Extension
It Starts With Us
Cultivating community leadership, engagement and pride through educational and experiential learning.
Empowering Community Leadership Engagement and Pride
Tiffany Bolinger, Matt Futrell, Kelly Jackson, Jeremiah Johnson, Mary Anne Garnett
Family and Consumer Science
Master Gardener
Facilitation Training
Civic Engagement
According to the United States Department of Labor- Bureau of Labor Statistics, the volunteer rates declined by 0.4 percentage point to 24.9 percent for the year ending in September 2015. Approximately 62.6 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2014 and September 2015 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Volunteering in the United States, 2015"). There is an increasing need for educated volunteers to assist agents to address local needs. Volunteers provide nonprofit institutions the opportunity to provide additional programs and services. Persons that volunteer need to be educated to be able to accept volunteer and leadership opportunities and understand the importance of volunteering as a contribution to the community. By providing education and resources to those volunteers, the foundation has been laid to empower them as community leaders and ignite success in the programs offered by extension.
* Youth will serve as teen and adult leaders in their communities, community organizations, and as mentors for younger youth.
* Youth will demonstrate the understanding of diversity, inclusivity and multiculturalism in their daily life.
* Youth will identify and address critical issues that impact the community
* Youth will be productive, contributing adults in the future.
* Youth will use leadership and communications skills needed to be successful in the workplace on a daily basis.
* Christian County citizens will be volunteering on a regular basis to the extent that volunteerism is recognized as a valuable resource in the community.
* Extending the outreach of the Cooperative Extension Service by improving knowledge and communication skills of Master Gardeners, Extension Volunteers, 4-H Leaders and Volunteers, Extension Homemakers thus creating a pool of volunteers with the abilities and willingness to apply their many skills in leading and educating the public through community education projects and activities.
* Youth will demonstrate leadership, teamwork and communication skills in their day to day lives.
* Youth 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.
* Youth will indicate increased awareness of diversity issues in their community and personal lives.
* Youth will engage in community based service projects selected to address identified needs.
* The Christian County population will volunteer more hours or will take on additional leadership roles.
* Number of hours reported by extension volunteers.
* Youth will learn the communication, leadership and procedural skills that will allow them to run a meeting.
* Youth will increase their knowledge about leadership and how to be an effective leader, team player and communicator.
* Youth will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics.
* Youth will learn about diversity and will demonstrate inclusivity.
* Youth will acquire decision making skills and gain an appreciation for civic engagement.
* Youth will learn how to set appropriate, attainable goals.
* Youth will listen to people who have different ideas from them.
* Clientele will become more aware of the needs of their community.
* Clientele will become more educated in specific subject matter areas to teach, lead and train others.
* Number of volunteers participating in Master Gardener classes.
Initial Outcome: Stronger, more cohesive, productive 4-H Council
Indicator: Completed goals, committee work
Method: Workshops, education programs and incentives
Timeline: Program year 2021-2022
Initial Outcome: Extension Boards and Councils will have increased diversity and numbers of members attending.
Indicator: Increased participation and attendance in council and committee meetings, functioning committees, and regular rotation of leadership roles.
Method: post test evaluations of programs
Timeline: at the conclusion of program
Intermediate Outcome: Youth leaders exhibit improved leadership skills.
Indicator: Youth assume leadership roles in clubs, councils and committees, and develop community service projects.
Method: Observation through increases programs and teen involvement
Timeline: Program year 2022-2023
Intermediate Outcome: Increased number of Master Gardener volunteer hours reported by active members.
Indicator: A minimum of 25 Master Gardeners will repay volunteer hours, resulting in 375 volunteer total hours.
Method: Master Gardener volunteer hours recording form.
Timeline: Forms are to be completed quarterly, totals reported by December each year.
Audience: Youth and volunteers
Project or Activity: Empowering youth and adult volunteers to become community leaders
Content or Curriculum: Civic engagement, Citizenship, Service Learning, My Leadership Workbook, Character Counts, Extension council trainings
Inputs: Program administration, Staff & Support Staff Time, Volunteer Support and time, Volunteer & youth development research based information, funding, travel, printed and online resources, communications & networking, commitment to inclusivity, partnerships with community & state organizations, facilities, local, county, district, state, and national network.
