Approximately 35 percent of the Knox County population falls below the poverty level.  Structure and peer interactions among youth can be difficult for families to maneuver in the summer months when schools are out.   Simply put, many families lack the monies to fund extracurricular activities and the travel to and from those activities.  Knox County 4-H Council identified several day camping programs for the summers of 2018-2019 that would promote interactions among peers and positive youth development.  Knox County 4-H offered 10 days of day camping programs for approximately 90 youth participants during the months of July 2018 and June 2019 that included Cloverbud Day Camps, Woodworking 101, and Expressive Arts days.  Knox County FCS Extension and 4-H partnered as well to offer 4 days of beginning sewing to Knox County youth.  4-H youth were led by 9 Extension Homemaker volunteers.  Youth focused on learning the parts of the sewing machine, practiced sewing on paper, made a simple pillow and then completed a harder project-an origami owl bag.

• 20 youth participated in the program
• 9 Extension Homemaker volunteers led the program
• 6 youth participated in both the 2018 & 2019 sewing day camps
• Of these youth, ½ reported using the skills learned in the previous year in their everyday life.
• 100 percent of youth gained knowledge on the basics of sewing
• 100 percent of youth gained practice in sewing by using the machine to complete sewing projects
• 100 percent of youth successfully could sew on a button