The Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference is a multi-state leadership conference that was created to bring together youth from across the southern region. (https://4-h.ca.uky.edu/SRTLC)  Due to scheduling on the previous year SRTLC in February, we held the second one for 2022 in September.  Kentucky had 57 youth participants attend the conference.

 Of survey respondents, 76% of youth indicated this was their first time attending the Southern Regional Teen Leadership Conference.  72% of teens indicated they felt supported by other teens and 77% indicated they felt like they mattered.   When asked, “The most useful thing I learned at 4-H SRTLC was…,” one youth said, “How to talk to others that aren’t like you," another youth stated, "Everybody is unique and has their own preferences and aspirations. It's important to consider them all."  Respondents were asked, “why programs like SRTLC should be supported,” and one youth said, “4-H SRTLC is a welcoming community, friendly community."

This year the conference had over 400 attendees and through their community service project, made over 70 educational kits for families in Eastern Kentucky impacted by recent flooding.   

Ultimately, the Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference was designed to give youth a voice, a seat at the table, to help build a meaningful conference.  This conference allows youth and adults from across the southern region to interact and build those strong youth-adult partnerships to promote positive change in the everyday lives of youth.