Success StoryCov+Tell Project



Cov+Tell Project

Author: Ola Donahue

Planning Unit: Kenton County CES

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

Plan of Work: 2021 Adult & Youth Leadership Development

Outcome: Initial Outcome

According to Stanford’s center of longevity one of the primary reasons that people do not volunteer is that they have not been asked.  In this same study it states that a way of retaining volunteers is to make sure that organizations are matching the skills and expertise of their volunteers so they have ownership and pride in their volunteer work. One of the most challenging issues that surrounds the County Extension Council system, within the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, is recruiting county council members. In response to this challenge, Kenton County agents Dan Allen and Denise Donohue, went in search of a group of young adult volunteers. Agents, Allen and Donohue adapted their engagement approach, incorporated new technologies, modified their organizational structure to include young adult, (primarily millennial age), leaders from Kenton County’s largest urban area, Covington. This group of adults have historically not been part of our County Extension Council.   For Kenton County specifically agents needed to get a better understanding the needs of our urban residents in Covington.  As part of the Kentucky Urban Extension Initiative, Dan and Denise recruited and engaged a talented group of early career millennials to help us with a community needs assessment program for Covington.  This recruited group of 12 held a series of meetings to discuss how they would like to design a community voices project about their neighborhoods in Covington.  Since late fall, they went through facilitated discussions and pooled their talents in social media, branding identification, and community connections in Covington. The result is an online photo voices project called Cov+Tell. This project is a social media constructed program where residents are encouraged to share what they like about their community and what they see as challenges in their neighborhood. They may submit their feedback by photo, video, or text to facebook, twitter, Instagram, and website.  The project is ongoing with the goal of the project is to gather enough program ideas that Kenton County Extension may utilize as they implement programs aimed at our urban residents.  






Stories by Ola Donahue


Girls and internet Safety

about 4 years ago by Ola Donahue

According to the Wired Family Group. (awiredfamily.org) A recent survey of youth 13-18 yrs old. When... Read More


Communication

about 4 years ago by Ola Donahue

Facebook, Twitter, texting are how todays youth communicate. Social media has become an important fo... Read More


Stories by Kenton County CES


12 years of Surveys reflect importance of Natural Resource Education for 4-H members

12 years of Surveys reflect importance of Natural Resource Education for 4-H members

about 4 years ago by Diane Kelley

Kenton County Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Agent – Kelley; surveyed teachers in 3 Ken... Read More


Kenton CES responds to youth needs during 2020 pandemic

Kenton CES responds to youth needs during 2020 pandemic

about 4 years ago by Diane Kelley

The international pandemic of 2020 provided new opportunities for Kenton Cooperative Extension to ed... Read More