Author: Austin Brewer
Planning Unit: Franklin County CES
Major Program: Leadership
Plan of Work: Developing informal and formal leadership skills for youth and adults
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
Teen Conference 2024 Success Story
The 100th Annual Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference took place at the University of Kentucky from June 11th to 14th, 2024. This milestone event focused on developing leadership, teamwork, communication skills, civic engagement, and social networking for youth, while also providing exposure to the University of Kentucky for college and career readiness.
The conference saw 588 participants, including 472 youth and 116 adults from 82 Kentucky counties. It was sponsored by several prestigious organizations and featured impactful collaborations with 4-H alumni and the University’s Agriculture Communications department.
Youth attended UK recruitment sessions and received materials from the Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Post-conference evaluations showed 77% interest in attending UK, with 90% positive feedback overall. Participants included 47% first-year members, 31% second-year members, and 22% seasoned attendees. Previous 4-H involvement was high, with 83% having attended 4-H Camp and 51% participating in 4-H Summit.
Educational content was offered through collaborations with 25 university units, covering various majors. Evaluations revealed 89% of youth learned something new, and 62% valued understanding university options. Leadership development and service learning were key components, with youth logging 1,284 service hours, saving organizations $9,309 in labor costs. The University of Kentucky generated $100,950 in revenue from hosting the conference, and CLOVERFEST contributed over $25,000 to small businesses.
Kentucky 4-H awarded $11,620 in conference scholarships and $20,500 in post-secondary education scholarships.
Franklin County Participation
This year, Franklin County proudly sent 7 youth to the Teen Conference, where they gained new skills and experiences, enriching their understanding of 4-H and the University of Kentucky.
Total Demographics For 2024 Teen Conference
Race/Ethnicity: | Non - Hispanic | Hispanic | |
White | 549 | 11 | |
Black | 19 |
| |
Asian / Pacific Islander | 2 |
| |
Native American Indian / Alaska Native | 2 | ||
Hawaiian | 1 |
| |
Multi / Two or more Races | 13 |
| |
Other/Choose Not to Identify | 2 | ||
Cannot be determined |
|
| Total |
| 588 | 11 | 588 |
Gender | Male | Female | |
| 145 | 443 | |
Youth | 472 | ||
Adults volunteer | 8 | ||
Intern | 15 | ||
Program Assistant | 12 | ||
Agent | 81 | ||
588 | Total |
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