Author: Gary Druin
Planning Unit: Ohio County CES
Major Program: Leadership
Plan of Work: Leadership Development
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down programming in March 2020 youth, families, and communities experienced long-term isolation and alteration of their typical lives related to 4-H activities. It is imperative that programs, communities, and families that are involved in the lives of youth make a diligent effort to restore and rebuild opportunities that provide experiences to develop interpersonal life-skills. Seven youth representing Ohio county participated in the 2021 Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference. All 7 youth were current or past KY 4-H Achievement Award winners. In 2021, two youth received the 4-H Gold Level Award and 1 received the Bronze Level award.
This experience allowed Ohio County youth to recover lost time with peers, reunite with 4-Hers from across the state and opened new opportunities needed to gain a sense of normalcy for those who missed out due to COVID-19. Youth reported they were excited to attend the conference this year because virtual experiences have been hard for social butterflies like them, and they needed to meet people in person. One 4-H member reported that the 4-H Teen Conference allowed them to build on her active 4-H career, make new friends and build on those genuine connections with 4-Hers from across the state. After hearing the word “cancelled” all too often seeing other 4-Hers and getting to interact with others was much needed, “Teen Conference gives me hope for my future” (Ohio County 4-H Delegate).
Youth reported how they benefited from Kentucky 4-H Teen Conference:
Attending 4-H Teen Conference at the University of Kentucky is a valuable experience for youth from Ohio County:
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