Extension
It Starts With Us
Fostering Life Skills Education in Youth and Families
Youth and Families Life Skills
Alexander, Potts, Heisdorffer, Clingenpeel
Financial Education - General
21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)
Family and Consumer Science
Leadership
The start of 4-H came about in the early 1900’s as a way to provide hands-on learning to youth so that they may share the learned skills with their families. Today, 4-H is known as one of the largest youth development organizations in the country. As many families in Daviess County live within broken homes, with 436 of every 1000 youth in foster care, 21% of children living in poverty, and a 45 of every 1000 juvenile incarceration rate, the need for both youth and families to gain valuable life skills has never been greater. As guardians strive to meet family needs in single-parent households, 36% of homes with children in Daviess County, there is little time to teach these skills at home. As many schools no longer include family and consumer science classes in their curriculum, youth must learn these skills elsewhere. 4-H is able to utilize in-school, after-school, club, and camp settings to engage and educate youth in these areas. Additionally, the Family and Consumer Sciences program provides parents, guardians, caregivers, and young adults with parenting skills, financial education, and estate planning, as city and county schools respectively show the following statistics for age-appropriate youth; 42.8% and 56.7% are kindergarten ready, 48.1% and 59.5% display 4th grade reading level preparedness, 47.2% and 48.4% are 8th grade math proficient, and 84.1% and 92.3% graduate high school on time.
*Source: Kentucky Kids Count Survey
Youth and families will improve financial stability
Extension youth will seek post-secondary and career development
Youth and families will make decisions to improve independence and resiliency
Participants create a budget
Participants prioritize activities and needs
Individuals implement one or more activities to secure financial future
Families use appropriate learning activities and positive discipline
Participants apply one or more life skills in daily life
Individuals evaluate home or workplace for safety
Participants can distinguish between wants and needs/fixed expenses
Individuals discuss time management
Individuals define financial terms/literacy
Participants can match ages and stages
Identify/observe life skill practices
Individuals can name two or more safety practices
Long-term Outcome: Development in life skills in youth and families
Indicator: Youth and families will make decision to improve independence and resiliency
Method: Observation, written pre/post surveys, personal testimonies
Timeline: School year, duration of the program
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, What's on Your Plate?
Inputs: 4-H Agents, Program Assistant
Date: School Year 2022-2023
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 KY 4-H Camping Faculty
Date: June/July 2023
Audience: Elementary School Youth Ages 9-12
Project or Activity: Progressive Agriculture Youth Safety Day
Content or Curriculum: Progressive Ag Safety Materials, Approved Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agents, Program Assistant, Extension Volunteers
Date: 2022-2023
Audience: Youth Ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Project Day Camps
Content or Curriculum: Approved 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agents, Program Assistant, Extension Volunteers
Date: Summer 2023
Audience: Youth Ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Shooting Sports
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H Shooting Sports Approved Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Certified 4-H Shooting Sports Coaches
Date: October 2022-September 2023
Audience: Youth Ages 16-19
Project or Activity: Adulting 101
Content or Curriculum: Approved 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Daviess County Extension Agents, volunteers
Date: Spring 2023
Audience: Recovery Center participants, youth Ages 9-18
Project or Activity: Financial lessons, credit score, budgeting
Content or Curriculum: Money Habitudes, CreditWise, Needs v. Wants
Inputs: Extension Agents
Date: Fall 2022
Audience: Individuals and Families
Project or Activity: Vegetable Gardening Topics
Content or Curriculum: Extension Publications
Inputs: Agent and Extension Master Gardeners
Date: Summer 2022 - February/Marchril/Ap 2023
Audience: College Students
Project or Activity: It's Your Reality
Content or Curriculum: It's Your Reality
Inputs: Extension Agents, Volunteers
Date: 2022/2023
Author: Katherine Alexander
Major Program: Super Star Chef
According to 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the obesity rate for children ages 9-12 in Kentucky is 20.2%. The Daviess County Extension Council has identified childhood obesity as an important health issue facing their community. Recent research has indicated that teaching cooking skills to children encourages healthier food choices, which can lower obesity rates. In an effort to address this problem, this summer the Daviess County 4-H and Family Consumer S
Author: Katherine Alexander
Major Program: Financial Education - General
