If you were to ask any youth in Bracken County what the best part about 4-H is, some would say livestock, some would say day camps, BUT the majority of all kids would excitedly say 4-H CAMP! In Kentucky the 4-H Camping Program is strong. It is more than just a week away from parents…it is a week full of new experiences, a chance to meet new friends, and an array of activities that focus on teamwork, physical activity, and personal development. 

Once the camp dates were released, it was camp promotion time! I went to every grade level that was eligible to attend camp. Starting with 3^rd to 5^th grades at Taylor Elementary, 6^th to 8^th grades at BCMS, and finally 4^th to 8^th grade at Augusta Independent Schools. Every student was introduced to 4-H…camp style! With a 20 minute presentation…everything from the cabins to classes to sally down the alley was covered. I did a promotional drawing for kids who turned in all their paperwork and deposit by a certain date. 

According to the Kentucky Department of Education, Bracken County has 62% of students on free/reduce lunches. I knew right away that the $205 it costs to attend 4-H camp would play a major factor in who was going to camp! Although we do receive camp scholarship money from the Durr Foundation and other local community members, I knew it would not be enough to offset the price of camp. We began the lollipop fundraiser in January. And by March we had over 30 kids that had raised money to help cover their cost of camp. By the time sucker sales wrapped up, we had over 40 kids that had paid some or all of their camp fees with sucker money! 

In 2017, we took 59 total people to camp. Our camp number for 2018, is 114!!!