Extension
It Starts With Us
Educating & Empowering Individuals and Families to Make Responsible Choices and Develop Life Skills
Developing Life Skills
C. Hall, l. Milligan, B. Pratt, K. Smith, and P. Thompson
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Community Engagement
21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)
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
Youth and adults will demonstrate the understanding of diversity, inclusivity, and multiculturalism in their daily life.
Youth will use leadership and communications skills needed to be successful in the workplace on a daily basis.
Create safe homes within environments that promote and support the physical and mental well-being of families throughout the life cycle.
Youth will develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as important developmental assets are met through their participation in Extension programs.
Youth and adults will be responsible and contributing individuals and family members, gain and maintain employment through life skill development and contribute to a safe, pleasant and productive home and family.
Youth and adults will learn to manage personal finances, make wise financial decisions and understand long-term financial stability.
Youth and adults make more informed consumer decisions that result in increased family economic stability.
Youth and adults will reduce stress levels by building personal strengths, self-control, interpersonal communication, life skills including wise decision-making.
Reported using preventive and positive discipline techniques in response to misbehavior and settling and enforcing logical consequences.
Practice skills to strengthen and sustain relationships.
Increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle that include making healthy lifestyle choices, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.
Practice healthy lifestyle decision – making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stressors.
Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding healthy aging.
Commits to using logical consequences for misbehavior.
Youth and adults will identify healthy lifestyle choices, risky behaviors and their consequences and healthy ways to handle stress.
Initial Outcome: Youth and adults will identify healthy lifestyle choices, risky behaviors and their consequences and healthy ways to handle stress.
Indicator: Ability to identify healthy lifestyle choices
Method: Pre – and post – surveys
Timeline: Before and after program
Intermediate Outcome: Increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle that include making healthy lifestyle choices, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.
Indicator: Youth and adults adopting and mastering healthy behaviors
Method: Pre – and post – surveys
Timeline: Before and after program and follow up
Long – Term Outcome: Youth will develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as important developmental assets are met through their participation in Extension programs.
Indicator: Youth will display skills necessary to be competent, capable, contributing adults.
Method: Observation and interviews
Timeline: End of program
Audience: Adults & Youth
Project or Activity: Community Garden implementation; school garden
Content or Curriculum: Extension publications
Inputs: specialists; content curriculum
Date: July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023
Program Code: 1031
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Community Gardens
Content or Curriculum: CES publications
Inputs: agents, garden space
Date: July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023
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 Curriculum
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding
Date: Sept. 2022 – Apr. 2023
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. 2022 – Apr. 2023
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. 2022– Apr. 2023
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. 2022 – Apr. 2023
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. 2022 – Apr. 2023
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. 2022 – Apr. 2023
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. 2022 – Apr. 2023
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. 2022 – Apr. 2023
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. 2022 – Apr. 2023
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: TBA
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: TBA
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: TBA
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: TBA
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: TBA
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: TBA
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity: TBA
Content or Curriculum: KEHA Curriculum
Inputs: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA), Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: October 2022
Program Code: 2056
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity: TBA
Content or Curriculum: KEHA Curriculum
Inputs: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA), Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: December 2022
Program Code: 2066
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity: TBA
Content or Curriculum: KEHA Curriculum
Inputs: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA), Kentucky CES publications and resources
Date: March 2023
Program Code: 2056
Audience: Senior CitizensProject or Activity: TBA
Content or Curriculum: Keys to Embracing Aging and Stand Up to Falling
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) publications and resources
Date: Spring 2023
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 2022 – June 2023
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 2022– December 2023
Program Code: 2056
Author: Chanda Hall
Major Program: Camping
Sowing Seeds with Faith (SSWF) is a youth program in Louisville whose goal is to engage youth academically and socially in the Louisville community by mastering developmental challenges via educational expectations, structure, faith, and accountability. Sowing Seeds with Faith is a Louisville-based private tutoring service with tutors ranging from JCPS teachers to JCPS retirees to current college students. Sowing Seeds uses a Village approach to provide the highest caliber of educational s
Author: Jessica Marquez
Major Program: Economic Development
The monthly Grupo de Mujeres is a collaborative program between Eastern Area Community Ministries and Kentucky State University's Cooperative Extension program. The group welcomes all Spanish-speaking women who want to participate in financial education, life-skill development, and female empowerment for themselves and their families. As of September 2022, we have educated the participants on financial skills such as opening savings and checking accounts, understanding the difference between
Author: Jessica Marquez
Major Program: Economic Development
I have partnered with the director of multicultural services at Eastern Area Community Ministries to collaborate on programing for the Grupo de Mujeres. This program is welcomes all participants who want to learn about financial education, life-skill development, and female empowerment for themselves and their families. The program started in January 2022 with a focus on teaching participants about personal financial education, life-skill development, and female empowerment for themselves and th
Author: Von Barnes
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
The fourth grade students at Greenwood Elementary did a discovery walk through the Parklands of Floyds Fork this year. During that walk, they learned about nature and identified plants in the Kentucky ecosystem. One of the plants that was brought to their focus for this classroom program was the pawpaw tree. For this program, 84 students were able to taste pawpaw ice cream for the first time. The students were very excited about the opportunity to try a fruit that they had not be able
