Build Engaged and Empowered CommunitiesPlan of Work

Back to the Program

Fayette County CES

Title:
Build Engaged and Empowered Communities
MAP:
Community and Economic Development
Agents Involved:
Doggett, Dockery, Lindsay, Neal
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Beef
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Build Engaged and Empowered Communities – General
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Facilitation Training
Situation:

Primarily due to COVID-19, Fayette County experienced a decline in job growth ranging from 9.1% in 

Fayette County to nearly 15% in other areas of Kentucky.  This presents major challenges of consistently 

restructuring the existing business community as well as apply economic ideas to encourage growth.   The 

changing population also affects available work, housing and resources needed for job growth. 

To combat those issues, the Cooperative Extension Service will examine programs  within the realm of 

workforce preparation, fostering entrepreneurial development, agriculture sustainability and expansion, 

decreasing barriers for the implementation of new business, seeking out new business 

solutions to the current heath and economic issues, job search strategy training, community involvement, and 

examining new and creative ways to develop a sense of community.

According to the FBI, violent hate crimes rose by 12% in February 2020. According to Meyer, 2020 the number of hate crimes reported in 2018 were the highest in 16 years. It is believed that the number will increase pending further investigation of recent incidences. Racism is a driving force of the social determinants of access to housing, education, employment, health equity and over-all well-being. The recently racially motivated deaths of several Black Americans and most recently, racial slurs directed at the Black Lexington Fayette County Council Members and LGBQT, Jewish and other Communities of color at the 6/1//20 council meeting, and the racial slurs directed to New Anchor, Día Davidson during a live airing on 6/8/20, further suggests that conversations to combat racism are much needed. 


Community Education Programs such as, Coming Together for Racial Understanding provides strategies and activities that eliminate and reduce racial prejudices and racism in the workplace and community. It educates on and helps to remove stereotypes, provide skills relative to gaining empathy, understanding and awareness and takes steps towards intentionally creating workplaces, educational systems, and communities that are truly welcoming and inclusive. Coming Together for Racial Understanding can help to mitigate the damage that racism can be caused.



Long-Term Outcomes:

Improve the economic situation and build a greater sense of community in Fayette County

1) Youth and Adults will become more motivated to succeed.

2) Youth and Adults will develop skill to improve quality of life.

3) Families will learn to become better support systems.

4) Youth and Adults will make safer lifestyle choices.

5) Reduce the number of children placed in out of home care. 

6) Reduce the numbers of cases for abuse and neglect

7) Reduce the recidivism rate of cases of abuse and neglect.

8) Improve nurturing parenting skills.


Intermediate Outcomes:

Residents will increase practices related to Community and Economic Development by increased 

participation in job preparedness programs, involvement in local community events, developing new jobs and 

entrepreneurship opportunities, attaining and practicing current job search strategies, and adopting fiscally 

responsible behaviors

Participants will practice nurturing parenting skills with their children.

Participants will have children returned to home. 

Initial Outcomes:

Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes towards parenting, discipline, home management and conflict resolution skills.

The practice and promotion of healthy food and nutrition, financial and mental well-being.

Change Knowledge, Opinions, Skills, and / or aspirations in understanding of issues related to local foods, 

individual and market gardening, nutrition based on local food access, farmer's markets and preserve and 

enhance farm income.

Evaluation:

Outcome:  Long-term Hate crime and racial incidents will be                    reduced.

Indicator:  Participants will use skills to have                 conversations to remove stereotypes, practice civil discourse, combat racism.

Method:  Survey, Impact Statements

Timeline:  ongoing


Outcome:  Intermediate: Increase intentional hiring of people of color on citizen review councils, public boards, police departments, administrative positions and other systems of health care, education, and corporations. 

Indicator:  Participants will practice using alternatives to spanking, effective communication, conflict resolution and will have appropriate expectations for children. 

Method:  Survey, self-report,  

Timeline: ongoing 

Outcome:  Initial: Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes towards diversity and inclusion and efforts taken to eliminate racism.

