For many high schools, Family & Consumer Sciences are limited to the topics that are being offered to students.  Depending on the high school, sewing may not be offered at all.  Newport High School is one of those schools and relies on organizations like the Campbell County Cooperative Extension Service for personal and life skills development for their students.  The Family & Consumer Sciences, 4-H and Youth Development Program areas along with the Campbell County Extension Homemakers/Volunteers teamed up to conduct an eight part series focusing on sewing basics.  The program prepared students (beginner level and intermediate levels) to become more confident with sewing and grooming them to enter their projects into the Campbell County Fair and possibly state fair.  Students have learned to sew straight lines, curves, hand sewing, sewing on buttons, hemming, and how to pick out fabric.  The projects that they have completed are adult day care bibs (as a service project) and cross body messenger bags.  They will finish up the program by completing a    4-H Junior Unit 1 Laundry Bag.  Other skills taught were how to identify sewing supplies/tools, how to use the different sewing supplies, and the parts of a sewing machine.  

The main objectives of this collaboration were:  1)  to teach necessary life skills to students who might not ever have the exposure,  2)  to make the connection between the Campbell County Homemakers and youth so that the mentoring process can occur thus passing along the necessary skills for life, 3)  to conduct a community service project financially assisting the Active Day Adult Day Care with much needed bibs for their participants, 4) to teach the students how to enter their items into the county fair for empowerment and healthy competition, and 5)  to help the limited income students with projects that they could create either for themselves or for others in their families, their friends or their community. 

Each team member plays a role in the sewing series.  The 4-H Assistant, Claire Linepensel and the two Family & Consumer Sciences Agents, Ronda Rex and Kate Thompson, facilitates the program and acts as mentors to the students.  The three Campbell County Homemakers/Volunteers acts as mentors to the students with one Homemaker taking the lead each class by teaching the students the necessary sewing skills.  Newport High School teacher, Mrs. Comfort provides the classroom space, markets the program to the students and makes sure the students get reminders about the classes. University of Kentucky Sewing Publications were utilized throughout the program.

Adult bibs range from $8.00 to $25.00 each (Amazon, Wal-Mart and Etsy pricing) which could cost the Active Day Daycare Center anywhere from $96.00 to $300.00 for the 12 that were donated.  Other items such as the cross body messenger bag project could save each student from $10.00 to $20.00 depending on the fabric used.  The laundry bag project could save the student from $6.00 to $20.00 depending on the fabric used.   According to the Kentucky Extension Homemaker’s Manual, a volunteer hour is equal to $21.38. (KEHA Handbook/Manual2016)  The Campbell County Homemaker Volunteers’ Service hours (96 for 3 Homemakers/Volunteers) for this program has totaled to the amount of $2,052.48.

Three students plus three volunteers completed the eight part series with up to eight students attending some classes and completing projects.  One hundred percent of the students and volunteers completing the program stated that the mentoring piece of the program was very important to provide the support needed both in class and outside of class to stay with and empower them to continue their sewing skills.  The students stated that they now sew at home as a result of the program and that it has saved them money by sewing either for themselves or sewing a gift for someone else.  The students stated that the Adult Day Care bibb service project made them feel important.  One hundred percent of the volunteers reported that the program helped them better understand and communicate with youth and helped them become a better teacher/mentor.

One Homemaker stated that she felt that “the mentoring homemakers and Extension Staff were passing on important life skills to the students.  Giving them sewing lessons, sewing tools, one on one mentoring, and University of Kentucky Publications/Handouts in a resource binder has provided them the ability to continue to build their skills.”