Scammers may try to trick us by appearing in disguise. This makes it difficult to know when something is “too good to be true.” The Federal Trade Commission received 2.9 million fraud reports in 2021. Of those reports, about a quarter of them resulted in a loss, equaling a total of $6.1 billion. The best way to avoid joining those statistics is to learn more about different types of scams to avoid falling victim. To increase consumer knowledge on scam and fraud prevention, the D
Author: Sharayha Clingenpeel
Major Program: Super Star Chef
In June, the NEP Super Star Chef Camp was offered to all of 4-H. The Director of Programs at the Boys and Girls Club saw this program and asked if we could offer it to Boys and Girls Club members. The Daviess County FCS Agent, All Areas Program Assistant, and one of the 4-H Agents set up a camp in July just for Boys and Girls Club members. Eleven youth were transported to the Daviess County Extension Office to participate in this three-day camp. Prior to the NEP Super Star Chef Camp, 9% of youth
Author: Sharayha Clingenpeel
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
With the request of the Practical Living teacher, a program was created to educate youth on the difference of using fresh verses canned vegetables and how to properly use a knife. A MyPlate lesson was given at the start of the program followed by a knife cutting demonstration. Youth were asked to pick out the right way to hold a knife, then shown the correct way to hold a knife and how to cut a bell pepper. They were divided into three groups: fresh salsa group, canned salsa group, and jar of sa
Author: Katherine Alexander
Major Program: Financial Education - General
The local hospital wellness coordinator reached out to the Daviess County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent to do a Basic Budgeting program. It was a need she noticed from the employees that wanted a very basic budgeting program, not information on investments and IRA etc.… so after discussing the needs for the program, the Daviess County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent taught Basic Budgeting, including a Money Habitudes activity, to twenty-eight employees during t
Author: Annette Heisdorffer
Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Through a community partnership, the Green River Area Extension Master Gardener Association and Daviess County Public Library provide the community an opportunity to grow different vegetables, flowers, and herbs through the free Seed Library located at the library. The Extension Master Gardeners prepare thousands of packets of seed. Patrons can check out 5 packets of seed per month. The Seed Library opened again in February 2023 with the Daviess County Extension Agent for Hort
Author: Sharayha Clingenpeel
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health – 4-H Youth Development
Bullying has been recognized as a pressing issue in the local middle schools. The 4-H Agent and Extension Program Assistant were asked to create and present a lesson on bullying to 7th graders. The program utilized the Safe & Caring Schools: Activities for Building Character and Social-Emotional Learning curriculum. Activities and exercises were put together so youth were up and moving as well as sitting and thinking. They were given a safe space to discuss bullying. The program included a d
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Agriculture
Horse Clubs are a 4-H staple with multiple objectives. Participants learn about everything horse, including horsemanship. At the same time, they are developing as leaders, practicing self-reliance, and sportsmanship while promoting a greater love of animals and a humane treatment toward them. The Daviess County Young Riders 4-H Horse Club meets monthly throughout the school year. Club meetings always include horse education. Their Certified Volunteer Leader was a fo
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
4-H Cooking programs are a very popular request for after-school programs and clubs in Daviess County. According to the American Heart Association, teaching youth how to prepare their own food will give them a skill they can use for a lifetime, they will be more likely to eat healthier as adults and build self- confidence. (Cooking With Your Children; Web MD; May 30, 2008.) 4-H Cooking programs give youth the very appealing opportunity to cook and eat, while providing Cooperation Ext
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
“Sewing is a discipline that helps develop self-esteem, confidence, focus, patience, fine motor skills, problem solving, process thinking and visualization. Additionally, sewing encourages creative ability.” (The Creative Art of Sewing; www. NorthJersey.com; September 13, 2012.) Seven Daviess County 4-H’ers participated in a Sewing Day Camp where they made a pillowcase and the Go Green Totebag from Unit 1: Let’s Learn to Sew. Four of the participants had very
Author: Stacey Potts
Major Program: Communications and Expressive Arts
Strong writing, reading and presentation skills present youth with the dexterity of being good communicators as well as allowing them to form receptive relationships with peers and adults. When young people are confident and capable in presenting their thoughts and feelings, they are more likely to accept roles of responsibility in their communities and enhance their contribution to society. This development of internal and external assets, as researched by the Search Institutes &ldqu