Indicator:  Participants will learn to adopt civil discourse techniques, will promote understanding and healing to challenge systems that perpetuate racism. Will apply increased knowledge and awareness that was learned to eliminate implicit, explicit, and systemic bias.

Method:  Weekly Evaluation/Survey, AAPI 1 and AAPI2

Timeline:  Ongoing

Learning Opportunities:
  1. MAP: Community and Economic Development

PROGRAM PLAN: Community and Economic Development

AGENTS INVOLVED: Dockery, Doggett, Jordan, Lindsay, Neal, Wells

 

MAJOR PROGRAM 1: Beef

MAJOR PROGRAM 2: Home & Consumer Horticulture

MAJOR PROGRAM 3: Leverage new and existing partnerships to support community development efforts

MAJOR PROGRAM 4: Facilitation Training

MAJOR PROGRAM 5: Develop individuals for formal and informal leadership and volunteer roles


 SITUATION:

Primarily due to COVID-19, Fayette County experienced a decline in job growth ranging from 9.1% in 

Fayette County to nearly 15% in other areas of Kentucky.  This presents major challenges of consistently 

restructuring the existing business community as well as apply economic ideas to encourage growth.     The 

changing population also affects available work, housing and resources needed for job growth. 

To combat those issues, the Cooperative Extension Service will examine programs  within the realm of 

workforce preparation, fostering entrepreneurial development, agriculture sustainability and expansion, 

decreasing barriers for the implementation of new business, seeking out new business 

solutions to the current heath and economic issues, job search strategy training, community involvement, and 

examining new and creative ways to develop a sense of community.

The per annum impact of the horse industry to the gross domestic product of the United States is approximately

$112.1 billion.  Kentucky has a $4billion economic impact. Approximately 80,000-100, 000 jobs annually are related to the horse industry. There are many youth equestrian programs in KY. However, there is a great need to diversify the equestrian industry and to provide education about horses among youth, to prepare them for immediate employment, especially for the underserved communities that could benefit most. 


Capacity building programs that teach equestrian skills help to increase knowledge and teach marketable skills that can lead to entrepreneurship and job readiness skills. This program will also increase diversity and inclusion efforts in the equestrian field as they intentionally serve the underserved population. 



LONG-TERM OUTCOMES:

Improve the economic situation and build a greater sense of community in Fayette County

1) Youth and Adults will become more motivated to succeed.

2) Youth and Adults will develop skill to improve quality of life.

3) Families will learn to become better support systems.

4) Youth and Adults will make safer lifestyle choices.


 INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES:

Residents will increase practices related to Community and Economic Development by increased 

participation in job preparedness programs, involvement in local community events, developing new jobs and 

entrepreneurship opportunities, attaining and practicing current job search strategies, and adopting fiscally 

responsible behaviors.


 INITIAL OUTCOMES:

Change Knowledge, Opinions, Skills, and / or aspirations in understanding of issues related to local foods, 

individual and market gardening, nutrition based on local food access, farmer's markets and preserve and 

enhance farm income.


 LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:

Audience: Community residents

Project or Activity: Master gardener projects related to food production

Content or Curriculum: Publications

Inputs: Volunteers, CES Specialists, KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents

Date: Ongoing

Audience: Community residents


Project or Activity: Growing Community program

Content or Curriculum: ID-128 

Inputs: Volunteers, collaborating agencies, LFUCG, KY Cooperative Extension Service Agent

Date: Annually in May

Audience: Adults


Project or Activity: Farmer's Market/Plate it Up

Content or Curriculum: Plate it Up, KY Department of Ag, FDA Food Safety

Inputs: KY Cooperative Extension Agents, CES Specialists, KDA, Lexington Farmer's Market

Date: On-going


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Phone calls, e-mails, and office visit customer service opportunities

Content or Curriculum: Available resources through CES publications, specialists, and listed curricula

Inputs: KY Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, Specialists, Volunteers, Kentucky CES 

publications; local, state, and federal agencies

Date: On-Going


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: High School Financial Planning

