Providing youth with the ability to enhance and develop communication skills is of great importance in Kentucky.  The development of communications skills is one of the preeminent skills necessary to grow as an individual, a community member and a leader.   Using age appropriate activities selected from the approved Kentucky 4-H Communications & Expressive Arts Curriculum, educators can maximize the ability of youth to develop their writing, reading and personal communication capacities.  This in turn creates a solid foundation for positive youth development (Jones, K. R. 2006). 

Warren, Simpson, and Allen County teamed up to host an Arts Day Camp at the Warren County Extension Office in order to increase participation in the arts portion of the 4-H County and State fairs, as well as develop expressive arts skills in youth. Both 4-H agents from Warren and Allen county taught an acrylic painting class, and the Warren County Extension Intern taught a class on circular watercolor drawings using 4-H curriculum. The KSU Area Agent for Community Arts taught a class on clay portraits, as well as a class on cyanotype printing, or sun printing. 

About 30 children from a diverse background and varying ages were able to attend the Arts day camp. Each child who attended  was able to create at least four projects that were all eligible to be entered into their county and state fairs. Each child learned multiple elements of design such as line, space, and value, while also learning about new materials and processes they had not been exposed to before the camp, based on a survey taken in the classes. The camp culminated in each child being able to successfully express thoughts and communicate ideas visually, while problem solving and developing artistic skills.

Painting solid backgrounds for their acrylic paintings.Modeling parts of the clay portrait project.        Beginning the watercolor background of their circle drawings.       Waiting for cyanotypes to finish curing in the sun.