Author: Kimberly Schrader
Planning Unit: 4-H Central Operations
Major Program: 4-H Youth Development Programming
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
Cloverville is an area at the Kentucky State Fair that encompasses all 4-H Youth Development project work. Cloverville is the culminating event of all county blue ribbon Kentucky 4-H project work for the program year. From 2013-2018 over 40,000 4-H projects have been judged on the Danish System. Kentucky 4-H project work requires each 4-H member to spend at least six hours of experiential learning under one of the approved delivery modes. Across each project curriculum, the 4-H Essential Elements of belonging, independence, mastery, and generosity are entrenched through the learning experience (Kress, 2004). Kentucky 4-H members have spent over 240,000 hours on project work at the state fair since 2013. Positive youth development studies have affirmed that compared to other youth, young people involved in 4-H are: 1) four times more likely to contribute to their communities, 2) two times more likely to be civically active, 3) two times more likely to make healthier lifestyle choices, 4) two times more likely to participate in Science, Engineering and Computer Technology programs during out-of-school time (Tufts, 2013).