Author: Dianna Reed
Planning Unit: Johnson County CES
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Plan of Work: Building Strong Communities
Outcome: Initial Outcome
In March of 2020, the Johnson Cooperative Extension Service along with government officials, local leaders, school personnel and community members were challenged to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and offer ways to be of service to the communities and clientele. UK administration worked with state officials to develop guidelines, inform personnel of UK, gubernatorial and CDC directives and encourage counties to provide outreach and information to our clientele. To address this challenge agents and office staff worked together to come up with an office schedule, remote work options, and creative programming options. As a result of these efforts, the County Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development and 4-H Program Assistant learned new technology formats, received virtual training on programming, offered opportunities for youth to participate in 2 virtual photography contests, and a virtual community service outreach to 3 local nursing home. To finish up classroom incubations programs, we collected active incubators to finish the hatching cycles and live-streamed the hatching process and an afternoon of numerous fluffy chick antics a series of 3 hour live feeds. To continue the 21st Century Afterschool Pet Pals Experience, a video was created and posted virtually highlighting Clover the Crab who was shown practicing social distancing. Information graphics and flyers were shared on social distancing, handwashing, youth stress management, a family night hike challenge, and natural resource hummingbird feeder construction. Activities were made available virtually on 4-H project promotion and included KY 4-H sponsored challenges from state specialists. 4-H Youth Development worked in partnership to offer 218 County Fun Packs with activities and supplies for health, nutrition, physical fitness, and life skill acquisition that were distributed to local community members as social distancing protocols were practiced. To complete the Seeds, Sprouts and Seedlings youth gardening program, logistics and protocols for plant distribution were created so that youth would be able to continue their gardening at home this summer. Several youth have started their own or contributed to their families' gardens, and videos on raised bed crops were shared on Facebook to assist them with ideas for the gardening season. Our efforts also included offering opportunities to compete virtually in the 4-H Speech and Demonstration Contest. One young lady won Champion in the District One 4-H Communications Speech Contest for her age group. Several short educational videos promoting 4-H Project work and raised bed gardening were filmed and produced by the 4-H Agent and 4-H Program Assistant and placed on Facebook as part of our Social Media Outreach programming. For the County 4-H program, these efforts resulted in 48,060 indirect contacts, 4,866 engagements and 453 direct contacts over a 4 month period. Many of these activities or events are still ongoing and we will be updating their impact in the coming months.
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