Content or Curriculum: 4H High School financial planning curriculum

Inputs: KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants

Date: on-going



Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4H Reality Store

Content or curriculum: 4H reality store curriculum

Inputs: KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, program assistants, volunteers

Date: on-going


Audience: Youth

Project or activity: Dollars and Sense

Content or curriculum: 4H Dollars and Sense curriculum

Inputs: Program Assistants, KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, volunteers

Date: on-going


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Babysitting Clinic

Content or curriculum: 4H Babysitter Curriculum

Inputs: 4H Agent and Program Assistants

Date: on-going


Audience: General Public Job Seekers, Employers

Project or Activity: Central Kentucky Job Club

Content or curriculum: FCS Managing in Tough Times; Positive Employability; Money Smart; UK Career 

Service Curriculum

Inputs: FCS Agent; UK Alumni Career Development; UK Steps; Local Businesses and Government

Date: January - December


Audience: Adult, Teens & Youth

Activity: Media

Curriculum: Radio, TV, Newspaper, Newsletters.

Date: On-going


Audience: Adult

Activity: Farm Field Day

Curriculum: Food, Farm, Fun., Farm Field Day and programs related to decision making, budgeting and 

planning

Curriculum: KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, CES Specialist, CES Publications, Volunteers

Date: Fall


Audience: Adult

Activity: CPH Sales, Blue Ribbon Heifer sales.

Curriculum: Marketing Livestock and all commodities. Increase Farm Income

Inputs:  KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents

Date: On-going


Audience: Adults

Activity: Pasture Please, Farm and Facilities Expo, Horse College

Inputs:  KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents

Curriculum: CES Specialist, CES Publications, Members of Equine Community.

Date: On-going


Audience: Agriculture Producers

Activity: Master Cattleman's, Master marketer, Master Stocker, KY. Beef Conference, Ky. Stocker 

conference, Pasture Conference, Alfalfa Conference, Ky. Farm Start.

Curriculum: CES Specialist, CES Publications & Trainings, Update Trainings & certifications

Inputs: Inputs:  KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents

Date: On-Going


Audience: Agriculture community

Activity: Agriculture development Program, PDR Program

Curriculum; Assist current program and increase farm income

Inputs: Inputs:  KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Ag. Development Board, Fayette County 

Conservation District, Governor’s Office of Ag Policy

Date: On-Going


Audience: Adults and Families

Project: Planning Your Digital Estate Homemaker Leader Lesson

Curriculum: Estate Planning Workshop, Financial Management Seminars, Record Keeping.

Inputs:  KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents,  CES Specialists

Dates: November


Audience: Community residents

Project or Activity: Master gardener projects related to food production

Content or Curriculum: Publications

Inputs: Volunteers, CES Specialists, KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents

Date: On-going


Already Listed above


Audience:  Adults

Project or Activity:     Food for Thought

Content or Curriculum:     FCS Nutrition Pubs; Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud

Inputs:  KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents,  CES Specialists, KDA

Date: On-going


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud

Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud recipes, Kentucky Dept. of Agriculture

Inputs:  KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, CES Specialists, KDA, Farmer's markets

Date: On-going


Audience: Adults, Teens and Youth

Project or Activity: Phone calls, e-mails, and office visit customer service opportunities

Content or Curriculum: Available resources through CES publications, specialists, and listed curricula

Inputs: KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, Program Assistants, CES Specialists, Volunteers, 

Kentucky CES publications; local, state, and federal agencies

Date: On-going


Audience:  Homemaker lesson leaders; General public

Project or Activity:     Saving Savvy with Grocery List and Coupon Apps

Inputs:  KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, CES Specialists; CES publications

Date: October


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Babysitting Clinic

Content or Curriculum: 4H Babysitting curriculum

Inputs: KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, program assistants, volunteers

Date: on-going


Audience: Adults & Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Clover Buds Club

Content or Curriculum: 4-H programming for K-3 grades students and families

Inputs: 4-H Agent, volunteers

Date: monthly & as requested


Audience: Teens & Middle School Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Teen Programming

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership curriculum, learning experiences (i.e. Teen Conference, Issues, 

