According to 4-h.org, “4-H’s hands-on approach is proven to grow life skills like confidence, independence, resilience, and compassion through stages and developed through experiences, not instruction. Traditionally 4-H begins at age 9, however over the years a program designed for younger youth has been developed. The 4-H Cloverbud program is an informal educational experience through which parents, other interested adults, and youth help young people develop confidence, social skills, decision-making abilities, subject matter knowledge, and physical skills. The program allows for and encourages creativity and play. (www.nae4hydp.org) In Campbell County, we have been making great strides to transform our Cloverbud program into a true introduction to the 4-H program. This year, Cloverbud participants were introduced to the seven core areas of 4-H: Agriculture, Communications & Expressive Arts, Family & Consumer Sciences, Health & Wellbeing, Leadership, Natural Resources, and Science, Engineering & Technology.

Through collaboration between the 4-H Agent, other program area agents, program assistants, certified volunteers, teen volunteers, and parents/guardians 58 Campbell County youth in grades Kindergarten- 3^rd grade participated in 9 months of programming, including an Introduction to Dairy Animals, Who’s In My Family, MyPlate, Stuffed Animal Show-n-Tell, Building Bridges.  Lessons pulled from the Kentucky 4-H Curriculum, the Kentucky Cloverbuds Lesson Plans, The National 4-H Council, The Big Book of 4-H Cloverbud Activities, The Ohio State University, and the American Dairy Association. Youth created Fingerprint Families, made Berry Crunch Role-Ups, introduced us to their favorite stuffed animals, used bubbles to create art, learned how a pumpkin grows and tried pumpkin seeds, milked a goat, and made butter. To conclude this year's program, we celebrated the end of the year and our Cloverbud “graduates” with a Family Night, there we 74 people in attendance.

Parents have shared their and their young people’s thoughts on many of the projects and experiences they were able to participate in through Campbell County Cloverbuds

- “My child has not stopped talking about last month’s Cloverbud meeting. He still cannot believe he got to milk a goat and make his own butter. Thank you for providing him with that opportunity.”

- “I had to tell you when we went away for spring break Benjamin looked at me and said Oh Mommy, I did not bring my dream catcher. Do you think it can catch the bad dreams all the way from my room? It has been doing a real good job.” He hung the one he made at Cloverbuds in his window, and he loves it and cannot wait for next month’s meeting! 

- “As a mother who homeschools I just want to thank you for providing a wonderful opportunity for my child to learn and interact with his peers.”