Introduction

The Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA) is a volunteer organization that works to improve the quality of life for families and communities through leadership development, volunteer service, and education. The organization was developed in cooperation with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Across the state, County Extension Agents for Family and Consumer Sciences work closely with KEHA members and clubs to provide educational programming and coordinate community activities.

The KEHA association is broken up between areas. The Bluegrass Area is made up of nine counties in central Kentucky: Scott, Harrison, Nicholas, Fayette, Bourbon, Clark, Madison, Estill, and Powell. The Bluegrass Area Homemaker Association has a membership of 1,876 as of January 2023.

Each year, the Bluegrass Area Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agents come together to plan “Leader Lessons” for members to bring back to their individual clubs. Club members vote on which lessons they are most interested in learning about during the program year. The ballot is made up of relevant topics related to the KEHA program of work areas:

· Cultural arts and heritage, environment

· Housing and energy

· Family and individual development

· Food nutrition and health

· Leadership development

· Management and safety

Program Description

Allowing the members of the Bluegrass Area KEHA groups to vote on their lesson preferences is an innovative method used by agents in the Bluegrass area. Encouraging individuals to vote gives them a voice in their learning. Once members vote on preferred lessons, agents put together a schedule of leader lessons for the duration of the program year. Additionally, after voting, the lessons are marketed online, via FCS newsletters, in newspapers, extension websites, flyers, and more. The cooperative extension service is always identified with appropriate branding and citations.

Traditionally, agents would divide the lessons amongst each other and travel to each county during their selected month to facilitate a workshop on the topic chosen by the KEHA members. Due to the pandemic and staff shortages in the Bluegrass area this described traditional method became increasingly difficult to facilitate. In 2021, agents pivoted their style of face-to-face workshops to more experimental virtual lesson opportunities. The pandemic provided more options and resources to offer innovative educational programs virtually, the leader lessons for KEHA were no exception.

With this new presentation method, the agent facilitators for each lesson scheduled a date and time for the entire Bluegrass Area to participate in real time. The live session allowed for participant feedback and questions. Furthermore, members would have the option to join the live training from their home or attend a safe “watch party” event at their extension office. Accompanying materials and activities for the lesson would be available via email or to be picked up at their local extension office.

While the transition to a virtual format was difficult at first, it allowed agents to meet the needs of not only KEHA members, but the needs of new audiences as well. In 2022, after reviewing the challenges of the first year of virtual lessons the Bluegrass Area agents decided that a few adjustments would need to be made to streamline lessons and allow for more individualized instruction based upon the individual county’s needs. The structure of the lessons were adjusted, this was done in an effort to make the lessons more interactive and impactful. Similarly, to the previous years, each agent would choose a month to be a facilitator for the corresponding lesson. However, instead of doing a live session, agents would record a 15–20-minute video and share the link amongst the other agents in the area. In addition to the recorded video, agents would include a facilitator guide, supporting documents, marketing materials, surveys, and optional activities to accompany their lesson. This new format would allow for more flexibility and interaction with participants. This format also allowed for more meaningful data to be collected for evaluation.

Adjusting to prerecorded videos with an in-person facilitator also allowed agents to invite community partners to speak to their individuals groups, provided the opportunity to build relationships with KEHA members, and address the barrio of limited internet access for some clients.

Program Impacts

Based on initial collected data form bluegrass area agents in number of individuals participating in training ranged from 21- 42 individuals across the Bluegrass area. These individuals then took what they had learned back to their respective groups to teach them what they had learned, spreading the educational network of hundreds. Additionally, over 1,400 reached through printed materials related to the virtual lessons. Some counties have indicated an increase in Leader Lesson participation due to the updated format of instruction. Feedback from individuals and groups has indicated that they are pleased with the new format and that is allowing them to work lessons into their busy schedules. It has also been indicated that the prerecorded format has allowed participants to revise the materials when desired. Overall, the lessons are now more assessable, convenient, and consistent.

Plan for Expansion

This new method of presenting Leader Lessons has allowed agents to expand their reach in a new way. Allowing individuals to vote on what lesson they want to learn about empowers them as leaders and learners. Moreover, continuing with the novel virtual format will allow the Bluegrass Area to grow our reach. Looking to the future, the Bluegrass Area will persist in developing partnership within our communities, other Extension colleagues, and/or multistate collaboration. The flexibility for KEHA members to participate in leader training through the now established and adjusted prerecorded format will go on; thus, enabling the archive of materials for agents both in the Bluegrass and beyond (and potentially clients) to use in the future.