District Teen meetings/events

Inputs: 4-H Agent, volunteers

Date: monthly & as scheduled by district and state event contacts


Audience: Teens & Youth


Project or Activity: 4-H Cooking Club(s)

Content or Curriculum: 4-H foods curriculum

Inputs: 4-H Agent, volunteers

Date: monthly & as requested


Audience: Teens

Project or Activity: MITT (Managing In Tough Times); Central Kentucky Job Club

Content or Curriculum: MITT material, CES Publications

Inputs: KY Cooperative Extension Service Agents, program assistants, volunteers

Date: as requested


Audience: Adults and Youth

Project or Activity: Clothing construction and instruction/4-H Sewing Club; Adult sewing/quilting instruction

Content or Curriculum: CES Publications

Inputs: FCS Agents, 4-H Agent, Master Clothing Volunteers

Date: on going

Coming Together for Racial Understanding Community Conversations

Content or Curriculum: Democracy Now-Coming Together for Racial Understanding

Inputs: Carla Jordan, Mia Farrell, Tamera Thompson

Date: ongoing. Initially 2 full day trainings to start the conversations followed by monthly meet ups to facilitate conversations

Project or Activity: Coming Together for Racial Understanding Trainings to Youth Initiative at Crawford Middle School

Content or Curriculum: Democracy Now-Coming Together for Racial Understanding

Inputs: Carla Jordan, Mia Farrell, Tamera Thompson, FRYSC Teachers, FCPS Counselors

Date: ongoing











 



Success Stories

Tornado Relief Efforts!

Author: Beau Neal

Major Program: Tornado Response and Recovery

Tornado Relief Efforts!

The severe damage caused by the December 2021 tornadoes affected many folks in Western Kentucky. Devastating winds destroyed homes, schools, business and scattered debris throughout the affected area and beyond. A group of ANR agents and volunteers from the central region traveled to Muhlenberg County, under the direction of ANR Agent Darrell Simpson and coordinated by Fayette County ANR Agent Beau Neal, to aid in the beginning stages of clean up. Our efforts began at a farm used for hay product

Full Story

4-H Camp Successful Sign Up

Author: Amanda Clark

Major Program: Camping

Fayette County had their 4-H camp sign up on March 17, 2022 with a lot of success. The weeks prior to camp sign ups, posts were made on social media, and schools, as well as guidance counselors, principals, and family resource coordinators. A sign up genius link was made for campers/CITs/and Junior Counselors, and was posted in several locations on social media and schools. A week before sign up several posts were made on Facebook and Instagram to get everyone excited. Any time a parent called o

Full Story

Outdoor Classrooms Enhance Education and Life Skills

Author: Jamie Dockery

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

My name is Bryan Kennedy and I work at The Learning Center(TLC) in Lexington, Kentucky. TLC is an alternative school that focuses on at risk students that struggle with social and emotional health in most instances because of intense trauma. During my first year teaching at TLC (five years ago), I was tasked with reviving the garden that was built in place of an old playground. I was completely overwhelmed, but excited to tackle this job. One of the first emails I sent was to UK Cooperative Exte

Full Story

Adult Beginner Sewing Class

Author: Maranda Brooks

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

Adult Beginner Sewing Class

It was a pleasure this week as the FCS agent to stop in and meet the instructor Loretta and ladies of the adult beginner sewing class. To a wonderful surprise, Loretta indicated to me that 5 out of the 10 ladies registered were completely new beginners to sewing and signed up to the course. One specific African American women I had the pleasure of meeting named Rachel Donaby expressed how excited she was for the opportunity to learn a new skill since she had never been to the extension office no

Full Story

Fayette County Extension Expo

Author: Lucas Powell

Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership – 4-H Youth Development

Since moving into my current position one phrase has been repeated more often than not by the people who volunteer and participate in our programs "The extension office is one of the best kept secrets in town." From a program standpoint it may seem like a completement but that is not what we are looking for from a marketing front. Marketing and promoting programs in an urban environment can sometimes prove more difficult. When compared to rural areas there are more people able to

Full Story
Back to the Program