Webster County CES

Title:

Life Skills for Everyone

MAP:

Youth and Families

Agents Involved:

Raymer, Shadrick, Green

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Family and Consumer Science

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Communications and Expressive Arts

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Financial Education - General

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

21st Century Skills (Career & Workplace Development)

Situation:

The Webster County Community Assessment Survey identified life skills as a top priority for the citizens of Webster County. Life skills promote mental well-being in young people and equips them to face the realities of life. Learning to create and live within a budget, nurture children, form relationships with others, problem solve, express oneself in a positive manner, and communicate effectively with others are basic to everyday life in our society. The ever changing landscape of the family and the consumer highlights the need for a responsive and innovative Extension program while also providing the basic needs that all families have as they navigate life’s many challenges. Financial education, communications programming, expressive arts education, and other life skills development is key. 

• ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Webster County community members were surveyed in 2019 and the results of the Kentucky Extension Community Assessment identified the top three priorities for life skills development among all ages. Results indicated 50% of respondents identified the need for more youth life skills training (money management, life decision making, etc.), 25% identified the need for Better family skills in reducing debt, increasing savings and financial planning and 17% identified the need for Better youth and adult career readiness.
• Providing youth with the ability to enhance and develop communication skills is of great importance in Kentucky. Public speaking is among the greatest fear of individuals; however communication skills are a necessary life skills to be successful in the workforce and in the home. The development of communications skills is one of the primary skills necessary to grow as an individual, a community member and a leader. Using age appropriate activities selected from the approved Kentucky 4-H Communication & Expressive Arts Curriculum, educators can maximize the ability of youth to develop their writing, reading and personal communication capacities.   This in turn creates a solid foundation for positive youth development (Jones, K. R. 2006).
• Research consistently shows a correlation between involvement in the arts, academic success and civic engagement. Unfortunately, there has been a sharp decrease over the years in Arts programs in our schools. Webster County 4-H Youth Development has an opportunity to fill this void and inspire future artists across the county.

Webster County Extension seeks to meet these needs through working with youth and families in a variety of situations to increase their consumer awareness, financial management, effective communication, and human development.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Youth will utilize the skills gained to serve as leaders in 4-H and other organizations.

Participants will share the elements of the music, dance, drama and visual arts with their community. 

Participants will be advocates for the arts. 

Increase practical living skills and make more effective decisions.

Become a contributing member of society.

Youth and teens will develop an increased ability to serve in leadership roles.

Youth are better able to communicate and perform in public situations and will be better prepared to manage relationships.

Youth and Adults will communicate effectively through speaking, writing, and listening.

Individuals will have increased self-confidence not only to speak in front of a group, but to tackle situations which arise in everyday life

Adults and youth will be responsible and contributing individuals and family members. 

Individuals will gain and maintain employment through life skill development.

Individuals will be reporting improved family financial stability and economic well-being leading to an improved quality of life and a stronger family.

Intermediate Outcomes:

Interview for a position.

Prepare a 4-H project such as foods, arts& crafts, clothing, wood, etc.

Adults and youth will utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations.

Youth will practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making. 

Youth will adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employability in the future. 

Participate in the 4-H speaking events will be able to use the skills they have acquired through the 4-H events to speak comfortably in front of an audience.

The skills gained will benefit them throughout their school career and will aid them in their quest to find a job and communicate effectively at that job

Youth use their communication skills to assume a leadership role in 4-H or other organizations.

Participants will practice resource management behavior(s) resulting in increased savings or investments. 

Youth will demonstrate an increased level of confidence when presenting in front of groups. 

Youth apply elements of music, dance, drama and visual arts in creating and performing.

Initial Outcomes:

Learn how to communicate effectively, make informed and effective decisions.

Learn how to exhibit self-confidence in front of a crowd.

Learn how to research a topic and present it to a group of peers, family, etc.

Learn life skills (cooking, sewing, budgeting, managing, and working, etc.).

Learn proper job skills (interviewing, writing, communicating, thinking, problem solving.

Rally Day entries meet or exceed the standards

Volunteers and leaders will learn basic communication skills, aspire to participate in programs and projects in the community, and acquire the skills to be responsible for their own lives and the well-being of the community

Youth will learn how to organize information, thoughts and ideas into a speech or demonstration.

Youth will learn how to place livestock and then justify that placing through oral reasons

Youth will compete in events and will be recognized for their accomplishments.

Youth will attend day camps and project meetings and begin to learn new skills.

Youth will learn importance of soil conservation.

Youth will learn where food comes from

Raise awareness of possible careers in agriculture

Participants will show increased knowledge and skills related to managing available financial and non-financial resources.

Participants will identify short, medium and long term personal goals and objectives related to maintaining and improving their financial stability and awareness of severe signs of stress. 

Youth will gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences projects and programs.

Youth will understand the decision-making process. 

Youth will gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action. 

Youth will gain knowledge in researching, preparing and presenting a speech or demonstration. 

Youth can identify key elements of music, dance, drama and visual arts

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: 

Increased awareness, knowledge and skills relating to family consumer sciences, communications, and arts

Indicator: Increased attendance and participation in FCS and Communications and Expressive Arts programming

Method: Curriculum and program evaluation tools including 4-H Common Measures Surveys

Timeline: At time of program implementation 

Intermediate Outcome: Positive development of life skills related to communication, FCS, and art

Indicator: Participants demonstrating improved communication skills, utilizing technologies, and setting goals and developing action plans? 

