Due to its rural nature, Lewis County lacks adequate summer programming for youth. The Lewis County 4-H Program provides opportunities for youth to grow and thrive during their summer months. One of these programs is 4-H Camp.

Lewis County 4-H collaborated with 4-H Programs in Bracken, Mason, and Robertson counties to provide a 5-day, 4-day summer camp experience at North Central 4-H Camp in Carlisle, KY. This program is offered every summer and includes a variety of classes, such as archery, fishing, arts & crafts, canoeing, sewing, and riflery. The afternoons were occupied by swimming and camp-wide activities filled the evenings. Lewis County 4-H’ers were able to attend at a discounted rate or free due to the generosity of several groups. The Lewis County Extension District Board put forth around $10,000 to reduce the cost of 4-H Camp for young people. Another $2,773 was donated by various businesses, groups, and organizations to offset the cost of camp for Lewis County youth. The Lewis County 4-H Program was also awarded two first-year camper scholarships, one teen counselor scholarship, and a transportation scholarship via the National 4-H Council through their Camp Grant program. The kindness of our community led to many youth being able to attend 4-H Camp for free or at a low cost.

Lewis County brought 74 total participants to 4-H Camp, the third highest attendance since 1999, including 24 male campers and 33 female campers. The volunteers for Lewis County consisted of 2 male teens, 5 female teens, 3 male adults, and 3 female adults. Volunteers were responsible for overseeing a cabin, leading/assisting with classes, and participating in camp activities. Two female Extension Staff members also attended with Lewis County. Of these participants 30 were first year attendees. For the entire camping group, the number of youth that attended 4-H Camp was 270.

At the end of the week, youth were given a survey to assess what they had experienced during the week. Of the 270 youth who attended 4-H Camp with Bracken, Lewis, Mason, and Robertson counties, 222 youth indicated that they had more willingness to try new things, 209 gained understanding on how their actions impacted others, and 232 had the opportunity to help others. Over 77% of youth gained skills in taking care of their personal belongings, 75% improved their ability to work with others to solve problems, and 75% improved their ability to work with others to keep their cabin/environment clean.