This youth program for the Mission Hope for Kids located in Elizabethtown, KY focused on enhancing life skills for teen audiences and improving eating habits of the youth.  The teens engaged in programs where they learned resume writing techniques and cover letters.  In addition, they got the chance to explore various careers in Agriculture, STEM, Healthcare, Business, Education, and Family & Consumer Sciences.  Each teen got a chance to really explore some of the requirements for starting a career in their area of interest.  One of the best things that they learned was that it takes years of college education and professional work experience to start a career for most jobs.    The other thing that some of the teens learned was that they will have to pay taxes on the income that is earned from their jobs. One of the other things that was evident, was that each of the students had an idea of what field they wanted to go into.  In particular, one of the teens said that, “I want to be my own boss.” She has aspirations to be an Entrepreneur.   She wants to own a Ruby Tuesday restaurant because there are not any located in this area.   She also likes the idea of making the tough decisions and being able to be the one in charge.  Another student talked about dreams of becoming a Forensic Anthropologist.  While another student said that he wanted to be a pilot.  The common thread between all of the students was that they did have something that they are aspiring to be.  

In addition to the programs on exploring Careers, we also had a chance to talk about some ways to combat bullying from peers and some ways to prevent suicide.    In this program, the students created their own positive messages to combat Bullying thru the use of art.  The objective of this program was to show students how to brainstorm and come up with positive ways to face challenges.  In addition, it was a way to talk about how to safely report instances of bullying, fights, and/or violence that they witness at school.  Some of the students did share thoughts of being afraid of reporting the abuses that they witness.  They were given some techniques that will ensure privacy from any threats or harassment for telling about incidents of bullying.  

Lastly, students got a chance to learn about the 5 food groups using the MyPlate model that was created by the USDA.  The main objective was for students to be able to identify healthy food choices and also to be able to make healthier food choices by being knowledgeable about what type of foods that are eating and knowing how the food is developed and processed.  The kids seemed very intrigued about learning about the five major food groups and learning how food is processed.  

Overall, the youth and teens that participated in this program were able to learn a variety of skills and techniques that they will be able to use for their future.  Our goal is to continue to build on the foundation of education in the areas of Nutrition and Financial Literacy.  For the future, we would like to introduce the foundations of financial literacy for the teens to learn how to save money and learn techniques on how to make wise spending decisions. 

Picture: Left from one of students on 

How to Prevent Bullying

Background Information: 

Organization: Mission Hope for Kids

Participants: 74 Total

Female: 60

Male: 14

Hispanics: 51

White: 8

Asian: 1

Native American: 4

Pacific Islander: 3

Audience Age: 12-16

Time Frame of Program: 7 weeks (September 2018-May 2019)

Program Materials: Computers, Powerpoints, Video Presentations, Art Pads, Markers, Pens, Pencils, Activity Sheets, Guide Sheets (Created by Me)