After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kentucky 4-H Youth Development’s Summer Camp program welcomed a record-breaking 13,600 participants. “Three years ago, we made the tough decision to cancel our summer camp program because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Joey Barnard, 4-H Youth Development extension principal camping specialist. “Setting a new camp attendance record this soon after having to close our camp gates tells us that youth need a 4-H camp experience, parents/guardians trust the program and our implementation of improved positive youth development experiences has been effective.”

Bullitt County’s part in the record breaking participants was taking the largest camping group since 2006. Bullitt County 4-H Camping group had decided to start a new camping group with just one other county versus two other counties after summer 2019. Bullitt had waiting lists for camp and needed to create a new group so we didn’t leave campers behind. Bullitt’s minimum bed count is 150. Our 3 year bed count is 330. Besides the pandemic, which camp week we are given has played a part in our numbers since creating our new camping group.