Method: Follow-up surveys, personal interviews and observations 

Timeline: 1 -3 month follow-up to program implementation 

Intermediate Outcome: Individuals and families will utilize goal setting and budgeting to manage financial resources for future planning and practice responsible financial decision making. 

Indicator: Individuals attending financial management programs and work force preparation program. ?Families will be updated on help Mental Health awareness programs 

Method: Pre and post surveys 

Timeline: 2022-2023

Long-term Outcome: Youth will gain and maintain employment through life skill development. Youth will contribute to a safe, pleasant and productive home and family. Youth become more comfortable sharing their thoughts with others. Youth develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as a result of programming. 

Indicator: Participants contributing to their family and community in service and leadership roles, and successfully obtaining and maintaining employment 

Method: Follow-up surveys, personal interviews and observations 

Timeline: 6 months - 1 year follow-up to program implementation 

Long-term Outcome: Individuals and families will demonstrate financial literacy and sound basic financial practices to transition through life. 

Indicator: Individual and families will use one or more resource management behaviors resulting increased savings. 

Method: Post program surveys 

Timeline: 6 month - year following program participation 

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Robotics Club

Content or Curriculum: Robotics with EV3 curriculum

Inputs: Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business leadership

Date: Program 2022-23

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Summer Camp

Content or Curriculum: Annual camp program based on the Kentucky 4-H Camping program and policies

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) staff and facility, public schools, community action, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business sponsorship

Date: Summer Annually

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Cloverbud Afterschool program

Content or Curriculum: KET Toolkit and other Kentucky 4-H approved curriculum for Expressive Arts

Inputs: Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources

Date: program year 2022-23

Audience: 4th graders county wide

Project or activity: Youth Ag and Safety Days

Content or Curriculum: Progressive Agriculture Foundation; UK

Inputs: Cooperative Extension, NRCS, Conservation District, Family Resource Centers, Farm Bureau, Independence bank, volunteers

Date: Last Thursday in September annually

Audience: Youth

Activity: Science, Engineering and Technology Day Camp

Content or Curriculum: Various approved Kentucky S.E.T. Curriculum

Inputs: Agents, specialist, program assistant, volunteers

Date: summer annually

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Communications Program

Content or Curriculum: Picking up the Pieces curriculum

Inputs: Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business leadership

Date: Program year 2022-23

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Local 4-H Performing Arts Program/Club

Content or Curriculum: KET Arts Curriculum and Kentucky 4-H approved core curriculum

Inputs: Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business leadership

Date: year round

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Food Club

Content or Curriculum: Super Start Chef, Teen Cuisine, Cupcake wars, Culinary Challenge

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers

Kentucky CES publications and resources

Date: School Year 2022-23

Audience: Youth

Activity: 4-Horticulture club

Content or Curriculum: State horticulture, Jr. Master Garden

Inputs: Certified volunteers, specialist, teen volunteers, 4-H Agent

Date: Program Year 2022-23

Audience: Middle school students

Activity: Truth and Consequences program

Content or Curriculum: Truth and Consequences curriculum

Inputs: Agents, assistant, Family Resource Coordinator, community volunteers

Date: Fall school year

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: At Risk Youth Camp

Content or Curriculum: Annual camp program based on the Kentucky 4-H Camping program and policies

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) staff and facility, public schools, community action, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business sponsorship

Date: Summer Annually

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H It's Your Reality Program and Dollars and Sense

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H It's Your Reality and Dollars and Sense curriculum

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business leaders

Date: 2023 program year

Audience: Youth 

Project or Activity: 4-H Cloverbud Programs 

Content or Curriculum: KET Toolkit and other Kentucky 4-H approved curriculum for Cloverbuds and 4-H Exploration 

Inputs: Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources 

Date: 2021-2022 program year 

Audience: Local Youth 

Project or Activity: 4-H Project Clubs, School Clubs, and Workshops 

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H approved core curriculum and record books 

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents and facilities, public schools, family resource centers, volunteer leadership, community and business leadership 

Date: 2022-2023 program year 

Project or Activity: 4-H Art Club

Content or Curriculum: Art curriculum and other Kentucky 4-H approved Art curriculum

Inputs:  Extension staff and facility, public schools, family resource and youth service centers, volunteer leadership, curriculum and program resources, local organizations and business leadership

Date: 2022-23 program year

Audience: Local Youth (4th Grade)

Project or Activity: 4-H Environmental Day Camp

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H approved curriculum (Project WET, Project WILD, Forensic Entomology, etc.)

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, Kentucky 4-H Camp staff and facilities, volunteer leadership, community leaders, public schools, curriculum and program resources

Date: annually in the  Fall

Audience: Adults, young adults, and teens

Project or Activity: Money Habitudes Workshop

Content or Curriculum: Money Habitudes online

Inputs: FCS Agent, curriculum publications and resources, Money Habitudes cards, APEX, FRYSC, Drug Court

Date: Fall 2023

Audience: Adults, young adults, and teens

Project or Activity: Credit Education 

Content or Curriculum: Good Credit Game, Reality Store

 Inputs: FCS Agent, curriculum publications and resources, Good Credit Game set, FRYSC, APEX, Drug Court

Date: Fall 2023

Project or Activity: Financial Education

Content or Curriculum: Real Skills for Everyday Life

Inputs: FCS Agents

Date:2022-2023

Success Stories