadership, Cooking, Keeping Fit & Healthy, Be SAFE: Affirming and Fair Environments, STEPS to a Healthy Teen, Welcome to 4 – H: New Members Guide 

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding 

Date: Sept. 2020 – Apr. 2020 

Program Code: 4031 

 

Audience: Youth  

Project or Activity: 4 – H Camp 

Content or Curriculum: Acres of Adventures, What’s on Your Plate, Exploring Food Science, Step Up to Leadership, Cooking, Keeping Fit & Healthy, Be SAFE: Affirming and Fair Environments, STEPS to a Healthy Teen, Welcome to 4 – H: New Members Guide 

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding 

Date: Sept. 2020 – Apr. 2020 

Program Code: 4071 

 

Audience: Youth 

Project Activity: Boyz to Men 4-H Program 

Curriculum: Health Rocks, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity-Go To High School, Go to College Manual, and National 4-H Sparks Curriculum, and Build Your Future. 

Inputs: KSU Staff, volunteers, teachers, administrators, and mentors. 

Date: Sept. 2020 – May 2020 

Program Code: 4041 

 

 

Audience: Youth 

Project/Activity: Girls Rock 4-H Club 

Curriculum: Health Rocks, National 4-H Sparks Curriculum, Healthy Teens, Problem Solving, Build Your Future. 

Inputs: KSU staff, volunteers, teachers, administrators, and mentors. 

Date: Sept. 2020 – May 2020 

Program Code: 4001 

 

Audience: Youth 

Project Activity: Robotics 

Curriculum: Ozobot Educator-Tools and Curriculum, Hour of Code, Robot Proof, Edison Educational Kits 

Inputs: KSU Staff, volunteers, teachers, administrators, and mentors 

Date: Sept. 2020 – May 2020 

Program Code: 4071 

 

Audience: Youth 

Project: Youth Futures: College within Reach Youth Mentoring Program for Middle and High Schoolers 

Curriculum: Build Your Future, College within Reach Curriculum, Be the “E” in Entrepreneurship 

Inputs: KSU Staff, volunteers, teachers, administrators, and mentors. 

Date: Sept. 2020 – May 2020 

Program Code: 4041 

 

Audience: Youth 

Project: CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) 

Curriculum: Carolina Biological: DNA Necklace Kit, KEMETIC Crime Scene Investigation Packet 

Inputs: KSU Staff, volunteers, teachers, administrators, and mentors. 

Date: Sept. 2020 – May 2020 

Program Code: 4071 

 

Audience: Youth 

Project: Tech Wizards STEM Youth Mentoring Program 

Curriculum: National 4-H Tech Wizards Grant Program Curriculum, Build Your Future 

Inputs: KSU Staff, volunteers, teachers, administrators, and mentors. 

Date: Sept. 2020 – May 2020 

 

Audience: Extension Homemakers 

Project or Activity: Scam Red Flags and Avoiding Fraud 

Content or Curriculum: KEHA Curriculum 

Inputs: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA), Kentucky CES publications and resources 

Date: October 2020 

Program Code: 2056 

 

Audience: Extension Homemakers 

Project or Activity: Mastering Food Habits 

Content or Curriculum: KEHA Curriculum 

Inputs: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA), Kentucky CES publications and resources 

Date: December 2020 

Program Code: 2066 

 

Audience: Extension Homemakers  

Project or Activity: Savings Savvy 

Content or Curriculum: KEHA Curriculum 

Inputs: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA), Kentucky CES publications and resources 

Date: March 2021 

Program Code: 2056 

 
Audience: Senior Citizens 

Project or Activity: Embracing Life as We Age 

Content or Curriculum: Keys to Embracing Aging and Stand Up to Falling 

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) publications and resources 

Date: July 2020 – June 2021 

Program Code: 2011 

 

Audience: General Public 

Project or Activity: Personal Finance 

Content or Curriculum: Real Skills for Everyday Life, Kentucky CES publications and resources 

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service agents, volunteers. 

Date: July 2020 – June 2021 

Program Code: 2056 

 

Audience: General Public 

Project or Activity: Holiday Finances 

Content or Curriculum: Stretching Your Holiday Spending, Kentucky CES publications and resources 

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service agents 

Date: October 2020 – December 2020 

Program Code: 2056 



Success Stories

Virtual Sewing Club

Author: Patrice Thompson

Major Program: Family and Consumer Science

Friday, September 11, 2020 Ms Jenie and I started the sewing program online with Grace James Academy. This is very different from how we would normally do programming but everything went well. The students seemed excited and ready to participate. We provided 11 students with sewing kits and they will be learning beginner sewing basics to complete a sewing project. Grace James Academy is an all girls middle school, that serves minority females who are interested in STEM careers. The school is nam

Full Story

Creative Hands "Sewing can be fun"

Author: Louis "Jenie" Carter

Major Program: Family and Consumer Science

Working with six grade girls who are part of the new All girl middle school "Grace James Academy of Excellence".  Success Story: Louis “Jenie” Carter           December 30, 2020GEMS are rare and original, no two are alikeIn a predominantly Black neighborhood of Louisville’s West End, there is a school that opened for the first time during the 2020 School year. It is as unique as its’ name and the girls that attend.  The Grace J

Full Story

Jefferson County 4-H Virtual Programs

Author: Chanda Hall

Major Program: Leadership

When the COVID-19 global pandemic forced Kentuckians into quarantine youth and families began spending more time at home, minimizing opportunities for youth to engage in typical extracurricular activities. Due to this situation the Jefferson County 4-H Program began holding 4-H virtual programs on social media platforms. The goal of the 4-H virtual programs were to maintain ways for youth and families to engage with 4-H projects, events and activities while learning new life skills through a tru

Full Story

Jefferson County 4-H Book Clubs

Author: Chanda Hall

Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts

To increase reading and critical thinking skills, the Jefferson County 4-H Program decided to develop virtual book clubs for the youth in the county.  In partnership with the Jefferson County Public Library, the county is now offering 3 different interactive book clubs for Clover Bud, 4th & 5th Graders and Middle/High School Students.  The public library recommends and allow the 4-H program to check out books as a classroom set.  Students within the county sign up for each mon

Full Story

Summer Coding Reaching New Heights

Author: Chanda Hall

Major Program: Science, Engineering, and Technology

            For seven weeks, Jefferson County 4-H opened a plethora of experiences for over 120 inner-city youth.  Students learned and practiced coding, by utilizing Ozbots in weekly lessons.  For the past two years students have worked with Ozobots using the color-coding method. Ozobots have color sensors which recognize color patterns students draw on paper with markers to control the actions of the robot.  The Ozobot will follow a solid black

Full Story

Kentucky Saves Week 2021

Author: Valerie Holland

Major Program: Financial Education - General

Kentucky Saves is led by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service as part of the national America Saves campaign. The initiative, which culminates during  Kentucky Saves Week the last week of February, encourages individuals and families to save money and build personal wealth. Research suggests that those who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them. The Kentucky Saves Pledge is a tool to help consumers visualize their goals by writing down what they&

Full Story

Sill Fine for Home and Family

Author: Valerie Holland

Major Program: Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)

Sewing and handwork can bring great satisfaction to someone who makes a project. When very little cost is associated with a project and personal creativity a part of the process, the level of personal satisfaction and fulfillment is found to be greater.  Pin Weaving is a low cost, personally creative method of using the heritage skill of weaving.  The "It's So Fine for Home and Family" Sewing Expo committee brought Shirley Adams to Kentucky to be the featured speaker

Full Story
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