LEXINGTON, Ky. – After shutting down operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Kentucky 4-H Youth Development’s Summer Camp program recently re-opened to a record-breaking 13,600-plus participants, attracting the largest summer camp attendance in state history.

Housed in the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and organized by local county extension offices, the program’s four state locations each contributed to the record-breaking milestone, officials said.

“Three years ago, we made the tough decision to cancel our summer camp program because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Joey Barnard, UK 4-H Youth Development extension principal camping specialist.

“Setting a new camp attendance record this soon after having to close our camp gates tells us that youth need a 4-H camp experience, parents/guardians trust the program, and our implementation of improved positive youth development experiences has been effective,” he added.

When asked what plans were in place during the summer camp’s closure, and how COVID-19 affected them, he told Farm World, “Once the decision was made to cancel Summer Camp 2020, the camp directors and I began making plans to deliver 4-H Camp to our campers who were sheltered at home.

“We designed ‘4-H Camp-in-a-Box’ for parents or guardians to purchase, and provide their children a 4-H Camp experience at home,” he said. “We designed six themed boxes centered around activities youth would experience at camp that included adventure, games, nature, night hike, outdoors and animals.

“Each box contained three lesson plans for activities they could do at home, in their backyard, and at a local park,” he added. “It also included various themed merchandise and apparel items that we would have sold in our camp country store that summer.”

He said, “Finally, we included one of our hallmark camp kitchen recipes that youth could prepare at home with their parents or guardians. Those included apple crisp, baked spaghetti, breakfast pizza, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls and marshmallow treats.

He added, ‘4-H Camp in a Box’ was extraordinarily successful, and we sold 860 boxes in June and July. The camp directors also filmed numerous environmental education class segments and virtual campfire programs, and provided those at no cost to everyone who followed our social media accounts.”

He said, “The Kentucky 4-H Camping program aims to improve people through intentional life skill development.

“Giving youth with a sense of purpose is more goal-directed,” he said. “At 4-H Camp, youth choose their own classes, and have the opportunity to set and accomplish goals during their class time.

“This creates an individual focus on their desired outcomes from the camp experience, and contributes to their sense of purpose and seeing themselves successful in the future, based on their interests,” he added.

He said the camp directors oversee the function of multiple departments that include programming, foodservice, healthcare, maintenance and housekeeping.

“We employ approximately 120 seasonal employees who work in those departments, serving our rental groups in the spring, summer, and fall seasons.,” he said. “Our camp directors live on-site year-round, attend various camp conferences throughout the year, and are very engaged with the American Camp Association.”

The program’s four state camps are: Feltner 4-H Camp in London; Lake Cumberland 4-H Camp in Nancy; North Central 4-H Camp in Carlisle; and West Kentucky 4-H Camp in Dawson Springs.

“Today, Kentucky 4-H reaches an average of 200,000 youth, ages 5-18, because there is a 4-H presence in every county cooperative extension office,” he added.

He said what led to the 2023 summer camp’s record-breaking attendance is “the Kentucky 4-H Camping program is one of the hallmark experiences provided through 4-H.

“This summer, 13,645 campers, teens, and adults attended one of our four camp locations,” he said. “Over the last two years, we’ve had the opportunity to evaluate our programming, facilities, and commitment to providing positive youth development experiences, while steadily growing our enrollment.”

Rachel Guidugli, UK 4-H Youth Development assistant extension director, said the four H’s, which stand for ‘head, heart, hands and health,’ also stand for “values that help youth find their spark through ‘hands-on learning,’ and ‘learning by doing’ educational programming.

“We believe in the power of youth, and meeting them where they are,” she said. “All our programs are designed and centered on youth engagement, and motivated by their interests. We surround them with opportunities to learn leadership skills, engage civically, and develop communication skills in a safe environment where they belong, and are supported by a caring adult.”

Currently, Kentucky 4-H offers seven core program areas: agriculture, communications and expressive arts; family and consumer sciences; health and well-being; leadership; natural resources; and science, engineering, and technology.

Going forward, Guidugli said the focus remains on programs that prepare more young people with the essential, lifetime skills to succeed as future leaders.

“High-quality positive youth development programs are vital to producing a workforce that is ready to lead, and 4-H has an integral role in shaping our current and future leaders,” she said.

Through the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Service, 4-H programs exist in all 120 counties. To learn more about Kentucky 4-H Youth Development, visit: http://4-h.ca.uky.edu.