While discussing a potential partnership with 4-H, the topic of Life Skills was raised during meetings with the Morgan Elementary Principal, the Resource Center, and the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meetings. A total of ten Life Skills topics were submitted for teaching 5th graders to help prepare them for middle school. 4-H Agent Rachael Davis compared these Life Skills with the existing 4-H Curriculum.

On November 22, 2024, the entire 5th grade from Morgan Elementary visited the McCracken County Extension Office. The purpose of the visit was to teach the students four important life skills. In total, there were 54 students, consisting of 33 boys and 21 girls, including four students with special needs, who were accommodated during all activities. The group was accompanied by four teachers and their resource center coordinator. Additionally, Ms. Davis coordinated the efforts of seven community volunteers and six extension office staff members.

Buses arrived around 9 a.m., and the students were divided into four groups, with each group consisting of 10 to 17 students. The students rotated through four classes: hygiene, simple cooking, laundry, and sewing. The buses returned at noon to pick up the students and their teachers to take them back to school.

In the hygiene lesson, the students were guided by AG agent Gracey Moffitt and Nurse Practitioner Tara Crumble from Lourdes Hospital. They used Glow Germ to learn how to wash their hands properly and practiced brushing their teeth using a large set of teeth.

In the cooking lesson, the students learned about basic measurements from 4-H Agent Heather Hunter, Horticulture Agent Mary Dossett, and Staff Assistant Haley Martin. They made two types of smoothies using blenders and voted on their favorite, choosing between Melon Berry and Strawberry Beet. Most students preferred the Melon Berry.

During the laundry lesson, the students participated in a Jeopardy game with Assistant Savannah and a volunteer while learning important laundry facts. Some students were surprised to discover how much valuable information is found on the tags of their clothes.

In the sewing lesson, a local quilt guild partnered with 4-H Agent Lisa Dodson to teach the students how to use a sewing machine to create bookmarks. The fabric was pre-cut, and the fusible interfacing was already ironed on, so the students just needed to sew around the edges to finish their bookmarks. Several students also learned how to operate an embroidery machine to add their names or phrases to their bookmarks.

Recently, about five students expressed interest in learning more about sewing and wanted to join the sewing program offered by 4-H. Additionally, there has been an increase in enrollment for basic quilting classes at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah from students who attended previous classes. The National Quilt Museum has requested to participate in a program designed to help students from low-income families attend classes.

The resource center has reported a growing need for basic hygiene items, such as toothbrushes and hand sanitizer, following the lessons. Teachers have also noticed an improvement in handwashing practices, and students are more aware of the importance of preventing the spread of germs. All the adults who attended the program inquired about hosting another session covering different topics for the same students. Furthermore, other elementary schools have requested a similar format for their students.