4-H youth development programs within Extension depend heavily on adult volunteers and provide extensive education to volunteer leaders. 4-H traditionally focuses on positive youth development, but adult volunteers are the mainstay of the programs. The purpose of Kentucky Volunteer Forum is to increase the capacity of volunteer and salaried staff to contribute to the achievement of the mission of 4-H Youth Development Education and the Cooperative Extension System as a whole as well as to provide the educational and technical resources that volunteers need in order to deliver the 4-H Youth Development program as well as to meet 4-H members' needs (Culp, 2000). 

The 2018 Kentucky Volunteer Forum offered 148 workshops, organized in 19 tracks. (Horse, livestock, and crafting tracks were the most well attended.)  1108 people from 110 counties were registered, making it the largest volunteer forum in Kentucky’s history, and the second largest 4-H volunteer forum held anywhere in the world during that year, to date. When asked to identify what they had gained from attending the KVF, 22.93% of attendees reported “learning about new programs” while 19.21% were “motivated or inspired,” 18.18% gathered new information, 16.52% developed new skills, and 15.91% benefitted from “networking.”

Carlisle County was well-represented at this year’s Forum, with two state award winners in Camping Excellence and Leadership Development, two Ten Year Members, four workshop teachers, one Shooting Sports Ambassador, and a total of thirteen staff, volunteers, and youth in attendance. Feedback from county participants regarding the Forum was extremely positive, including the ability to learn about new programs and teaching methods, as well as meet other 4-H volunteers across the state. Volunteers came back refreshed and reenergized to improve existing programs and start new ones.