Extension
It Starts With Us
Enhancing Personal Development through Life Skills
Building Youth Life Skills
B. Cheirs, A. McCoy
Financial Education - General
Communications and Expressive Arts
Agriculture
Health
In order for individuals to reach their fullest potential in life, they need the opportunity to learn how to become self sufficient and practice responsibility. The Fulton County 4-H Youth Development program provides many opportunities for youth to become engaged in their community while developing personal, social, and economic assets which will assist in positive adult development.
Utilizing the Targeting Life Skills model (Hendricks 1998) and teaching skills under the category of Giving, Working, Being, Living, Thinking, Managing, Relating and Caring, youth will become competent, capable and contributing individuals, while Practical Life skills help them to be competitive in the world.
Fulton County youth will utilize life skills gained through education and Extension programs to reach their full potential as individuals, family members, and citizens in the community.
Youth will gain communication and decision-making skills that allow them to be competitive members of the current and future workforce.
Youth will gain practice of practical living skills that will make them more effective adults with practice of experience such as cooking and childcare.
Fulton County youth will become contributing members of society.
Youth will communicate more effectively with more self confidence.
Youth will practice safe cooking skills at home.
Youth will use self care skills to become competent members of society.
Youth will utilize information obtained through Extension Programming to increase quality of life.
Youth will employ good decision making techniques in personal relationships.
Youth will develop personal care skills to take care of mind and body.
Youth will increase knowledge of cooking, childcare, budgeting, and sewing.
Youth will develop knowledge of communication principles and public speaking skills.
Youth will increase knowledge of the facts of alcohol and tobacco dangers.
Youth will become aware of good character (honesty, trustworthiness, good sportsmanship, etc.)
Initial Outcome: Indicator: Youth will participate in events held at the schools and Extension office
Indicator: Youth will attend specific programming
Method: Sign in sheets
Timeline: program year & ongoing
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will change habits and behaviors
Indicator: Youth will begin to incorporate learned behaviors
Method: Observing behaviors at school, club meetings, and home
Timeline: Program year & ongoing
Long-term Outcome: Youth will practice skills and knowledge learned through 4-H and Extension programming.
Indicator: Youth will implement skills learned
Method: Implementation by students in the community, schools, and home
Timeline: Program year & ongoing
Audience: 4-H Age
Project or Activity: Sewing
Content or Curriculum: State Fair projects
Inputs: MCV, Parents, Community Leaders
Date: Current Program Year
Audience: 4-H Age
Project or Activity: Cooking Clubs
Content or Curriculum: Jump into Food and Fitness, Teen Cuisine, Food Preservation, other Extension curricula
Inputs: Agents, Master Gardeners, Parents, Community Volunteers
Date: Current Program Year
Audience: 4-H Age
Project or Activity: Shooting Sports Club
Content or Curriculum: Ky Shooting Sports Program
Inputs: Certified Leaders, parents
Date: Spring and Summer
Audience: 4-H Age
Project or Activity: 4-H Speeches and Demonstrations
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Communications Day
Inputs: Agent, Community Volunteers for judges, Schools
Date: Spring and Summer
Audience: 3rd grade classrooms
Project or Activity: 4-H Chick Incubation
Content or Curriculum: Embryology and Chick Incubation in the Classroom
Inputs: Agent, Schools
Date: Spring
Audience: 4-H Age
Project or Activity: 4-H Babysitting
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H Babysitting 4 Fun and 4 Profit
Inputs: Health Dept, Red Cross, Hospital, 4-H, Parents, FC Area Technology Health Sciences program
Date: current program year
Audience: 9th graders
Project or Activity: Truth and Consequences Event
Content or Curriculum: Truth and Consequences
Inputs: Community Leaders, area businesses, schools, adult volunteers, parents
Date: Winter
Audience: Middle School Age
Project or Activity: Lifeskills and prevention
Content or Curriculum: Botvin Skills Training
Inputs: FCS, 4-H
Date: Current school year
Audience: Youth and Adult Inmates
Project or Activity: 4-H LIFE
Content or Curriculum:
Inputs: 4-H Agent, jail Staff
Date: Program Year
Audience: 4-H Age
Project or Activity: 4-H Camp
Content or Curriculum: camping program
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Volunteers
Date: every summer
Author: Bernita Cheirs
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
The 4-H Culinary Challenge is a state level event that prepares youth to prepare a dish using specific ingredients for judges. Youth will increase their knowledge of food and nutrition, master kitchen safety skills, use creativity to present food and increase public speaking skills. This year, Fulton County had a team of six (ended with four- one not being of age to compete) to join the culinary challenge program. The meetings began in June and they met two to three times a week for one an
Author: Bernita Cheirs
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
According to Illinois Extension, Cooking With Children, cooking with children is a great way to encourage trying new foods and a way to develop important life skills at a young age and become independent later in life. The FCS agent and 4-H agent decided to host a day baking class for ages eight to twelve years old for two different days. Classes filled up really quickly because it was held over Christmas break.The classes consisted of food and kitchen safety, following directions (measuring, re
Author: Anna Morgan
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Spring into Green: Outdoor Living, was hosted by the Purchase Area Family and Consumer Science agents at the Graves County Extension Office. Speakers at this year’s event discussed topics related to the outdoors. Topics discussed included ‘Cooking in the Outdoors’ with Champion Foods Volunteer Riff Turner, ‘Perennials and Wood Shrubs for Cut Flower Arrangements’ with Martha White, and ‘Plant Propagation’ with Lindsay Bowles. The goal of this event was to
Author: Bernita Cheirs
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health – 4-H Youth Development
The Health Rocks curriculum is aimed at eight to sixteen year olds reducing tobacco, alcohol, and drug use. 4-H has worked for decades to help youth develop skill such as communicating with others, being responsible decision makers, and developing an internal strength to resist risky behaviors. The Health Rocks curricula is designed to use teen volunteer leaders for effectiveness. Thanks to a grant through the State 4-H Office for putting this issue at the forefront. The 4-H Agent contacted two
Author: Bernita Cheirs
Major Program: Camping
According to the U.S. Census the median household income in Fulton County is $33,567. The cost for one 4-Her to attend 4-H Summer Camp is $275 plus the cost of transportation. Many families in Fulton County do not have the resources to allow their children to attend 4-H Camp. Even if the cost of 4-H Camp was only $200, many families would find it difficult to come up with the extra money. It isn’t that 4-H Camp is too expensive. It costs less than many other camps, but the resources that o
