Mercer County CES

Title:

Focus on Youth Health, Wellness, and Safety

MAP:

Strengthening Families

Agents Involved:

Dana Anderson, Tara Duty, Jessica Bessin, Linda McClanahan

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Nutrition and Food Systems General

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Substance Use Recovery - FCS

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Family and Consumer Science

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Communications & Expressive Arts

Situation:

Over the last 25 years, the number of stay-at-home parents has decreased. Parents have increasingly relied on schools to teach concepts and skills once taught within the family. With societal changes and cuts in school budgets, many schools have eliminated family and consumer science labs and no longer include or have decreased FCS instruction in the curriculum. In nutrition alone, the lack of basic life skills is evidenced by alarming rises in childhood obesity, poor diets of youth of all ages, and an over-reliance on packaged/fast food.

Life choices are often based more on personal desires rather than factual information. Those who seek information often turn to internet sources which may not be based in research. Decision-making may be based on product marketing claims, family tradition, myths, faulty information, and lack of knowledge. Today’s massive health and economic problems are due in part to the lack of instruction in the home by parents and in school through Family and Consumer Sciences classes.

4-H offers projects in FCS which assist youth in becoming responsible and contributing members of the family and contributing members of Kentucky communities. At the same time, these life skills prepare youth for the families they will establish as adults.

Long-Term Outcomes:

Youth will:
• Be responsible and contributing individuals and family members
• Gain and maintain employment through life skill development
• Contribute to a safe, pleasant and productive home and family
• Increased number of youth maintaining positive health habits
• Increased number of youth at a lower risk for serious disease and illness
• Increased number of youth at a lower risk for physical and emotional distress
• Develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as important developmental assets are met through their participation in 4-H Health programs

Intermediate Outcomes:

Youth will:
• Utilize and practice life skills in projects and life situations
• Project a positive image and self-confidence
• Practice responsible consumer and financial decision-making
• Practice healthy eating choices
• Make choices that lead to responsible and beneficial results
• Adopt habits and skills that contribute toward employ-ability in the future
• Increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle that include making healthy lifestyle choices, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress.

Initial Outcomes:

Youth will:
•Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family & Consumer Sciences projects and programs
• Understand the decision-making process
• Gain skills in setting a goal and developing a plan of action
• Learn to read and follow instructions
• Youth will identify healthy lifestyle choices
• Youth will understand risky behaviors and their consequences
• Youth will aspire to have higher self-esteem
• Youth will identify healthy ways to handle stress

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Youth report they set a goal and accomplish it
Indicator: Involvement in 4-H projects and entries in county fair
Method: Registration for fair and participant/parent testimonials
Timeline: all-year

Intermediate Outcome: Youth demonstrate increased or routine use of life skills learned through 4-H in daily life
Indicator: Number of people indicating change in behavior
Method: Self reported changes and parent and teacher evaluation/testimonials
Timeline: all-year

Long-term Outcome: Contribute to a safe, pleasant, and productive home and family
Indicator: Number of youth/adults who reported that they followed safe practices
Method: Follow up electronic evaluation with teachers, participants and parents
Timeline: on-going

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Farm Safety Day

Content or Curriculum: Farm & Home Safety

Inputs: Extension Staff; Farm Bureau; Fire Department; Police Department; volunteers

Date: September

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Health Rocks School Club Lessons

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Health Rocks

Inputs: Extension Staff, Mercer County Schools, Burgin Independent Schools

Date: ongoing

Audience: Youth (13+)

Project or Activity: Babysitting Clinic

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Babysitting Basics

Inputs: Extension Staff, Kiwanis, CPR/First Aid Instructor, local day care centers

Date: Fall Break/October

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: School 4-H Club Lessons

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Health & Family Consumer Sciences Curriculum

Inputs: Extension Staff, Mercer County Schools, Burgin Independent Schools

Date: ongoing

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Foods Club

Content or Curriculum: 4-H Food Nutrition Curriculum, SNAP-Ed resources

Inputs: Extension Agents, SNAP Educator, 4-H Volunteers

Date: monthly meetings

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: 4-H Shooting Sports

Content or Curriculum: KY 4-H Shooting Sports

Inputs: Certified 4-H shooting sports volunteers

Date: monthly practice sessions

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Truth or Consequences

Content or Curriculum: Truth or Consequences

Inputs: Extension Staff; community professionals; volunteers; schools

Date: February

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Healthy Kids Day

Content or Curriculum: Varied

Inputs: YMCA; FRYSC; Extension Staff; Mercer Co Health Department; Ephraim McDowell Wellness Center; HOSA; Zumba Instructors; Mercer County Sheriff's Office

Date: September

Activity: Media (news articles, newsletters, videos, podcasts, social media - Facebook)

Content or Curriculum: Exclusives, 4-H Agent News Releases, publications, HEEL materials, etc.

Inputs: Extension Staff, University of Kentucky Ag Communications

Date: Year-long (on-going)

Success Stories