Author: Mary S Averbeck
Planning Unit: Kenton County CES
Major Program: Leadership 4-H Core Curriculum
Plan of Work: 4-H Leadership
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
The goal of Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development is to provide in-depth, accurate educational activities for participants. 4-H livestock and horse leaders serve as primary educators. While they desire to provide quality experiences for their club members, they may lack the necessary resources to meet this goal. The Kentucky 4-H Livestock and Horse Volunteer Certification Program is a collaboration of equine and livestock specialists from the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, as well as, specialists and agents from 4-H Youth Development. Members of the teaching team engage volunteers in a day long educational workshop and certification program. This agent uses a variety of teaching methods including experiential learning, lecture, demonstration and group discussion. Participants are instructed how to use the curriculum and teaching resource kit covering important topics in beef, dairy, sheep, swine and goats or horse topics. End of session evaluations indicate that 97% of participants gained knowledge and skills useful in their county programs. Follow-up surveys and testimonials indicated that volunteers put into practice what they learned. Participants reported a better understanding of the statewide 4-H program and ability to teach youth about livestock and horse topics using the kit and curriculum. One participant summed up the experience: “I found the whole workshop very informative I will take a lot back to my county.” Another said “I loved learning new material/teaching ideas and networking with other volunteers.” All 4-H members in livestock and horse programs complete six hours of education from the Kentucky 4-H Livestock or Horse Curriculum under the guidance of these certified leaders. So far 1,523 leaders have completed the certification process. Certified leaders educated the nearly 10,000 youth registered in Kentucky livestock and horse projects in the past year. Nearly twenty extension personnel from other states have attended the workshop, so that the information could be used in their own states. This Kenton County 4-H agent has been involved in writing the curricula and teaching at all twenty-five of the certification workshops held for the last twelve years.
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