In an increasingly digital world, many youth are becoming disconnected from the cultural traditions and practices that have been passed down through generations. This results in reduced appreciation for Kentucky's heritage and a lack of knowledge about what makes the state unique. Without intentional efforts to bridge the gap, the local culture and traditions of Kentucky are at risk of being forgotten and under-appreciated by younger generations.  

In response, I developed Camp Olden Days, a day camp designed to reconnect youth with Kentucky heritage through hands-on experiences. The program featured barn quilt painting, beeswax candle making, heritage cooking, weaving, and leaf printing. Each activity was carefully chosen to introduce the participants to a different element of cultural heritage.  

The camp hosted 17 participants between the ages of 10 and 14. Among the group were 6 boys and 11 girls, with most identifying as white, and one participant identifying as mixed race.  

Before the day camp participants ranked themselves, on a scale 1-5, according to creativity, handcraft skills, historical knowledge, openness to new things, and tradition appreciation. Creativity was the only category average to not increase by at least 1 point. The tradition appreciation average, which was the main goal of the program, increased from 3.0 to 4.50.  Post tests also showed that skills like patience, taking your time, leadership, communication, and cooking skills were improved upon.