During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentucky's small businesses faced significant challenges. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Small Business Pulse Survey, 46% of small businesses in Kentucky reported a large negative impact at the beginning of the pandemic, which decreased to 36% by the end of June 2020.

To understand the impact on their community, the 4-Hers in McCracken County decided to focus on small businesses for their Smithsonian Stories 4-History project. Over 10 weeks, they engaged in research, collaboration, interviews, and historical learning about local businesses in McCracken County. Smithsonian Stories 4-History is a new program from the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum on Main Street initiative. Upon completing the program, the 4-Hers achieved the following goals:

• Understanding the importance of informed citizenship and democracy in their community.
• Gaining a deeper understanding of their community and its history through intergenerational engagement and research.
• Discovering techniques to tell effective stories through a range of media.
• Building career readiness experience through skill development, leadership, and teamwork.
• Applying what they learned to advocate for change in their community.

Seven 4-Hers from McCracken County participated in this program. Five are students at McCracken County High School, and two attend Paducah Tilghman High School. Six of the participants are female, and one is male. Of the seven participants who went through the initial training program, six were actively engaged during the first six weeks, and two completed the project. Both participants who completed the project learned how to use their voices to make a positive impact on their community. They also increased their ability to tell effective stories while learning new technology and presentation methods. Additionally, both 4-Hers reported making new friends and connections within the community because of the program. These youth also formed connections at the national level through their collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute. The successful completion of this project will open up great opportunities for these youth in the future.