The Boone County Extension County Extension Council and 4-H Council expressed need to develop additional opportunities for teenagers in Boone County. America After 3PM a 2014 report by the Afterschool Alliance revealed that 15% of youth in Kentucky participate in an afterschool program, yet 44% would be enrolled in a program if one were available to them. 76% of parents surveys agreed that afterschool programs give working parents peace of mind, more work needs to be done to ensure that all youth in Kentucky are able to take part in an afterschool program that keeps them safe, inspires learning and supports working parents. Parents of youth in afterschool programs also strongly believe that afterschool programs positively influence children’s behavior—improving behavior in school and reducing the likelihood that they will commit a crime, use drugs or become a teen parent.

Boone County 4-H provides a number of leadership and other teen opportunities for involvement in after-school or summer opportunities and plans to grow this area of programming in proceeding years. The Boone County 4-H Teen Leadership Council and related field trips and activities were established to allow an opportunity for teen input and a place to gain leadership and life-skills to become engaged and productive citizens of Boone County. 

Through the 4-H Teen Leadership Council, opportunities for college visits, service projects, healthy lifestyle develop, and teen conference opportunities were shared with the teens to promote involvement outside of the school-day as well as to promote leadership and citizenship skill development. Through 4-H Teen Conference, all teens participated in a leadership development experience supported by Farm Credit Mid-America, where adults and 4-H youth leaders led delegates through a common leadership experience. All delegates experienced the opportunity to network and belong to a group of individuals, explore personal communication styles, and work in a team environment through a community service project.

Boone County 4-H increased participation in 4-H Teen Conference at the University of Kentucky by 50%. Five of the 8 teens have never attended Teen Conference before. 3 of the teens had never participated in 4-H before, the same three are from undeserved audiences in Boone County. For 4 of the 8 teens, this was the first time they had visited the University of Kentucky, stayed in a college residence hall, or participated in a state-level 4-H program. 

75% of KY 4-H Teen Conference delegates reported feeling connected to their leadership group. Forty-two community service projects were completed with the assistance of a grant through the Bluegrass Community Foundation. Over thirty community serving organizations collaborated with Kentucky 4-H to provide the community service experience of the conference. All Boone County teens participated in a service project. 85% of delegates reported feeling like they had the opportunity to give back through the community service project. 91% of the 4-H Teen Conference delegates plan to attend a 4-year college or university upon graduation.

Two teens applied and achieved silver level in the Kentucky 4-H achievement program. Three graduating seniors that participated in the 4-H Teen Council and/or Teen Conference, applied and were admitted with scholarships to each of their perspective universities. One parent said,”There are many paths he could have taken to get there, but his included 4-H and it was such a huge help. He benefited in so many ways from the help of committed agents like you and it definitely played a huge part in his scholarship awards, which were substantial. We were told that his extracurricular involvement had a big impact on conveying who he was and what he was capable of doing. Without 4-H, it would have been tough to find that opportunity for him.”

Pictured-One Boone County 4-H teen working hard in a community garden during her leadership develop service project at Teen Conference.