Developing Leadership, Life Skills, and Volunteer SkillsPlan of Work

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Hancock County CES

Title:
Developing Leadership, Life Skills, and Volunteer Skills
MAP:
Leadership and Life Skill Development
Agents Involved:
Lisa Hagman, 4-H, Angelia Swihart, FCS
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Leadership
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Kentucky Extension Homemaker Association
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Master Clothing Volunteer
Situation:

Leadership is a needed and important programming emphasis in Kentucky 4-H.  The Cooperative Extension Service provides opportunities for youth and families to help improve their leadership ability and create a positive impact on their future.  Leadership opportunities for youth create a setting that reduces the access of youth to risk factors that can negatively impact their success. 

Basic leadership knowledge & skills are essential for success in almost any field.  The skills associated with leadership are necessary when working in a group or communicating with others.  Employers look for leadership skills in future employees.   Developing leadership in the youth and adults who are involved in the 4-H program is a priority.  By assisting the development of leadership skills in today’s youth, we improve their ability to face the challenges of tomorrow (Unlock Your Leadership Potential, University of Florida, 2017). 

Kentucky 4-H provides opportunities for youth to actively engage locally and globally to promote life skills [such as leadership] that prepare them for the global marketplace. Through 4-H youth exercise critical thinking skills, learn to appreciate diversity, practice tolerance, develop socio-emotionally, and strive to contribute to their environment (United States Department of Education International Affairs Office of International Strategy).  4-H participants rate their leadership life skills above average, have a positive view of their leadership ability, and have a positive attitude toward diversity and acceptance of others (Locke, Boyd, Fraze, and Howard, 2007).    


Many leadership scholars and youth development professionals agree that leadership development is an important, but often overlooked facet of youth development and education (MacNeil,2000). The development of leadership contributes greatly to the positive development of young people and their

communities. Leadership skills, such as goal-setting, problem-solving and sound decision-making, are not just necessary for leaders -these skills are needed for success in today's world (MacNeil,2000).

Furthermore, helping young people develop leadership competencies makes them better able to solve community problems and enhances their civic participation (O'Brien & Kohlmeier, 2003). Young leaders also demonstrate higher career aspirations, increased self-esteem, and improved high school completion rates (Bloomberg, Ganey, Alba, Quintero, & Alcantara, 2003).

Long-Term Outcomes:

*Youth will serve as teen and adult leaders for local 4-H Clubs and 4-H camps and in their communities, community organizations, and as mentors for younger youth.

*Youth will be productive,contributing adults in the future.


Intermediate Outcomes:

*Youth will demonstrate leadership, teamwork and communication skills in their day to day lives.

*Youth will utilize leadership skills learned during their time in 4-H in clubs, activities and other venues with 4-H and other community organizations.

*Senior 4-H members will become leaders or co-leaders of a 4-H project club, day camp, overnight, or other project based group of younger 4-H members.

*Homemakers will Lead Clubs and Lessons for youth and adults.

Initial Outcomes:

*Youth will learn the communication, leadership and procedural skills that will allow them to run a meeting.

*Youth will increase their knowledge about leadership and how to be an effective leader, team player and communicator.

*Youth will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics.

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Youth will learn about leadership styles and will be able to identify positive and negative leadership characteristics.

Indicator: Youth will participate, discuss, and evaluate leadership styles.

Method: observation, discussion

Timeline: September 2023-April 2024


Intermediate Outcome: 4-H Teen Club members will utilize leadership skills in the 4-H Camp Setting.

Indicator: leadership skills displayed while working with younger 4-H members

Method: observation, self-evaluation

Timeline: June 2023


Long-term Outcome: 4-H youth will attend camp and serve as adult and teen counselors. Master Clothing Volunteer will lead sewing activities for Youth and Adults. 

Indicator: Camp attendance; Lead Community Sewing Classes.

