Powell County CES

Title:

Improve Individual and Family Development

MAP:

Nurturing Families

Agents Involved:

Kendyl Redding, Jason Vaughn, Emilee Hager

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Horticulture, Consumer and Home

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Family Development General

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Communications & Expressive Arts

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Family and Consumer Science

Situation:

“School-readiness” is a broad term that refers to multiple precursor cognitive, physical, and social-emotional skills that indicate young children are prepared to learn and thrive in the school environment. A wide body of research shows a strong foundation in school readiness is indicative of school success. Emerging research also indicates that there is a synergistic effect when early learning activities activate physical and cognitive skills simultaneously, as opposed to doing so in isolation. However, in the state of Kentucky only 50% of children are deemed “school-ready” when they enter Kindergarten.  These numbers indicate a need for more activities that support school-readiness by building multiple skill sets simultaneously.

96,000 children in Kentucky live in kinship care.  Kentucky ranks first in the nation for the most children in kinship care settings in the country.  15,000 children are in kinship care due to removal from their home.  Kinship care providers need support.

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Increase the number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in the state of Kentucky.
• Improve academic success for children in Kentucky   

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Increase opportunities and access to more preschool learning activities outside of the home
• Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Powell County
• Increase number of learning activities experienced at home
• Increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision making, and self-management.
• Increase caregiver advocacy for children in their care including legal, medical, social, and educational services
• Increase access of community services to caregivers 

Initial Outcomes:

• Kentuckians understand the importance of developmentally appropriate play to their child’s academic success
• Increase child’s ability to express appropriate emotion
• Improve child’s gross motor skills
• Improve child’s early literacy skills including phonological awareness, print awareness, and vocabulary
• Increase awareness of indicators of high-risk adolescent behaviors 
• Identify key points of adolescent development
• Establish realistic expectations for teen behavior, and explore changing relationships within families 

Evaluation:

Outcome:  Kentuckians learn fun age appropriate activities to aid in their child’s healthy development.

Indicator:  Number of parents who expressed learning new activities to engage their children at home.

Method:  Laugh and Learn, Stories Songs, and Stretches, Cloverbud Program, Observation and Survey

Timeline:  Year long

Outcome: Increase child and parent social-emotional skills such as heightened self-awareness, responsible decision making, and self-management.

Indicator: How many children increased their ability to express emotion after attending the program?

Method:  Laugh and Learn Evaluation

Timeline: Year long

Outcome: Increase number of children who are “kindergarten ready” in Powell county. 

Indicator: Several – (i.e. How many parents reported improved gross motor skills, social-emotional skills, and early literacy skills?) 

Method: Pirate Prep Academy with FRC Coordinators at each school, Laugh and Learn Programs Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Kindergarten Readiness Results

Timeline:  Year Round

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Preschool Youth and Parents

Project or Activity:  Various

Content or Curriculum: Laugh and Learn Playdates, Stories, Songs, and Stretches, Family Mealtime, LEAP, NEP youth curriculum, Pirate Prep Kindergarten readiness program

Inputs: FCS Agent, NEP staff, Library, Head start, Public Schools, etc.

Date: Ongoing 

Audience: Families

Project or Activity:  Various

Content or Curriculum: Laugh and Learn Playdates, Stories, Songs, and Stretches, The Dinner Table Project, LEAP, Nutrition Education, Cooking through the Calendar, Date Night Cooking

Inputs: FCS Agent, NEP staff, Library, Head start, Public Schools, etc.

Date: Ongoing 

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Communications, 4-H After-school programming, 4-H art club, clover buds, Girls on the Run

Content or Curriculum: UK 4-H Curriculum

Inputs: Extension Staff; Volunteers, School Staff

Date: Ongoing

Success Stories