Kentucky Cooperative Extension: Promoting Change Through Youth Engagement

The purpose of this grant is to expand a comprehensive life skills program for unstably housed youth developed in collaboration through Kentucky State University and the University of Kentucky. Short term objectives include: Youth will increase knowledge of critical life skills for self-sufficiency; Youth will gain knowledge on how to access needed services and resources within their community; and Increase in community partnerships among youth and family organizations in target communities. Long term objectives include: Demonstrated application of critical life skills by target youth; and The PCYE model will become sustainable beyond the grant cycle and become institutionalized as a priority approach among partners and Extension. Data will be collected using a multi-methods approach. The program model utilized is the Kentucky Youth Engagement and Support Program Model. The program employs a multidisciplinary Positive Youth Development and Trauma-Informed approach that views youth in the context of the family and community and develops programming based on local needs and grounded in research. Primary curriculum will be Botvin Transitions. The target audience is unstably housed youth in Jefferson, Fayette, Bullitt and Pulaski County, Kentucky. A core group of approximately 10-15 “high context” youth per site will be recruited as the core groups for each 10-week session. These 10-week sessions will be offered 3 times per year and then reunion and added dosage programming will be offered in the summer for graduates of the program. The core groups of youth are the primary audience for evaluation purposes. The national CYFAR outcome addressed is Teen. This