"An abundance of literature exists relative to youth organizations in the United States. Floyd and McKenna (2003) reported that youth organizations such as 4-H, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, Boy Scouts of America, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Future Farmers of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, National Crime Prevention Council, Save the Children USA, and Communities in Schools have a long and storied history of promoting positive development in America's youth. They also indicated that 4-H stands as a leader in the sphere of youth-serving organizations. 4-H touches the lives of over 6.8 million youth and is enriched by the selfless commitment of nearly 500,000 volunteer leaders and over 116,000 volunteer youth leaders. 4-H is also supported by the experience of thousands of dedicated professional youth development workers. There are over 340,000 club units divided into organized clubs (103,603), special-interest programs (90,244), overnight camping programs (9,905), school enrichment programs (131,912), and school-aged child care programs (5,206). (p.17).

Other researchers have made attempts to compare 4-H and other youth organizations (Astroth & Haynes, 2002; Goodwin, et al., 2005; Canadian 4-H Council, 2003; & Maass, Wilken, Jordan, Culen, & Place, 2006). Consensus from these studies suggest that youth enrolled in 4-H programs do better in school, develop leadership skills, and help others in communities than those enrolled in other youth organizations. In addition, findings from these studies suggest that youth even after leaving 4-H continue to engage in leadership and community related activities than those in other youth organizations."

Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference was held on UK's campus celebrating 150 years of this historic event. The Kentucky 4-H Horse Program contributed through the horse track providing an educational lesson on horse leg anatomy/dissection and an immersive tour at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. 23 youth got hands-on learning and networking throughout the 4 day event. During the tour at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, questions relating to careers cultivated conversations about how there are many career paths within the horse industry of central Kentucky. Youth got to see a live surgery, cup injections, and multiple scans going on throughout the facilities. The track at Teen Conference sparked a deeper interest in animal welfare throughout the attendees.