The Cooperative Extension Service in Madison County held a 4-H cake decorating club that met each month for 6 months in the fall of 2019. This club had 24 participants that attended the meetings regularly. Each of the first 5 meetings were spent practicing various cake decorating techniques, learning about cake decorating tools and just having fun. At the last meeting the youth were each given a full cake to decorate. According to Cornell Cooperative Extension service, hobbies can be satisfying to youth and the achievement of a hobby can strengthen a child’s perseverance in facing other demanding tasks in school and at home. All 24 of the participants reported that they learned new decorating techniques and how to use cake decorating tools.  Of the participants, 75% reported that they had used the skills learned at home or have plans to. There were also 75% who reported being confident in their cake decorating skills and 75% now reported this activity as a new hobby. 

To add on to the experience, Madison CES hosted a 4-H Cupcake Wars Contest where youth could enter as a team and decorate cupcakes to fit a theme as the culminating event for the year. This contest was open to any youth in the county, not just those who were in the cake decorating club and had 26 total participants. Due to the pandemic, this event was adjusted to be a virtual event where youth picked up their supplies and completed the challenge at home by submitting photos for judging. The judging took place through social media and the event reached over 31,000 people through viewing on Facebook.