Life cycles are a part of the core Science Standard in Kentucky.  To help youth better understand life cycles 4-H has stepped in to give students a hands-on experience.  First graders from Eden Elementary and Inez Elementary are participating in chick incubation projects.  Warfield Elementary will also participate.  We have mixed results so far hatching the chicks, but students are having fun and learning a lot along the way.  

The program has grown to all 3 Elementary schools in Martin County.  Every 1^st grade student in Martin County now gets the opportunity to have this wonderful learning experience.  We started in just one classroom a few years ago with 20 students. There are now close to 200 students in the program.  4-H supplies all the learning materials, incubators, fertilized eggs and everything classes will need after the eggs have hatched.  The students have really enjoyed learning about each stage of the life cycle. It is a good learning experience for the kids to know that if they follow the correct steps their project will be a success.

The project is in the initial stages, so impact has only been measured by what the kids have learned so far.  Not only are the kids learning valuable science lessons, but they are also learning teamwork, patience, cooperation, and other important life skills.  This project will also help to recruit future members to 4-H.  Starting this project in the 1^st grade is a great way to retain kids for future programs.