Lone Oaks 4-H Begins
“We’re here and we’re ready,” said 4-H Youth and Development Center Director Penny Russell, speaking to the large crowd that gathered to see the opening of the new UT Extension 4-H and Youth Development Center at Lone Oaks Farm on Monday, May 22.
The state-of-the-art facility is designed to provide interactive learning opportunities for students through advanced on-site science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, leadership development, and agriculture programs not available in traditional classrooms. It includes world-class laboratories, horticulture systems, gardens, hiking trails, recreational activities and more. It will be open to K-12 students across the region.
“The future of STEM in Tennessee is happening at Lone Oaks Farm, and we are thrilled to host our first 4-H campers at this new facility to begin that experience,” says Ashley Stokes, Dean of UT Extension. “Many thanks to those who made it possible, as we can provide the outstanding skills and leadership development students need to be successful by igniting their curiosity for science and for the world around them. Our supporters across the state of Tennessee provided this opportunity to acquire Lone Oaks Farm and we welcomed the charge to build a world-class 4-H and youth development camp and center.”
Lone Oaks Farm spans more than 1,200 acres consisting of fields, farmland, woods, trails, waterways, lakes and more. The newly constructed 4-H and Youth Development Center features room for 64 overnight campers in four cabins, with more cabins planned in the future.
Beyond the STEM center, the Lone Oaks Farm grounds are home to more than a dozen residences, numerous event spaces and the largest collection of antique American hand tools in the United States. In addition to regularly hosting youth camps, weddings, conferences and company retreats at the many venue locations, the property is also a functioning farm featuring livestock, fruit and vegetable gardens, hay production and other agriculture operations.
Photo: 4-H Youth and Development Center Director Penny Russell was one of five speakers as the center was officially opened on May 22. Photo by Tyler Clouse.