The start of the new program year for the environmental education camping program (EE camp) is off to an exciting start. We have grown each year I have been in Scott County. Numbers have increased from two schools with a total of 150 youth, to now serving seven schools and over 500 youth served for the EE camping program. We have involved a number of organizations that participate in lesson facilitation. Including University of Kentucky department specialists. These percenters give up their time to come and teach our students a variety of classes. For example; entomology, forestry, soils, erosion, and many more. We provide these students the opportunity to get outdoors and hands on with the lessons. Giving these students another avenue to receive the information has proven to be more beneficial as they move back to the classroom. Teachers have shared that their students are retaining the information better though 4-H EE camp lessons than they are though the standard book work. Studies have shown that learning about natural resources and environmental education is better through hands on activity and interaction. Studies also show that youth today to not get outdoors as often, less than two hours in the outdoors a day has been documented. This number is extremely disturbing, especially when there are so many benefits to youth being outdoors. The EE camping program is one way that 4-H can help increases the excitement of being in the outdoors for students. In Scott County we look to have all public and privet schools participate in the EE camping program.