The 95th Annual Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference was held at the University of Kentucky June 10-13, 2019. The objectives of Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference are: develop leadership and teamwork skills, improve communication skills, foster civic engagement, expand knowledge and skills related to 4-H core content areas, gain club, county and state 4-H program skills, have fun, create a sense of belonging, expand social skills through networking, develop youth-adult partnerships, and become acquainted with the University of Kentucky to aid in college and career readiness of Kentucky 4-H’ers. The annual event attracted 704 individuals to the University of Kentucky; 557 youth and 147 adults from 98 Kentucky counties. The event was sponsored by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment Cooperative Extension Service 4-H Program, the Kentucky 4-H Foundation, and Farm Credit Mid-America. Madison County 4-H brought 8 teens to this conference. 

4-H Teen Conference delegates engage in minors that focus on citizenship and leadership, delegates receive five hours of leadership and citizenship development. The delegates are randomly assigned a minor group that is co-led by a State Teen Council Member and Kentucky 4-H Agent. The minor focuses on developing leadership skills and providing the opportunity for youth to participate in a service project in the Central Kentucky area.

In 2019, Kentucky 4-H partnered with 34 community serving agencies to allow 557 youth to log 1,671 hours of service. This translates into a cost savings of $12,114.75 (3 hours * $7.25/hour) for organizations versus using paid employees. These efforts support local service organizations and empowered the 4-H delegation to think about their ability to impact change in their community. Over 93% of conference delegates felt they were able to give back to their community through the service project.

The 8 teens from Madison County who attended this Teen Conference were surveyed about their experience: 

100% of the teens who attended the Teen Conference have committed to leading a 4-H Club in their community. 

100% of the teens reported looking forward to participating in their local teen council the following year. 

100% of the teens who attended the conference reported that they had new ideas of how to become more involved in their community after attending this conference.