4-H/FCS Response to K-12
Education Issues
State Advisory Council
February 10, 2009
K-12 Response
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
 Department of 4-H Youth Development and
Family & Consumer Sciences
 Youth and Family Programs/Outreach
 Economic Opportunity
 Educational Excellence
 Health/Well-Being
K-12 Response
 Department of 4-H Youth Development and
Family & Consumer Sciences
 4-H Youth Development Program
 4-H - 100 years in NC (2009)
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Evolution of Corn Growing and Tomato Canning Clubs
Youth Member and Youth Serving Organization
239,000 4-H youth in North Carolina
24,000 4-H volunteers in North Carolina
101 4-H agents
150+ 4-H youth county professionals
35 faculty and staff on NCSU campus
Five residential camping properties
K-12 Response
 Department of 4-H Youth Development and
Family & Consumer Sciences
 Family & Consumer Sciences Program
 Evolution of Home Demonstration Clubs per Jane
McKimmon (1911)
 101 FCS county agents
 10,000 ECA members/volunteers
 35 faculty and staff on campus
K-12 Response
 What are North Carolinians saying?
 NC Cooperative Extension
 5-Year Environmental Scan - 2007
 25,000 citizens participating in the survey process
 9 major themes
 5 themes highlighted: Youth and Families
 Health and Physical Activity
 Parenting and Life Skills
 Educational Achievement
 Workforce Development
 Civic Engagement
K-12 Response
 What are North Carolinians saying?
 UNC Tomorrow Report
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2,700 citizens attended
1,000 faculty, students and staff
6,700 on-line respondents
7 Major Themes
 Children and Their Future
 Teacher quantity and quality
 Science and math
 Teaching quality
 Graduate rate/drop-out issue
 Educational continuum (K-20)
K-12 Response
Chancellor Oblinger’s priorities
 Leadership Development
 Education Innovation
 Health and Wellness
 Economic Development
 Energy Innovation
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Delivery Methods - how we deliver
 Extension Professional delivered
 Guest lecturer or targeted program
 Teacher delivered
 School enrichment, after-school program
 Volunteer delivered
 Community-based clubs
 Mentoring/Coaching
 Teen delivered
 Teens Reaching Youth
 Camping Program delivered
 Technical Assistance
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 4-H STEM Initiative
 Relevant science lessons to supplement
 Lessons and Curriculum Kits available
 Integrated into Standard Course of Study
 Research from the University
 Reducing time from discovery to application
 Train-the-Teacher training
 Volunteer-friendly
 Subject areas examples include:
 Plant science, animal science, environmental
science, physics, engineering.
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 JUNTOS Para Una Mejor Educacion (Together for a
Better Education)
 Builds on Latino Parent, Family Advocacy, Support
Program (Durham County, 2001)
 Targets 6th through 12th graders to reduce drop-out rate
for Latino youth, improve academic performance and
promote interest in higher education.
 Moore County Pilot (87% family completion/0% drop-out)
 Significant increases in parental knowledge of high
school graduation requirements and knowing where
to get help.
 Significant increase in understanding access
requirements and support for higher education.
 Significant increase in communication between
teachers and parents.
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 High School Graduation Project
 4-H history in project-based learning
 4-H projects provide an opportunity for youth to
determine an area of interest, conduct research,
prepare and present their research findings.
 County 4-H professionals working with teachers to assist
youth in project identification, design and presentation.
 Builds on the strengths of 4-H and provides youth an
opportunity to showcase their work through 4-H
presentation program.
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 Bertie County Agriscience High School
 Collaboration between NCSU College of Agriculture and
Life Science, NC New Schools Project and Bertie County
Schools
 Building on the natural resource and economic assets of
the region
 Early College Model (five year program that would provide
high school graduation and 2 years of college completed).
 Increasing interest from economic development, private
business, educational partners and agribusiness
community.
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 4-H Youth Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy
 2007 - 10,434 youth started their own business enterprise
 Focused on helping youth to understand that it is not only
about getting a good job; it could be about starting a
business.
 Focused helping youth design business plans and
developing a sustainable business.
 Partnering with DPI and NC Rural Center
 Financial Literacy
 National Endowment on Financial Education
 Partnership with ROTC, DPI and State Employee’s
Credit Union
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 Health/Nutrition Programs
 EFNEP - Expanded Food & Nutrition Program
 43 counties in North Carolina
 Limited resource youth (9,500/year) and families
(4,600/year)
 SNAP-ED - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
 31 counties in North Carolina
 3rd grade audience - 2,500/year
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 Gates County Planning Process Pilot
 Requested by School Superintendent and County
Extension Director.
 Recognized need to develop a comprehensive plan that
engaged the community to address the drop-out challenge.
 Conducted pilot process with campus faculty.
 Implementing plan and developing benchmarks for
tracking success of the plan.
 Focusing on building upon the strengths/assets of the
community.
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 4-H Operation Military Kids (4-H OMK)
 Support over 123,000 active duty, reserve and guard
troops in North Carolina.
 Provide mentoring and educational support.
 Offer summer camping programs.
 4-H programs and opportunities to assist with the family
challenges faced from youth of deployed parents.
 HERO Packs for students - school supplies
 Training for teachers and counselors that are impacted by
this issue in their school.
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 Community Engagement and Volunteer Administration
 4-H Volunteers engaged in support of education
 Extension Community Association (ECA)
 Parenting Education
 Attendance, Achievement and Literacy of the School
System
 Parents as Teachers
 Grandparents as Parents
K-12 Education
NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 Planning Outdoor Playground Environments
 Development of an instructional and evaluation guide
for developing playground environments that are
safe and educational.
 Preschool Outdoor Environment Measurement Scale
 www.poemsnc.org
K-12 Response
 NC Cooperative Extension 4-H and FCS
 Programs/Initiatives - what we deliver
 Camping Education Programs
 Special interest topics: GPS, Team-building, Astronomy,
Environmental, Health and Fitness , Wildlife Management,
Conservation,
 One-Day or Multiple-Day Experiences
 Trained staff on site
 Accredited by the American Camp Association
K-12 Response
 Summary
 We offer:
 Statewide Network - professionals and volunteers.
 Professional Expertise - youth and family issues.
 Connection to two Land-Grant Universities
 NC State University
 NC A&T State University
 Historical record of creating change in local communities.
 We welcome:
 Opportunities to partner and collaborate with you for our
children, youth, families and communities.