Extension
It Starts With Us
4-H Family and Consumer Sciences
Promote Healthy Lifestyles
Christy Eastwood, Steve Conrad
Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
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 overreliance 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.
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.
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 employability in the future.
Youth will:
Gain knowledge and develop skills in Family and 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.
Initial Outcome: Gain knowledge/skills in personal finances
Indicator: number of youth reporting gain
Method: post evaluation
Timeline: after program
Intermediate Outcome: Utilize sound financial management skills
Indicator: increased number of youth saving and budgeting
Method: survey
Timeline: 6-12 months after program
Long-term Outcome: Utilizing long range financial planning
Indicator: use of retirement accounts and/or financial planners
Method: interviews
Timeline: 5-10 years
Initial Outcome: Students will repeat proper hand-washing techniques.
Indicator: at least 75% of students will follow along with presenter proper hand-washing techniques.
Method: Observation
Timeline: During lessons
Intermediate Outcome: Students will teach other students proper hand-washing techniques.
Indicator: At least 50% of students will demonstrate proper hand-washing techniques.
Method: Observation
Timeline: During lessons
Long-term Outcome: students will decrease the amount of time they get sick.
Indicator: number of days absent from school due to illnesses will decrease by 50%.
Method: written evaluation
Timeline: next school year
Initial Outcome: Students will identify the five food groups in My Plate.
Indicator: At least 50% of the students will be able to identify the five food groups and name at least one food item in each group of my Plate.
Method: Observation, post evaluation
Timeline: at the end of the series
Intermediate Outcome: students will choose healthier snacks over junk food.
Indicator: more fruits and vegetables will be eaten.
Method: written evaluation
Timeline: end of series.
Long-term Outcome: Students will assemble a meal using food models that include the five food groups from my Plate.
Indicator: At least 50% of the students will be able to assemble a meal using food models from my Plate.
Method: Observation
Timeline: at the end of the series
Initial Outcome: Students will identify several examples of physical activity.
Indicator: students will identify 3 forms of physical activity.
Method: verbal communication
Timeline: during lesson
Intermediate Outcome: students will select different forms of physical activity.
Indicator: students will select 3 physical activity levels.
Method: verbal communication
Timeline: during series
Long-term Outcome: students will increase their amount of physical activity.
Indicator: students will increase their amount of physical activity by 25%.
Method: post evaluation
Timeline: end of series
Audience: 7th & 8th graders
Project or Activity: Reality Stores
Content or Curriculum: state supported
Inputs: extension staff and resources; school facilities; community volunteers
Date: One time at eight different schools during school year
Audience: 8th graders
Project or Activity: Workforce Prep
Content or Curriculum: state supported
Inputs: extension staff and resources; school facilities
Date: quarterly with two different schools
Audience: 5th graders
Project or Activity: basic economics
Content or Curriculum: state supported
Inputs: extension staff and resources; school facilities
Date: monthly October-March
Audience: Preschool thru 4th grade students
Project or Activity: Nutrition education series
Content or Curriculum: My Plate, Professor Popcorn, LEAP curriculum, Glo-germ
Inputs:Local schools, curriculum, Extension agent, students, Extension funding,
Date: Sept., Oct., Nov. 2017, Jan., Feb., March, April 2018 (6 contact hours for each group)
Audience: Students with multiple disabilities from Elementary, Middle and High school students
Project or Activity: Explore series (life skills)
Content or Curriculum: My Plate, Professor Popcorn, Glo-germ, self developed curriculum
Inputs: curriculum, Extension agent, students, Extension funding, Extension office
Date: Oct., Nov., 2017; Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May 2018 (6 contact hours for each group)
Audience:
Author: Stephen Conrad
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
More and more people are living beyond their means and incurring debt that will plague them for the rest of their lives. We have not been very successful in teaching our youth the value of money or passing along the concept of "saving for a rainy day". Our school system recognizes this trend but has little or no time to spend on money management due to core content obligations. To help them with this need, The Boone County Cooperative Extension Service held a Reality Stores in one of t
Author: Christy Eastwood
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
~~According to the American Heart Association, teaching youth how to prepare their own food will give them a skill they can use for a lifetime, they will be more likely to eat healthier as adults, and build self-confidence (Cooking With Your Children: Web MD; May 30, 2008). The Boone County Extension Service taught a 6-hour 4-H day camp on bread making. The curriculum used was Super Star Chef Kneads A little Dough. Twenty-eight 4-H members attended the class. Teaching children to mak
Author: Stephen Conrad
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Teachers have communicated a need for help with financial education lessons for 5th grade students. The teachers state they are pushed for time and resources in preparing their students for this portion of the state test. To help with this need, The Boone County Cooperative Extension Service offered a series of lessons on money and economics for 90 5th graders. Topics covered were needs vs wants, scarcity, money, opportunity costs and delayed gratification, comparative shopping
Author: Christy Eastwood
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Each public school child who receives special education services must have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). This legal document is an education plan that addresses the specific needs of each student with multiple disabilities. One aspect of the IEP is community experience/education. A collaboration was formed by the Boone County Cooperative Extension Service with the Walton Verona School District and the Boone County School District to provide classes for the community e
Author: Stephen Conrad
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
More and more people are living beyond their means and incurring debt that will plague them for the rest of their lives. We have not been very successful in teaching our youth the value of money or passing along the concept of "saving for a rainy day". Our school system recognizes this trend but has little or no time to spend on money management due to core content obligations. To help them with this need, The Boone County Cooperative Extension Service held a Reality Stores in seven el
Author: Christy Eastwood
Major Program: Family and Consumer Sciences 4-H Core Curriculum
Students with disabilities who are preparing to graduate from school can benefit from taking life skill courses. Through learning these essential skills, these students can more readily adjust to the circumstances and challenges of adult life. Life skills instruction develops students’ daily living skills. Research has shown that students with disabilities, who exit high school with proficient life skills, have better post-school outcomes than those students who do not (Roessler, Brolin, J
