Author: Catherine Webster
Major Program: Economic Development and Workforce Preparation – 4-H Youth Development
In Simpson County, small businesses make up 96% of all businesses, with 82% of those having nine or less employees. The Franklin-Simpson Chamber of Commerce hosts monthly eye openers to showcase these local businesses. In November the Simpson County Extension Office hosted a Chamber Eye Opener that brought some 100 people from our community into the Extension Office to network. In December, 40 Simpson County 4-H members, parents, and leaders came together to host the 11th Annual Hometown Ho
Author: Sue Ann McCandless
Statistics and general public feedback show that many students don’t have the financial knowledge and skills to make healthy financial decisions. Money management and career path development are both important areas that need to be addressed among our youth population so they are better equipped to make healthier financial decisions. Local schools requested the 4-H Reality Store program. The 4-H Reality Store program is a real-life simulation that allows the student to see how their
Author: Crystal Smith
Making a difference in our people.People ask me why I want to be a 4-H agent? What makes it the best job in the world? This right here is why! When this child came to 4-H for the very first time outside of school it was for 4-H Camp. She was a shy timid child clinging to her mom’s shirt. She took my hand and walked over to her seat and waited for the other kids to gather in for the adventure to 4-H camp to start. Now she has volunteered as a just graduated senior from high school. She serv
Author: Dana Anderson
Learning the value of a dollar is something that many people find difficult, especially for youth. The Reality Store, an educational workforce preparation program, was held with 243 eighth-grade students participating. The Reality Store allowed students to get hands-on experience with the realities of life. Students roll play what it would be like to have a monthly income, make spending decisions, be responsible for monthly bills, and provide for their dependents. The Reality Store forced the yo
Author: Lawrence Caudle
Kentucky State University’s 4-H Youth Development program held the 2023 4-H Ignite Conference on April 21st. The conference drew in 100 middle school youth participants, 40 volunteers, 10 chaperones, and 10 extension staff members. During the conference, the participants got the opportunity to participate in 3 of the 6 available workshops of their choosing. One of the workshops offered was a workshop based on Entrepreneurship, which was led by one of Extension’s Community Resource De
Kentucky State University’s 4-H Youth Development program held the 2023 4-H Ignite Conference on April 21st. The conference drew in 100 middle school youth participants, 40 volunteers, 10 chaperones, and 10 extension staff members. During the conference, the participants got the opportunity to participate in 3 of the 6 available workshops of their choosing. One of the workshops offered was a workshop based on finances called Reality 4-You, which was led by one of the 4-H team members. This
Author: Brian Walker
A day on the hill for The Hilltop Group. The 4-H Youth Development team had a wonderful opportunity to host a special summer day camp for a group of 15 students from Elizabethtown Kentucky. This was a great opportunity for the students because a lot of them have never been anywhere outside of their town. Their day consisted of doing 4-H programs at the Rosenwald 4-H Youth Development Center, visiting the Aquaculture Center, taking an historic tour of the state capital and meeting two state legis
A Finance Workshop for you! Igniting a youth is always something special to do. The opportunity was made available on April 21st at this year's Ignite Conference. The conference drew in 100 middle school youth participants, 40 volunteers, 10 chaperones, and 10 extension staff members. This conference is a great opportunity to expose youth to things that may "SPARK" their interest. During this years conference, the participants got the opportunity to participate in 3 of the 6 a
Author: Michael Rose
With the changing economic lookout for the future it is more important than ever that youth be better prepared for entering the workforce. A decision that the youth make in their education program will have a major impact and their future earning potential. To increase awareness of financial management issues for youth and the importance of career selection, the Adair County Cooperative Extension Service collaborated with the Adair County School System, local and state agencies, and local b
Author: Calyn Colston
2.8% of Calloway County is of Hispanic or Latino descent. Many Hispanic youth in Calloway County come from farming and roofing families, and only see themselves going into one of those trades after graduating high school. Some of these youth do not speak English as their first language, and most parents of these youth also do not speak English as their first language. This can make successfully graduating from high school difficult for our Hispanic and Latino youth. To assist our Hispanic y
Author: Victoria Riehemann
In 2022, the poverty rate for Bullitt County was 11.1%, and although this poverty rate is lower than the state and national averages for poverty (16.5% and 11.6% respectively), our community wants our youth to be prepared with the financial skills to fight poverty. According to the 2019 Community Assessment for Bullitt County, stakeholders wanted to see increases in youth career readiness and in youth life skills training, which included money management and life decision making.Bullitt County 4
Author: Shannon Farrell
Cynthiana, KY is a town that has been flourishing in economic development, locally owned businesses, and increased tourism over the past decade. Thus, entrepreneurship is a popular trend in the community. About 6 months following my transfer as 4-H Agent to Harrison County (my hometown), I met with the Chamber Director/Tourism Director and Main Street Coordinator to make introductions, discuss opportunities, and share collaborative ideas. One of the shared thoughts was that of beginning a 4-H En
Author: Dora Centers
One-hundred twenty-five juniors at KCCHS, participated in 4-H Build Your Future program. The students learned about the components needed to apply for colleges and careers, and how to gather them in a personal portfolio. They also explored career opportunities, discovered their areas of career interest through surveys, and walked through the parts of a resume, as well as obtaining tips that employers are looking for in an employer-ready resume. Results for college and career r
Author: Stephen Conrad
With the advent of social media and “network” gaming, teens of today have become used to everything being within easy reach. The concept of preparing, working toward, and attaining a goal is becoming a lost concept to most. To help the students realize a job is just not going to be handed to them and that the job hunting process requires preparation and dedication, The Boone County Cooperative Extension Service provides a program called Employment 101. Studen
Author: Dianna Reed
The County Extension Council and Adult 4-H Program Council indicated that Leadership and Life Skills were a priority in the 4 year Plan Of Work. To address these needs, the 4-H Agent, Program Assistant, Adult 4-H Council, 4-H Members, CEC, Homemakers, schools, volunteers and homemakers worked together to implement the 4-H Caramel Apple Fundraiser. As a result, after a 2-year hiatus due to COVID-19, these 52 individuals were able to wash, stem, stick, caramel dip, package and distribute 104 bushe
