Kentucky 4-H believes that all youth should have opportunities for positive youth development in the four guiding concepts of mastery, belonging, independence, and generosity.  4-H Visual Arts programs foster mastery by teaching youth the basic principles of art, belonging by giving them the opportunity to work with others, independence by allowing them to use their skills to create their own works of art, and generosity by identifying ways they can use their art to make a difference. The Carter County 4-H Agent worked with the Extension Program Assistant, Summer Intern, and 4-H Volunteers to host a Holiday Craft Day in December and the Annual Summer Craft Day in July. Activities encouraged 4-H members to use the elements and principles of design through paper crafting, upcycling, woodworking, sewing, printmaking, and more. Follow up activities were sent to participants to encourage them to continue developing their art skills after the holiday camp.  County Fair categories will be provided as a follow up to the summer craft day participants.    

Fifteen 4-H members participated in the summer craft day and seventeen 4-H members participated in the holiday craft day, including four 4-H Teen Council members who taught the crafts at several stations. Five students participated in both days. Of the students attending the summer craft day, nine had participated in craft days in previous summers.  

Survey results showed that the Craft Days allowed 4-H members to apply the four concepts of positive youth development. 

Mastery

• At the summer craft day, 100% learned how to stain or varnish a woodworking project; learned about the elements and principles of design; and created a personal shape statement. 
• After the holiday craft day, 45% reported that they learned how to wrap a package, 89% said they learned how to recycle old items into a new gift, and 60% learned how to sew on a button. 

Belonging

• 100% met new people at the holiday craft day. 
• 100% reported that they got to know caring adults at the summer craft day. 

Independence

• After the holiday craft day, 89% reported using a skill at home that they learned at the craft day and 100% said they could express themselves through the arts. 
• 92% of the summer craft day participants said they used the information they learned in 4-H to make decisions. 

Generosity 

• After the holiday craft day, 100% reported sharing something they learned with their friends or family and 67% reported that it boosted their self-esteem to give an item that they had made at the craft day as a gift.