Youth development programs strive to teach skills that are not necessarily the everyday school curriculum. Skills such as leadership, character development, self-esteem, decision-making skills, independent living skills and citizenship are staples in 4-H experiences. 4-H overnight camping exposes youth to those very skills with every camping experience.

Boyd County 4-H Council and the Boyd County community values the life skills that an overnight camping program fosters. Therefore, the Boyd County 4-H agent along with community businesses, members, Boyd County Homemakers, and schools supported and began re-building a camping tradition in 2007 with 12 campers attending summer 4-H camp. These campers were the first to camp at a University of Kentucky owned camp in seven years.  In 2018, Boyd County 4-H camped 112 people.  and in those eleven years a total of almost $100,000 has been contributed to send these campers to 4-H Camp.

In those eleven years, 60 campers became 4-H Camp Counselors In Training; 52 of those Counselors in Training became Junior Counselors; and 9 of those Junior Counselors returned as Adult counselors; of those 9 Adult Counselors 3, as of December 2018, will be certified Livestock and Horse Club Leaders. These results verify the Journal of Extension article that Garton, Miltenberger, and Pruett (2007) found that older 4-H campers improved in areas of responsible citizenship, accepting differences, and the marketable skills of accepting responsibility and contributing as a member of a team. 

While rebuilding an overnight 4-H camping program takes countless hours and funding sources, the return to the community is endless and priceless with leadership, character development, self-esteem, decision making skills, and citizenship.