Method: Observation

Timeline: June 2023 

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: 4-H Camp Volunteer Adult and Teen Leaders

Project or Activity: 4-H Camp

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Camp Leader Training materials

Inputs: 4-H Camp, State 4-H Office

Date: June 2023


Audience: 4-H Campers

Project or Activity: 4-H Camp

Content or Curriculum: overnight camp

Inputs: 4-H Camp, State 4-H Office

Date: June 2023


Audience: 4-H Shooting Sports Certified Coaches

Project or Activity: Shooting Sports Practices and Competitions

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Shooting Sports Coaches' manual per each discipline

Inputs: State 4-H Office, County 4-H Council,  Volunteer Coaches

Date: July 2023-June 2024


Audience: 4-H Members, Livestock Club Members, 4-H Rabbit Club Members, Afterschool Members, Cloverbud Members

Project or Activity: Speeches/Demonstrations

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Communications Core Curriculum

Inputs: Hancock County Public Schools, Afterschool programs, Volunteer Leaders

Date: September 2023-April 2024


Audience: High School, Middle School, and Afterschool 4-H Club Members, Livestock Club, Rabbit Club, Cloverbud Club

Project or Activity: Leadership Skill Development, 4-H Summit, 4-H Teen Conference, Green River Area Teens, 4-H Teen Council

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership Core Curriculum

Inputs: Hancock County Public Schools, State 4-H Office

Date: September 2023-May 2024


Audience: 4-H Culinary Arts Club

Project or Activity: cooking and nutrition

Content or Curriculum: Family and Consumer Sciences and Health Core Curriculum

Inputs: Hancock County Middle School, Hancock County High School, Youth Service Center, Community Education

Date: Spring 2024


Audience: Adults, Teens and Youth

Project or Activity: Master Clothing Volunteer

Content or Curriculum: Master Clothing Volunteer

Inputs: Green River FCS Agents, MCV Trainers, Hancock Co. FCS Agent, 

Date: October 2023-May 2024


Audience: Adults, Teens and Youth

Project or Activity: Homemaker JR. Wildcat Club, Homemaker club meetings 

Content or Curriculum: Homemaker Club Lessons

Inputs: Homemakers, Green River FCS Agents, Hancock Co. FCS Agent 

Date: October 2023-May 2024


Audience: All 9th-12th Grade Students

Project or Activity: 4-H Reality Store

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Family and Consumer Sciences Core Curriculum

Inputs: Hancock County Middle and High Schools, Youth Services Center and numerous community volunteers

Date: April 2024


Audience: 4-H Livestock Club Members

Project or Activity: Speech/Demonstration and Record Book

Content or Curriculum: Speak Up publication, How to Give a 4-H Demonstration publication, and the Hancock County 4-H Livestock Record Book

Inputs: Hancock County 4-H Livestock Club leader, Hancock County Fairboard, 4-H Volunteer Leader

Date: July 2023-June 2024


Audience: 4-H Cloverbud Club

Project or Activity: 4-H Public Speaking

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Communication Curriculum

Input: Volunteer Leader

Date: April 2023


Audience: 4-H Rabbit Club

Project or Activity: Parliamentary Procedure

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership Curriculum

Input: Volunteer Leader

Date: September 2023-June 2024


Audience: 8th-12th Grade Students-4-H Teen Club members

Project or Activity: Green River Area 4-H Teen Leadership Academy

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership

Input: 4-H Agents, State 4-H Office, 4-H Camp, 4-H core curriculum areas, etc.

