According to the American Heart Association, teaching youth how to prepare their own food will give them a skill they can use for a lifetime, they will be more likely to eat healthier as adults, and build self-confidence (Cooking With Your Children; Web MD; May 30, 2008.). Currently, Kentucky’s obesity rate for children ages 10-17 has increased to over 21% (Trust for America’s Health Survey and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). To address the need to teach life skills and develop healthy eating habits, the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with the Nutrition Education Program (NEP) to provide Super Star Chef Cooking Camp. In July 2018, twenty youth completed the 3-day educational, hands-on nutrition program. Youth ages ranged from 9-18 youth with both female and male participants. Youth explored food safety and nutrition through lessons on hand-washing, MyPlate tools, and food groups while developing knife skills, measuring techniques, following recipes, and understanding nutrition labels. Pre and Post Test comparisons indicated improved scores in knife safety, hand-washing, food safety, recipe calculations, and comparing nutrition labels (e.g. calories, carbs, and fats). Self-assessments were also administered and indicated that 94% of youth learned how to wash hands to remove germs, the correct way to hold a knife for cutting, how to measure ingredients, and how germs can be transferred to food. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of the participants learned portion sizes for fruits and vegetables and how to read nutrition labels. Results also indicated that 82% of youth learned how to read recipes and intended to eat more fruits and vegetables. With NEP team members providing hands-on lessons, the Hardin County Extension Office was able to recruit youth and host a program to develop life skills and healthy habits in local youth.