Kentucky State University and University of Kentucky receive USDA grant to support at-risk youth

Kentucky State University and the University of Kentucky have teamed up for a grant-funded project to help at-risk youth gain life skills and provide them with educational opportunities. The $1.3 million grant comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and will allow the Cooperative Extension Service at UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and Kentucky State University to partner on the collaborative project.

According to an article on Kentucky State University’s website, Kerri Ashurst, who is a senior extension specialist for Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Kentucky’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, is one of the project’s principal investigators, alongside Shawn Gardner, who is a 4-H youth development program leader at Kentucky State University, and the University of Kentucky’s Kenneth Jones and Tyrone Atkinson. Speaking of the joint project, Ashurst was quoted as saying, “When our universities come together with our resources, people and missions, we can reach more and better serve our communities. Our primary goal is to integrate CYFAR into ongoing initiatives to ensure that everyone can be part of Extension, 4-H or family and consumer sciences programs. Our hope is that we will help move our youth toward success and meaningful contribution in adulthood through educational experiences, service learning and leadership skills to help them find their passion and voice in achieving their goals.”

The joint project, which has been named the Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Sustainable Community Project, will be grant funded for five years. It will provide outreach to children and families that are considered to be at-risk in a number of different areas and will see faculty members from the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University collaborating to create educational programming to benefit kids in Bullitt, Fayette, Jefferson, and Pulaski counties. Programming will include units covering topics like conflict resolution, mock job interviews, nutrition, career exploration, budgeting, higher education preparation, vocational education preparation, hygiene, and time management, among others.

Gardner said in explanation of the joint nature of the project, “Together, we are operating to be one extension team, but both teams will be doing different things. In Jefferson and Fayette counties, CYFAR programs will include many wrap-around services to provide unwavering support, so they have the resources they need to thrive.”

For more information about Kentucky State University, visit the school’s website.

For more information about the University of Kentucky, visit the school’s website.