Extension
It Starts With Us
Life Skills for Youth and Adults
Leadership Development and Life Skills
Maxxwell Alviar, Alex Butler and Susan Campbell
Family and Consumer Science
Local Food Systems
Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy
Anderson County families need to stretch food dollars; our community needs to decrease hunger; and training can be provided at local food assistance sites to educate recipients on healthy and safe food preparation methods.
4-H members, leaders, parents and FCS agents can encourage families and individuals to use farm-to-table food products.
Families, including youth need to:
Increase access to fruits and vegetables.
Learn and use food safety rules, and develop food preparation skills so they can have healthy, nutritious food at home and make wise choices when eating away from home.
The economy still hasn't fully recovered from the recession so Anderson County families are using food pantries, increasing participation in WIC, and using senior commodity foods more in the last 8 years. Participation has increased for free and reduced school meal programs.
Some county residents lack of access to nutritious, affordable foods, especially fish, fruits, and vegetables.
Kentucky adult obesity ranks among the 10 highest in the US
Kentucky adults rank among the 10 highest for poor consumption of fruits and vegetables in the US
Kentucky youth rank among the 10 highest for obesity in the US
Anderson County youth and adults will increase average fruit and vegetable consumption by 1 or more servings per day.
Youth and adults will improve food management skills and develop healthy eating habits.
Youth will be food secure when school is not in session.
Individuals and families who receive emergency food supplies will select more nutrient dense items if given a choice
Families, youth and individuals will:
Access more local foods
Plant, harvest and preserve produce
Apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits
Families, youth and individuals will:
Learn to grow, prepare and preserve food
Learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently eaten into a healthy diet
Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management
Initial Outcome: Safe food preparation
Indicator:Number of individuals reporting improved knowledge and skills in safe storage, handling, and preparation of food.
Method: Food safety quiz
Timeline: at end of program
Initial Outcome: Intention to cook more meals at home
Indicator: Number of individuals who report intention to cook more
Method: Classroom discussion
Timeline: beginning and end of multi-session program
Intermediate Outcome: Preparing more healthy home cooked meals
Indicator: Number of individuals who report preparing more healthy home cooked meals.
Method: One month followup by email or phone
Timeline: One month after program ends
Audience: Anderson County Residents
Project or Curriculum: Community Gardens
Inputs: Agent Time, Master Gardeners, local community members, CES publications
Date: Through out the year
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: cooking day camp
Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef
Inputs: FCS agent, 4-H agent, 4-H volunteers
Date: October, December, April, June
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Monthly meal time series at Extension Office and Food pantry
Content or Curriculum: SNAP calendar and publications
Inputs: County Agents, food pantry volunteers, publications
Date: monthly all year
Author: Susan Campbell
Major Program: Camping
The Targeted Life Skills model (Hendricks, 1998) has been an important guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating 4-H youth development programs. This model provides a holistic youth development approach, referred to by multiple researchers (Barkman & Machtmes, 2002; Garton, Miltenberger, & Pruett, 2007; Pittman & Yohalem, 2002; Scales, 1996; Wright & Bersamin, 2004.) 4-H based studies using Targeted Life Skills identified a positive relationship between particip
Author: Susan Campbell
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
In our increasingly interconnected world, young people must acquire the knowledge and skills to engage effectively. Local economies now rely more than ever on international resources, and those who thrive in this interconnected economy are adaptable individuals who embrace multiculturalism. Passport Kitchen is a program designed to help young people take their first steps in developing these skills. It not only promotes family mealtime but also fosters life readiness skills. By collaboratively w
Author: Susan Campbell
Major Program: Agriculture & Natural Resources
The Kentucky 4-H Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Academy (NRESci) strives to increase environmental literacy among youth in Kentucky. Every five years (since 1999) the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC) conducts a survey to assess Kentuckian’s environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. According to KEEC’s 2020-2025 Environmental Education Master Plan (2020), “… the average Kentuckian is able to answer correctly slightly less than half of
