4-H Alumni have pinpointed three crucial skills significantly influencing their personal and professional success as adults. These skills are communication, leadership, and community service (KY 4-H Youth Development, 2023). The Hickman County 4-H Youth Development Program annually organizes more than 75 hours of direct leadership and community service education. For the 2023-2024 program year, Hickman County Extension (4-H, ANR, and FCS) collaborated with Hickman County School, Hickman County Chamber of Commerce, and various other community partners to conduct the Youth Chamber Leadership program. Eighteen freshmen successfully completed this intensive year-long program. Each freshman worked on a hands-on group community service project, including fundraising and implementation, and completed 10 hours of community service. As a result, they completed four projects: beautifying a park bench, creating a mural for a senior center, remodeling a game room at a senior center, and establishing a family activity box at Columbus-Belmont State Park, contributing over 180 hours of community service. 

Hickman County 4-H has consistently increased the number of youths participating in county-level leadership and civic engagement programming, including area and state 4-H events. Each leadership-oriented event this year saw a doubling in participation from Hickman County. At the state level, two teens attended the Issues Conference, two participated in the Middle School Leadership Summit, and four teens and one volunteer attended the 100th State Teen Conference. At the area level, four teens participated as delegates to the Area Teen Council, with one serving as an officer. Furthermore, four teens participated in a multi-county leadership retreat, and seven participated in the West KY Teen Retreat. Five teens took on leadership roles in their county clubs and two on area councils.

Hickman County Extension (4-H, FCS, and ANR) also collaborated with the Hickman County Elementary School Leadership Council and Three River Counties Gifted and Talented to offer a Leadership Academy and Leadership Boot Camp training. This collaboration involved 12 hours of leadership education and hand-on activities with the cooperation of multiple partners.