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Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu

Impacts

Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu




Fiscal Year:
Jul 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2026


Success Story4-H Camp Continues to Grow



4-H Camp Continues to Grow

Author: Toni Humble

Planning Unit: Wayne County CES

Major Program: Camping

Plan of Work: Growing and Empowering Community Leaders

Outcome: Initial Outcome

A typical 4-day 4-H Camp session offers upwards of 76 hours of direct, uninterrupted contact between youth and their cabin leaders/counselors.  That’s the equivalent of a family sitting down at the dinner table for 30-minutes, 192 days of the year.  The interactions offered in a residential camp/group living setting is so important to youth. The time we spend with youth in the camp setting offers opportunities for those youth to feel a sense of belonging, to have meaningful conversations with caring adults, to practice generosity, group decision-making, they experience new activities they typically do not have access to at homeand they gain independence by taking on the responsibility in keeping track of their belongings and keeping to the camp schedule. 

Youth are eligible to attend residential summer camp as a participant for a span of 6 years, beginning at age 9.  15-year-olds can return as a counselor-in-training, with opportunities to observe adult cabin leaders/counselors, attend leadership workshops, assist with leading some camp classes, and providing behind the scenes support of their camp session programming.  

The vision of Kentucky 4-H Camping is to serve the citizens of Kentucky and beyond by providing a safe environment for experiential learning opportunities. The mission of Kentucky 4-H Camping is to improve people through intentional life skill development. This will happen through: • collaboration with local, state, and national partners, • research-based methods and programming, • service-oriented practices, • long-term strategic planning, • and play. 

Wayne County had a record 92 people in attendance with 25 first time campers and two first time adult counselors who gained valuable leadership skills to bring back to the county to share with others.