Date: Program year 2022-2023
Audience: County & Military Youth
Project or Activity: Jr. Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (Jr. MANRRS)
Content or Curriculum: Civic engagement, Citizenship, Service Learning, My Leadership Workbook, Character Counts, Leaders in Me
Inputs: Extension Agents, community partners, University administration and departments, Colleigiate MANRRS, travel, local, state, and national conferences to include workshop presenters, career/opportunity fair exhibitors and agriculture industry sponsors and partners
Date: Program year 2022-2023
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Kentucky Master Gardener Training
Content or Curriculum: State MG Curriculum
Input: Agents; specialists, volunteers, local gardeners
Date: Fall 2023
Audience: Homemaker Members
Project or Activity: Officer Training; Leader Lessons
Content or Curriculum: Officer Training on Responsibilities/Roles; Monthly lessons, volunteer opportunities
Inputs: agent, facilities, curriculum, extension resources
Date: year round
Author: Katie Mills
Major Program: Volunteer Development
After spending time brainstorming on how to get one of the best kept secrets out, 4-H, we decided to host a 4-H Kickoff. This was the perfect opportunity to show the community all the clubs and projects that Hopkins County 4-H has to offer. For the event, we rented bounce houses, had Hopkins County Adult Livestock Club provide hotdogs, and a volunteer from each club or project host a table. We hosted this event right before the 4-H season kicked off in the late summer and schools were just start
Author: Jeremiah Johnson
Major Program: Leadership
The Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference is a multi-state leadership conference that was created to bring together youth from across the southern region. (https://4-h.ca.uky.edu/SRTLC) Due to scheduling on the previous year SRTLC in February, we held the second one for 2022 in September. Kentucky had 57 youth participants attend the conference. Of survey respondents, 76% of youth indicated this was their first time attending the Southern Regional Teen Leadership Conference
Author: Mary Anne Garnett
Major Program: Agriculture
In Christian County there are about 196 youth in foster or kinship placement. Joy Closet, a local organization helps create a community closet for foster families within the East Lakes Region, to get clothing, shoes, car seats, and other necessities free of charge when a child is placed a new foster family. On January 20, 2023, at the Christian County Ag Exposition Center, the Christian County Extension Office partnered with Joy Closet to host a “Connecting Family Event.” This allowe
Author: Katie Mills
Major Program: Natural Resources
Youth in every county are always looking for more activities to do outside so what better way then offering a program during spring break for “Outdoor Cooking”. This was a partnership between one of the Christian County 4-H Youth Development Agents and the Agricultural Natural Resource Agent. We wanted to create a program for youth in Christian County to learn the safety of cooking outdoors, how to start and put out a fire, lighting charcoal, outdoor handwashing skills, cooler packin
Author: Jeremiah Johnson
Major Program: Civic Engagement
In a 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, one in four youth were unable to name the three branches of government. In addition, in July 2018 the Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 158.141 stated a student must pass a civics test at a rate of 60% or higher, composed of 100 questions to graduate from a public high school with a regular diploma. To address this need, Kentucky 4-H Capitol Experience was established with the objectives of: Developing a positive relationship be
Author: Mary Anne Garnett
Major Program: Leadership
According to research, middle school is a time where young people find their place in this world, they are exploring where their strengths and interests align (Fagell. P.L., 2019). Therefore, it is impreative to provide positive experiences where young people may explore the world in a safe environment. Historically, there is a decline in enrollment numbers throughout the middle school years in 4-H programming, Kentucky 4-H hosts the Kentucky 4-H Summit Leadership Conference for middle schoolers
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Master Gardener
Master Gardeners is a program run by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service to train citizens in many areas of horticulture. Upon completion of the Master Gardener education program, participants return 30 hours of community volunteer service through organized projects within one year to earn the title Master Gardener and 15 hours annually to maintain their volunteer status. During the 2022 program year Master Gardeners volunteered:1620 hours of service in planting and maintain
Author: Mary Anne Garnett
Major Program: Agriculture
Since starting in 1985, Farm Day is long standing program in Christian County 4-H that is provided to all first-grade students in the Christian County Public School System, Private Schools, and Homeschool. Luckily this year we were able to have an in-person program offered to all the schools with a great response. For the 2023 Farm Day a total of 819 students and 99 teachers and volunteers attended during one of the two days offered and represented the 8 elementary schools found in Christian Cou
Author: Mary Anne Garnett
Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts
Public speaking is an important skill that is losing to a very digital age of pre-recorded video for entertainment and knowledge. This spring 71 students from 5 local schools held a communications contest for grades 4th-12th. Two winners from each division moved on to the Christian County 4-H county level contest where a record of 21 youth participated. “I had a difficult time scoring these youth on their speeches, each worked very hard to preparing for the event and had to courage to stan
Author: Tiffany Bolinger
Major Program: Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
According to KEHA.org, the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA) is a volunteer organization that works to improve the quality of life for families and communities through leadership development, volunteer service, and education. The organization was developed in cooperation with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Across the state, County Family & Consumer Sciences Extension Agents work closely with KEHA members and clubs to provide educational programming a
Author: Mary Anne Garnett
Major Program: Civic Engagement
In a 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, one in four youth were unable to name the three branches of government. In addition, in July 2018 the Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 158.141 stated a student must pass a civics test at a rate of 60% or higher, composed of 100 questions to graduate from a public high school with a regular diploma. To address this need, Kentucky 4-H Capitol Experience was established with the objectives of: Developing a positive relationship between elec
Author: Katie Mills
Major Program: Civic Engagement
In a 2016 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, one in four youth were unable to name the three branches of government. In addition, in July 2018 the Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 158.141 stated a student must pass a civics test at a rate of 60% or higher, composed of 100 questions to graduate from a public high school with a regular diploma. To address this need, Kentucky 4-H Capitol Experience was established with the objectives of: Developing a positive relationship between
Author: Katie Mills
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
Christian County has some wonderful volunteers that are always wanting to volunteer to help the youth in the county. They want to be able to share their talents with others and help them grow in a new skill. There are many youth in Christian County that want to learn how to skill and were eager to learn how to sew. Sewing is something many youth do not know how to do, but could benefit from it. Whether this includes sewing on a button, hemming pants, or making a bag, it is beneficial to have thi
Author: Matthew Futrell
Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership - ANR
Youth in every county are always looking for more activities to do outside so what better way then offering a program during spring break for “Outdoor Cooking”. This was a partnership between one of the Christian County 4-H Youth Development Agents and the Agricultural Natural Resource Agent. We wanted to create a program for youth in Christian County to learn the safety of cooking outdoors, how to start and put out a fire, lighting charcoal, outdoor handwashing skills, cooler packin
