The career field of culinary arts in Kentucky is one that is rapidly expanding in part because of the continued growth of tourism within the state. Over the next five years, the career growth outlook is between 25-30%. This is about 18,000 openings each year for the rest of the decade (US Department of Labor). As a result, young people with a passion for the culinary arts can reliably look forward to career stability and advancement within the state. The Culinary Challenge is positioned to prepare young people to enter this career path with meaningful skills and experience.

Culinary Challenge is a state-level event that ends a year's worth of work in the kitchen. As the 8^th Annual Culinary Challenge wraps up it experienced another record year in attendance. Youth participation increased by 30% and has had a compound growth of 400% in the past five years. After the event, 95% of young people reported high levels of improvement in knife skills with all young people reporting some level of improvement. Youth also reported a great deal of teamwork and kitchen management skills developed because of this program. This high confidence in critical skills is a result of the consistent work with 4-H agents and Volunteers. Youth reported an average of being engaged in 4-H activities for 3 hours a week. These skills have been identified as making a candidate highly qualified for positions in Culinary Arts positions giving the young people who participate in Culinary Challenge programming a head start on career advancement.

Of the young people who participated in the State Culinary Challenge, Warren County had two junior teams and one senior team. Of our teams one of the junior and senior teams was named Champion.  The senior team attended the National 4-H Food Challenge in Dallas, TX.   The Senior team placed 6^th in the nation.