Author: Jody Paver
Planning Unit: Lincoln County CES
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Plan of Work: Life Skills Development 2020-25
Outcome: Initial Outcome
All About Me!! “Spa Day” Event
August 5, 2024
Background and Data
As a Lincoln County Middle School teacher, before, during, and after COVID, it was very clear to Jody Paver and other educational professionals across Lincoln County the large number of students who have low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and many personal struggles which impact their success in the classroom, their social development, and quality of life itself. When everyone was wearing a mask, a protective barrier became the norm, empowering individuals with low self-esteem to be seen but stay hidden in classroom, school and social events. Removing students from social aspects of school during COVID and allowing online school, with optional camera and participation, has added to the lack of self-confidence.
Returning to school gradually and now as we are “Out of the COVID School Era” those same social anxieties which became amplified once the protective barriers of smaller classes, online learning, and masks have been removed. It is very apparent that special efforts must be put into place to help build self-esteem and social skills in this post COVID educational time.
Current trends with observing and interviewing Lincoln County Education Professionals, it is seen that many students choose to not eat lunch, not because they are not hungry, but due to their social anxiety and barriers related to their self-confidence. To each lunch in the cafeteria, one must stand in line and many students are so apprehensive and self-conscious and they feel that everyone in the cafeteria is watching and judging how they stand, walk, sit, what they put on their tray, and even how they eat. The same thought process happens in the classroom itself. Many students would rather not raise their hand and ask for help in the classroom because they don’t want to draw attention to themselves, to have others judge them or their lack of knowledge, or how they talk, or act when needing help. Their grades, physical health, and social emotional development are affected because of this.
Looking at Kentucky Kids Count Data we see the following statistics that impact students in Lincoln County:
Many times, the families in the statistics stated above are low-income or on a fixed income. This puts a limit on the amount of money able to be spent on new clothes, shoes, and school supplies. Often low-income families do not have funding for personal hygiene items, hairbrushes/combs especially the different types of hair care items if there is diverse hair in the household. Many times, personal care and appearance suffer with low income and tight budgets. This has a negative impact on learning, self-confidence, self-esteem, and often we see a negative growth mindset in students and families.
Drug use and abuse is another issue that impacts families, causing the child to struggle in school and worry about things that are out of their control. Some students get themselves and their younger siblings up in the morning and ready for school and get on the bus by themselves each morning. These students are the responsible party in the household. These students often worry about how they look, their hair, how they smell, and what other students think of them. These students carry a heavy burden at home and need the courage and knowledge to know how to care for themselves and their siblings with personal hygiene and self-care techniques.
Kentucky Kids Count Data also has the following statistics that impact students in Lincoln County:
Many students in Lincoln County are being raised in foster care with the option of Relative Placement called Kinship Care. Often times students are being raised by their Grandparents, Great Grandparents, or other relative without a custody agreement, which inhibits the family with lack of needed funding through Kinship Care and the Social Services Office. These families are frequently on a fixed income. This puts a limit on the amount of money able to be spent on new clothes, shoes, and school supplies. These families have a close relationship with the school Family Resource/Youth Service Centers, often relying on their help with donations, and provisions for their students’ needs. Often older adults are unaware of how to fix hair, especially if it is diverse hair and may be different than their personal hair type.
Community Partnerships
The Family Resource/Youth Service Center Coordinators are a tight knit group in Lincoln County. They each have a huge heart and work with other community organizations to stretch their meager budgets and help however they can for the betterment of the student.
Jody Paver is an experienced Family and Consumer Sciences Cooperative Extension Agent, a high school and middle school teacher, a Foster/kinship/adoptive/trauma Momma, and I have a huge heart to help students. She returned to work for the University of Kentucky as the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent in Lincoln County, with a vision of increasing community partnerships, allowing a teamwork approach to empower families to overcome barriers and obstacles through education and connection to community resources. This will strengthen the family and individual and have a positive impact on our community.
The Lincoln County FCS Extension Team hosted a brainstorming/program partnership planning meeting with the 7 different school Family Resource/Youth Service Center Coordinators in the summer of 2024. The FCS Agent and the FCS Program Assistant shared programs ideas and curriculum resources to match the needs discussed by the FRC/YSC coordinators. As a result of this meeting the All About Me, Spa Day Event, was created to address the needs of knowledge needed for self-care, positive growth mindset, personal hygiene, and increasing self-esteem and self-confidence. This event was to be held at the Lincoln County Cooperative Extension Office and focused on students’ grades 3rd – 12th. It was to be by invitation only from any of the 7 school resource centers, 4-H and FCS Extension Professionals. As student recruitment began and more needs were discovered, more community partners joined the efforts, and the agenda for the program grew. This program was a hands on day, filled with multiple sessions, community partners, and speakers, to address the lack of knowledge of hygiene and self-care, lack of resources, lack of self-confidence, and self-esteem, and sadly as a way to address a recent student suicide just a couple weeks before school was to begin. Maranda Brooks, Fayette County Cooperative Extension Family and COnsumer Sciences Agent was contacted to assist with the program, due to her passion and experience with Educational Outreach for Understanding Diverse Hair. Maranda partnered with Montequa Jackson, Stylist from Posh Salon, Lexington, Kentucky and designed a session special for this event which included all hair types.
