To increase the need of teens in the Franklin County 4-H program, Teen Conference was promoted through multiple Medias.  The objectives of Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference are to develop leadership and teamwork skills, improve communication skills, foster civic engagement, and to expand knowledge and skills related to 4-H core content areas.  To 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 are also objectives. The annual event attracted 704 individuals to the University of Kentucky, 557 youth and 147 adults from 98 Kentucky counties, including three Franklin County 4-H teens, the Franklin County 4-H Youth Development Agent and Summer Intern.  

The Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference provides a dynamic opportunity for youth to experience life on campus while gaining independence and giving them an opportunity to see themselves outside of their typical environment. Eighty-one percent of youth who completed the survey reported that Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference was their first experience staying overnight in a UK dormitory and this experience was their first visit to the University of Kentucky for 44% of youth.  All 100% of Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference delegates attended a College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment campus tour and Ag Ambassadors presentation.

In 2019, the Kentucky 4-H Clover Fest was the new Opening Event for 4-H Teen Conference. This event was in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and hosted at the Bluegrass Stockyards. Youth had the chance to explore the Kentucky Proud Program through local food vendors and learn about the University of Kentucky Confucius Institute, tour the Bluegrass Stockyards, engage with On the Move Art Studio in their mission to remove barriers to art education, listen to a live band, and network with fellow conference delegates. 

During Teen Conference, the teens attended a major and minor to develop a network of peers and adults from across the Commonwealth in a caring and safe environment. They selected a major of their choice that aligned with the Kentucky 4-H core content areas and degree programs offered at the University of Kentucky. Delegates also had the opportunity to build networks with mentors in their field of interest and connect with like-minded peers; thirty-three programs and departments across the University of Kentucky and in the local community provided majors for delegates to participate. As a result of 4-H Teen Conference, 91% of delegates surveyed reported that they are likely to attend the University of Kentucky. 

The 4-H Teen Conference delegates also engaged in minors that focused on citizenship and leadership, delegates received five hours of leadership and citizenship development. The minor focused on developing leadership skills and providing the opportunity for youth to participate in a service-learning project in the Central Kentucky area. In 2019, Kentucky 4-H collaborated with 34 community-serving agencies to allow 557 youth to log 1,671 hours of service. These efforts supported local service organizations and empowered the 4-H delegation to think about their ability to affect change in their community. Over 93% of conference delegates felt they were able to give back to their community through the service-learning project. 

With the all of the reported surveys from the Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference, 81% believed developing leadership skills is one of the greatest benefits of 4-H Teen Conference. Verbal comments from the three Franklin County 4- H Teens included, “we need to bring lots of delegates next year,” “this conference is such a great one,” and “Clover Fest was such a blast being able to interact with others from across the state.”