Date: September 2023-April 2024


Audience: 8th-12th Grade Students-4-H Teen Club members

Project or Activity: 4-H Teen Conference

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Leadership

Input: State 4-H Office

Date: June 2024



Success Stories

Ky State Fair Helps 4-H Youth to Thrive

Author: Lisa Hagman

Major Program: Community Vitality and Leadership – 4-H Youth Development

The Kentucky State Fair is a culminating event of yearly 4-H project work. Project work is defined by including the following: “(a) Planned work in an area of interest to the 4-H member, (b) Guided by a 4-H adult volunteer who is the project leader, (c) Aimed at planned objectives that can be attained and measured, (d) Summarized by some form of record keeping, and (e) A minimum of six hours of project instruction” (National 4-H Council, 2013). In 2023, Kentucky 4-H members exhibited

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"SEW Monday"

Author: Angelia Swihart

Major Program: Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)

Sewing is a dying art and in Hancock County there has been a great interest to learn this life skill.  Newly retired women seeking new skills or hobbies and things they didn't have a chance to do when working full time.  Sewing can be beneficial to health by reducing stress, building self-esteem, and building self-worth when accomplishing tasks and learning new skills.  Adults were taught basic sewing techniques, sewing tools and how to use them, as well as constructing items

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2024 Community Garden

Author: Evan Tate

Major Program: Community Gardens and Horticulture Therapy

Exercise and Activity for residents of assisted living centers is a necessity for good health. Residents often enjoy have day to day task and these routines can be apart of an exercise regiment that promotes mobility and wards off obesity.  Additionally, assisted living centers often operate on tight budgets and are constantly looking for sources of healthy food at an affordable price.The Hancock County Cooperative Extension Service, Audubon Area Community Services and local businesses all

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4-H Shooting Sports Dedication Leads to Positive Youth Development

Author: Lisa Hagman

Major Program: Leadership

 Hancock County has a population of 8300 which makes us a very rural community and firearms are prevalent in the majority of the homes. With the 4-H Shooting Sports program focusing on safety, this is a very important program to offer our community and especially our youth. The focus of all 4-H programs is the development of youth as individuals and as responsible and productive citizens. The National 4-H Shooting Sports program stands out as an example. Youth learn marksmanship, the safe a

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SEW Beneficial

Author: Angelia Swihart

Major Program: Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)

SEW Beneficial

Today, basic life skills such as sewing have become a lost art.  “Sewing is a discipline that helps develop self-esteem, confidence, focus, patience, fine motor skills, problem solving, process thinking and visualization.”  Scientists have conducted studies on the relationship between quilting, sewing and wellbeing.  One even interviewed a quilting and knitting group and discovered that a solid social network was fostered, self-esteem increased motivation, and even the

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Teen Leadership Academy Builds Leaders

Author: Lisa Hagman

Major Program: Leadership

Leadership education builds several important assets in Kentucky youth and provides critical elements of youth development (Search Institute, 2004; Pittman, Irby & Ferber, 2001.) Youth who participate in leadership development opportunities are exposed to a variety of opportunities for personal development. Leadership activities help youth:-develop confidence in their leadership potential and their own sense of identity-improve their self-esteem-enhance their communication skills in sharing,

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4-H Culinary Arts Club Member Discovers a Spark and Now is an Entrepreneur and Professional Baker

Author: Lisa Hagman

Major Program: Family and Consumer Science

4-H Culinary Arts Club Member Discovers a Spark and Now is an Entrepreneur and Professional Baker

4-H offers many opportunities for youth to explore and discover their sparks.  High quality 4-H program settings provide youth a place to belong, matter and explore their personal spark. Hancock County 4-H partners each year with the Hancock County Middle School Youth Service Center to offer an afterschool Culinary Arts Club to the 6th-8th grade students. At the conclusion of the year, the members are rewarded with a culinary-based field trip. The Ky Wildflour Bakery was a field trip d

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2024 Annies Project Program

Author: Evan Tate

Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development

The problemThe educational program responseThe local Breckinridge, Grayson and Hancock County areas have noticed an increase in the number of women taking active roles in the agriculture enterprises recently. Based on US Census of Ag Data, 35% of the primary farm owners in this area are women.   This is due to many factors: succession, new residents interested in farming, better resources for women, and general interests, to name a few. This area of Kentucky is also expanding in diverse ent

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Gaining a Better Understanding and Appreciation of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

Author: Lisa Hagman

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

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