More than ever, children lack the ability to communicate effectively. This impacts their mental health, grades, friendships, and future employability. In the 2023 Community Needs Assessment Survey, youth life skill training opportunities, including communication, was identified as the single highest priority issue in Kenton County, ranking an average of 4.4 out of 5, which falls under “Very High Need” from 608 responses.

Through competitive animal evaluation defended by oral reasons, Livestock Judging is a program that builds youth life skills, and has positive impact in strengthening youth workforce readiness, sustainability of family farms, and strengthening youth-adult mentorships.

The livestock judging team in Kenton County has been established for some time, but with better access to resources, regular practices, and more support, team members this year have had the opportunity to view over 300% more livestock than last year. The Kenton County team has attended eight judging contests from January until now, which is six more contests than they attended in 2023.

Coach Olivia Rickles works with the team for two hours, twice a week to practice at the extension office. Practices primarily utilize the software “livestockjudging.com” and community members and volunteers have offered to host the Kenton County judging team on their property for an in-person practice. 

While this program has great potential for long-term outcomes, the result of this work is evident in team members’ responses, team success, and overall improvement. The average reasons score for the team has increased seven points out of a possible 50, from 32.2 at the state contest in June 2023 to 39.2 at the most recent competition, the Boone County Invitational, in April 2024. Recent results include 1^st overall junior and 1^st overall senior individual, as well as 3^rd place junior team at the Washington County Invitational, and 1^st overall junior at the Morehead State Invitational, as well as a number of other individual awards. In a survey, students responded that livestock judging has helped them be more comfortable speaking in front of people, presenting projects in school, and talking to unfamiliar peers. They also reported that they enjoyed the comradery of the team, that livestock judging has helped teach them about selecting their own animals, and that it has "helped me feel more comfortable talking to adults."