According to the 2023 University of Kentucky Community Needs Assessment for Hardin County, 51.3% of residents identified youth life skill development as a top priority, and 46.3% cited the need for more youth leadership opportunities. Additionally, 47.5% of respondents emphasized the importance of agricultural and natural resource education for young people. Military families, including those stationed at Fort Knox, often experience frequent relocation, making consistent youth programming and community connection more challenging. This creates a critical opportunity for Hardin County Cooperative Extension to provide exposure and access to programs that meet these priority needs.

In response, Hardin County 4-H, in partnership with the Donna Kirby School Age Center at Fort Knox, hosted a full-day 4-H/Extension Day Camp for military-affiliated youth. While the School Age Center regularly offers 4-H programming on-site, this event marked the first time many of these youth visited the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Office. The goal was to introduce military youth to local Extension resources through engaging, hands-on learning experiences in every program area. Youth rotated in small groups through interactive lessons in nutrition education, agriculture and livestock, family and consumer sciences, arts, and cooking, all facilitated by Extension professionals and volunteers.

The day camp served over 140 youth, ages 5 to 11, all affiliated with Fort Knox military families through the Donna Kirby School Age Center. In addition, more than 30 School Age Center staff members participated and engaged with Extension programs throughout the day. The event was hosted at the Hardin County Extension Office, and all youth rotated through each program area in small, age-appropriate groups. Extension staff from all program areas including Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, 4-H Positive Youth Development, and Horticulture, provided hands-on, engaging activities designed to give youth a well-rounded introduction to the Cooperative Extension Service.

This initiative provided meaningful short-term exposure to Extension programming for a historically underserved audience. More than 80% of participating youth had never visited the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Office before, and for many, this was their first direct experience with topics such as agriculture, livestock, and nutrition education in a research-based Cooperative Extension Services setting. Informal feedback from School Age Center staff indicated that over 90% of youth were actively engaged in the hands-on stations, and staff reported increased excitement from youth about topics such as gardening, animal care, and healthy eating.

This outreach aligns with the community’s top priority needs, including increasing youth leadership and life skill opportunities (identified by 51.3% of residents) and expanding youth agricultural literacy (47.5% priority ranking). By connecting Fort Knox youth to local resources through fun, educational experiences, Hardin County 4-H and its Extension partners took an important step toward building lasting relationships with military families and fostering a deeper connection between youth and their community.