Casey County is located in south central Kentucky but is considered an eastern Kentucky County due to its limited resources and the social economic status of most families. As of 2020, the mean household income per capita in Casey County was $29,123. With limited income for our families, extracurricular activities can be difficult to pay for therefore reducing the exposure, opportunities, and development for our youth.

The mission of the Kentucky 4-H Camping program is to improve people through intentional life skill development through collaboration with local, state, and national partners, research-based methods and programming, service-oriented practices, long-term strategic planning, and play. 

In 2019, the Casey County 4-H Camp leadership team developed the 4-H Camp-a-Palooza event as a recruitment tool as well as a fundraiser for camp. This is an overnight event replicating 4-H Camp educating first-time campers of what 4-H Camp is like and providing an opportunity for returning campers to get a jump start on the camping season. The event also provides training for our CITs (counselors-in-training), teen and adult leaders and provides an opportunity for leaders to meet their campers before attending 4-H Camp.

Three CITs, four teen leaders, and three adult leaders assisted with the implementation of this event. The CITs and teens are tasked with creating the agenda including who is teaching what songs and dances, who is teaching what classes, and who is performing skits. The leaders were also in charge of the groups of participants in which they are divided. Throughout the event, the participants (potential campers) learned 4-H Camp songs and dances and learned about how a day at camp is run, i.e. flag raising and lowering, meals, classes, and evening activities including Sally, and developed an excitement for the summer program.

At the conclusion of the 4-H Camp-a-Palooza, participants were provided 4-H Camp applications, two weeks before they were available to the public, as an incentive of attending the event. Thirty-eight youth registered for the overnight recruitment event. Of those thirty-eight, thirty-three (86%) attended and twenty-nine (76%) have registered for this year’s 4-H Camp (twenty-one (55%) being 1^st time campers).

With funds from this event, carryover funds from last year, and donations from our community, Casey County is able to offer camp registration at $130, half of the cost of regular registration, as well as provide additional scholarships to families who require additional assistance.