Photo:  Cloverbud Josiah Conrad works on molding his clay to create his own fossil.  

For the 2021-2022 program year, the Estill County 4-H Teen Club had between seven to nine youth who routinely come to every meeting. This club has primarily focused on leadership and community service activities. This was voted on in the beginning of our program year by the members of teen club. Youth who participate in leadership development opportunities are exposed to a variety of opportunities for personal development. Leadership activities help youth: Develop confidence in their leadership potential and their own sense of identity, improve their self-esteem, enhance their communication skill is sharing, reflecting and discussion, understand the importance of diversity and improves their ability to relate to others, learn effective decision making methods and experience problem-solving situations and learn group social skills (Unlock Your Leadership Potential: A Leadership Project Guide, University of Florida, IFAS Extension, October 2009).  One of the main programs the Estill County Teen Club created and prepared was a lesson in Geology to teach to our Cloverbud Club. The teens met several times as a group to plan different activities, create an agenda, make supply lists, and assign roles and responsibilities to the other members. Each teen led their own lesson and activity related to Geology. This included educational activities about fossils, minerals, the earth’s layers, and the rock cycle. One teen brought in their Kentucky State Fair project and showed youth how they could make their own rock collections when they become 4-H Age to enter into the state fair. We had fifteen youth ages five to eight attend the meeting that day along with their parents.