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. A study of Ohio 4-H agents revealed that they believed orienting volunteers is important but lack information on whether their training programs or teaching strategies are effective (Deppe & Culp, 2001). Non-systematic training and the lack of volunteer recognition are two problems identified as crucial to the management of Extension volunteers (Navaratnam, 1986). Although the training received by Extension volunteers has been rated as "quality" when compared to other organizations (Braker, Leno, Pratt, & Grobe, 2000), the need to strengthen the design and implementation of 4-H training programs is ongoing. 

Education benefits volunteers, programs, and organizations in many ways. Education increases volunteer satisfaction and leads to stronger organizational commitment (Anderson, 2005; Wilson et al., 2007). Moreover, volunteer education increases program sustainability (Snider, 1985) and is a powerful recruitment and retention tool, as a lack of training is an often cited reason for high turnover rates among recruits (Fahey, Walker, & Lennox, 2003). Volunteer development benefits the organization by inspiring, motivating, and celebrating accomplishments (Wise & Ezell, 2003).

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. The Powell County 4-H Program sponsored (4) volunteers to attend the Forum, including (2) Livestock volunteers.

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.”

Conference attendees were asked to respond to six agree-disagree statements, that queried their aspirations following the forum. (Strongly Agree = 5, Strongly Disagree = 1). These included:

“I am more likely to continue volunteering”                           4.38

“I have increased my level of knowledge”                               4.33

“I am more likely to offer a new program”                              4.22

“I am more likely to increase involvement in my county” 4.13

“I am more energized and motivated”                                       4.13

“I have developed a new skill”                                                      4.05

100% of the Powell County attendees reported knowledge gained at the Forum and will highly recommend other volunteer leaders to attend this conference in future years.