YouTube the video sharing site is now used by nearly three-quarters of U.S. 94% of adults 18- to 24-year-olds and 56% are ages 50 plus, according to the Pew Research Center.

FCS Agents in the Green River Area targeted extension homemakers with recorded YouTube videos. By doing this we wanted to reach more members with a monthly lesson. Agents had noticed a decrease not only in some counties membership, but also in the bi-monthly lesson leader training for homemakers that was held in two locations every other month so they could receive information/training on two lessons. The agents decided to record half the lessons and make them available to the membership so they could view them and use them as needed. Agents also hoped this would help increase membership, which has decreased across the state. The area Family and Consumer Sciences extension agents worked with our Extension Specialist for Instructional Support for Family and Consumer Science Extension to schedule, record, edit and set up the recorded lessons on a YouTube channel (Green River Area Homemakers channel). This way the homemaker members could decide when it worked for them to watch the lessons. Some clubs watched them during club meetings, some came to the extension office to watch them and some watched them at home before their club meeting to help prepare their lesson. Not only was this more convenient for scheduling purposes for the homemaker members but it also allowed members that were not able to get out and attend meetings to get to experience the monthly lesson as well.

Upon the conclusion of the 2018 Homemaker Leader Lessons, the Green River Area FCS Agents distributed an evaluation to all Green River Area Homemakers to gauge the benefits and opinions of the YouTube Video Leader Lessons. From the evaluation and views from the Homemaker Channel an estimated 525 homemakers viewed the four recorded leader lessons. This number includes the lesson leaders and club members who viewed the lessons together. The evaluation results indicated an average of 250 travel miles were saved by the Green River Area Homemakers. Therefore, on average Green River Area Homemakers saved an estimated $275 by utilizing the YouTube video lessons. Furthermore, 17 Homemakers who lead the YouTube leader lessons with their clubs utilized the videos as a teaching aid. One homemaker stated she liked the videos because she was able to share the information exactly how the agent teaching the lessons shared to her club members. She felt the video helped her share accurate information with her group.