The Event
The Day began with Registration and photo release forms from parents and guardians. Students were welcomed into the Extension Service, given a binder and goodie bag and Breakfast snacks. Once everyone was registered the FCS Agent welcomed everyone, and introduced guest. The day began as a whole group learning about personal hygiene and facial care, a challenge to be positive and give lots of compliments throughout the day, and to do positive self talk.
Session rotations began and the students moved throughout the building interacting with Extension Homemakers, Extension Staff, Family Resource/Youth Service Center Coordinators, and Community Partners.
Session Rotations
Dream Big! Goal Setting and Vision Boards | Dana Curlis Moore, Lincoln County Fair Board Pageant Director Caty Curlis, Lincoln County Fair Board Jasmine Roman, Quest Counseling
Session Monitor: FRC_________________ |
Be Proud! Be You! Stand Tall Like the Sunflower! Diamond Art Keychain | Michelle Padgett, Lincoln County Cooperative Extension Janice Southard, Judy Oaks, Wendy Meinhardt, Lincoln County Extension Homemakers
Session Monitor: FRC_________________ |
Let’s Think About Our Future! | Shaylee Reed and Alicia (Allie) Mullins, Kentucky Career Center
Room Monitor – Amy Bastin |
Hair Fun! Understanding Your Hair and How to Care for it!
Special Focus and assistance with Understanding and Caring for Diverse Hair | All Day –Montequa Jackson, Stylist from Posh Salon, Lexington, Kentucky
All Day - Maranda Brooks, Fayette County Cooperative Extension
All Day - Rachel Hicks, Lincoln County Middle School Youth Services Center
1pm - Jessie McGirr, Stylist Color Me Crazy Hair and Nail Salon
|
Nail Care and Art! | All Day - Jamie Fredrick, Lincoln County Extension Homemakers Maleisha Berry, Hustonville Elementary Physical Education Teacher 1pm – Josephine Kraft, Nail Artist Color Me Crazy Hair and Nail Salon
Session Monitor: FRC_________________ |
A Photo Backdrop was in the back foyer, students had the opportunity to take pictures with positive self talk props, as they transitioned from station to station and while waiting in line for lunch. A wide variety if food items were provided including gluten free, nut free, dairy free options to meet the needs of all of the students and community partners.
Surprise Virtual Guest
MéShyia Bradshaw was the 2023 Miss Kentucky Teen USA. She is an incoming Freshman at the University of of Kentucky. Her heart and passion are to promote positive self love, especially for your hair. It was an honor to have her to zoom with our girls and community partners, sharing her story, her successes, and her struggles with her own self worth. She did a great motivational speech which matched with our Hair Care Session Specialists motto, Your Hair is Your Crown!. Students had time to interact and ask questions, give compliments, and share their own struggles. This was made possible by Ms. Dana Morris, the Lincoln County Fair Board Pageant Director. There were many tears shed during this session because of the heartfelt message we received, adults and youth alike, were very positively impacted by this.
Closing Session
Jasmine Roman, of Quest Counseling gave the closing message on Positive Sefl-Talk and each student received a brightly painted board with a mirror attached to the center. This activity was a challenge to look inwards and come up with those positive self -talk words and phrases they learned today in the different stations. They were encouraged to write on the boards with markers, to remind themselves daily just how awesome they are!. Each student also received a positive affirmation stones activity to take home and a Goodie Bucket which included a variety of hygiene products, snacks, laundry detergents, and parent packets including Take A Load Off, Laundry publication, signs of suicide information and refrigerator magnets, couponing and ways to stretch your meal budget, and other information from community partners regarding local resources and encouragements.
Participant Data
A total of 61students and 25 community partners participated and helped to make this event such a great success! Most of the students stayed all day, however 8 students were able to participate for only part of the day. The evaluations were given to those who stayed all day.
53 Registration forms analyzed - All participants were female, in grades 3rd – 12th
School
Demographics
Other Information
Evaluation
Student Evaluation Rating Scale Analysis
10 as no changes and 1 as lots of changes 8.75
Student Evaluation comments
Comments were corrected based on spelling to ensure those analyzing the effectiveness of this program could understand the comments.
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