Leadership Development and Recruitment of Volunteers
Community and Leadership Development
Hixson, Comley, Hettmansperger
Business Retention and Expansion
Community Strategic Planning
Kentucky Extension Leadership Development (KELD)
Trail Design
According to national statistics, 44% of adults volunteer. With volunteer work valued at $18.77 per hour, that makes for a large economic impact on communities across the nation. The Garrard County Extension Council (CEC), although not recognizing the need to train leaders per se for roles in the Extension Council system, did recognize the need for growing leadership in educational endeavors such as agriculture, drug abuse education, growing energy crisis with alternative sources, local business enhancement, senior issues, built environment issue, and parenting issues.
Extension leadership development efforts will translate into improved leadership efforts in the community at large with leaders addressing public issues and running for public office. Participants will serve as mentors for future leaders.
People will participate in any leadership training opportunity that presents itself locally, people will engage in public debate on local issues as well as regional and nationally. Participants will take on formal community leadership roles.
Participants in Extension programs will learn how and be encouraged to seek officer positions in extension related organizations. Extension leaders will increase their knowledge about how to be an effective leader, build their team leadership abilities and learn how to be better at leading a group or an effort to fruition.
Initial Outcome: People taking leadership roles in the community and on extension councils and committees.
Indicator: Formal and informal surveys and person to person contact
Method: Survey program participants, observing extension committees and councils
Timeline: Year Round
Intermediate Outcome: People participate in leadership trainings and engage in public issues.
Indicator: Formal and informal surveys and person to person contact
Method: Survey program participants, observing extension committees and councils
Timeline: All year
Long-term Outcome: Leaders engaging in public issues and running for public office
Indicator: Formal and informal surveys and person to person contact
Method: Survey program participants, observing extension committees and councils
Timeline: All year
Audience: County Extension Council members, Extension District Board members, FCS council, 4-H Council
Project or Activity: Initial training meetings for new members, regular meetings of the different Extension groups
Content or Curriculum: State Extension Council training materials, FCS/KEHA materials
Inputs: Agents and Extension Specialist
Date: Year round
Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity: Extension Homemaker Leader Trainings, Area/county Homemakers events, Extension Homemaker Council meetings
Content or Curriculum: KEHA/KELD materials
Inputs: Agents and Extension materials
Date: Monthly meetings
Audience: club members and potential club members in FCS special interest clubs
Project or Activity: regular meetings with leadership training
Content or Curriculum: KELD materials
Inputs: FCS Agent / resource persons when appropriate
Date: year round
Audience: 4-H Members
Project or Activity: attendance of local, district, and state-level events
Content or Curriculum: Unlocking Your Leadership Potential
Inputs: 4-H Youth Development Agent, Volunteer, Local Funding Sources, 4-H Council, and Grant Development
Date: Year Round
Audience: In-School Programming
Project or Activity: Participation in local, area, and state-level communications events
Content or Curriculum: National 4-H Communication Curriculum and Expressive Arts Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Volunteer, Curriculum, 4-H Council funding sources, materials
Date: November, January and February
Author: Eric Comley
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Research suggests distinctive characteristics of young adolescents (middle school aged youth) regarding their physical, cognitive, moral, psychological, and social-emotional development, as well as spiritual development (Scales, 2010). Young adolescents (middle school aged youth) warrant educational experiences and schools that are organized to address their physical, intellectual, emotional/psychological, moral/ethical, spiritual, and social developmental characteristics (Caskey & Anfara, 2
Author: Eric Comley
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Through the 94th Annual Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference, 4-H’ers from across the Commonwealth developed leadership and teamwork skills, improved communication skills, became involved in civic life, expanded knowledge related to a 4-H core content area: communication/citizenship, health, natural resources, agriculture, expressive arts, family consumer sciences, and science, engineering, and technology. The participants fostered a sense of belonging through networking, engaged in youth-adult pa
Author: Eric Comley
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Volunteers play integral roles in 4-H programs, performing a variety of duties, functions, and tasks and possessing varied and rich knowledge, skills, and backgrounds (Radhakrishna & Ewing, 2011). The success of Extension programming is due, in part, to the dedication of a large cadre of volunteers (Smith, Dasher, & Klingborg, 2005). Although highly valued, volunteer involvement does not guarantee achievement of Extension's goals and fulfillment of learners' needs (Bolton, 1992).