In order to address the need for youth leadership at the county and district level, a collaborative effort by Hardin, Breckinridge, Grayson, LaRue and Meade counties was formed to conduct the eleventh year of the 4-H Teen Leadership Academy. The nine month program focused on developing teen participant’s leadership and communication skills. Through an application process, a total of 25 youth were selected for the 2018-2019 class. Monthly day-long sessions followed which covered such topics as college and career preparation, entrepreneurship, communications, government and public service, community service and volunteerism. A retreat focused on teambuilding and communication skills. The program consisted of a total of 60 contact hours with each teen participant for a total of 1500 contact hours. In order to build communication skills, each participant was required to present a 5 minute speech or demonstration with follow-up questions. The program was funded by participant registration fees and county council donations totaling $1250. The evaluation revealed 100 percent of participants increased their confidence in public speaking and in their leadership abilities. One participant stated, "TLA helped me try new leadership roles that I was afraid to try on my own.  I am a more confident speaker as a result of the program."  
A workshop presented at the annual Kentucky 4-H Agents Meeting in the spring of 2014 helped to start the TLA program in three other areas of the state. Three separate groups stated the program during the 2014-2015 program year and have continued since then. These agents also found that the program helped graduates increase involvement and willingness to take on leadership roles.
With TLA in it's eleventh year, agents have seen long term impacts of the program. Two of the graduates from the early years credit TLA for their later extended involvement in 4-H. They went on to attend 4-H Camp as a Teen Leader because of TLA and loved camp so much that they later applied to work on camp staff. This summer both are in their second summer as a camp staff members.