Impact Statement for   Paula F Tarry

Planning Unit	009 - Barren County
Area	304 - Mammoth Cave
Reporting Year	2006
Last Updated	8/1/2006 2:15:44 PM
CMAP	2660 - Enhancing Community Involvement through Leadership & Lifeskills
PAC	440 - 4-H Leadership and Personal Development
Title	4-H Youth Service Council

Impact Statement

Service learning is an educational strategy that involves students in meaningful service to their communities, while engaging in some form of reflection or study that is related to the service according to Youth Voice from Learn and Serve America Institute. This was the premise that was used by the Barren County 4-H Youth Development Program and the Barren County Community Education Board as they became partners for the Barren County Reaching the Community Youth Service Council.

Nominations for the 4-H Youth Service Council were accepted from the three school districts for middle and high school youth. Three youth were chosen from each school district with varying ages, cultures and ideas. The Barren County 4-H Youth Development Agent serves as an advisor.

The youth attended a training conducted by the Kentucky Board of Education on Youth Service Learning and the Amazing Assets Academy. The Barren County 4-H Youth Development Agent and Barren County 4-H Officers conducted an officer and parliamentary procedure training.

The 4-H Youth Service Council members began to plan and process the needs of the community as outlined in the Building Assets Survey conducted for Barren County by the Search Institute. One major concern was the safety and number of youth left home alone after school. The Youth Service Council decided to conduct a safety program for young children for Halloween. The youth ask three schools to be a pilot for their program. They wrote a play about Halloween safety and performed it for 680 students in the elementary grades. In addition to the play, they distributed trick-or-treat bags and safety coloring pages.

The Council members had a booth at the Relay for Life program. The Council members researched the cause and provided potential donors with pamphlets on cancer. Their efforts netted them $1200 to give as a contribution to the cause.

The Youth received a mini-grant through the Community Education Program to assist with “Clean-Up Week”. They made posters for all of the elementary schools and staged a special clean-up campaign. The Council members also cleaned an area of the county and received a Clean-Up Award of $200 for their efforts.