UK Robinson Center creates ‘buzz’ with Youth Science Day
QUICKSAND, Ky. (Oct. 22, 2026) — More than 700 elementary students from local schools in Eastern Kentucky recently attended the popular Youth Science Day at the University of Kentucky Robinson Center, part of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Facilitated by UK Cooperative Extension Service agents, community members and staff at the Robinson Center, Youth Science Day gave elementary students the unique opportunity to learn about the power of science in agriculture at many interactive learning stations. Wagon tours were also available to the Wood Utilization Center and other parts of the Robinson Research Farm to learn about Kentucky’s woodlands and ongoing research with cattle, forages, soybeans and more.
For Chuck Stamper, education program coordinator at the Robinson Center, hosting this annual event continues to be a “special experience” for the young kids and the community.
At events like Youth Science Day, Stamper believes that some of UK Extension’s major educational missions come together perfectly, which includes the intersection of agricultural, natural resources, and horticulture; 4-H Youth Development; family and consumer sciences; and community arts.
“Today the kids will get a full day of learning with all sorts of educational lessons, and they will get a little bit of everything while they are here,” Stamper said. “We want to give young people the opportunity to actually see what the University of Kentucky does in the community and in their own hands.”
As the students arrived excitedly in the morning on buses from counties including Breathitt, Floyd, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Letcher, Pike and Wolfe, Stamper and the Robinson Center team welcomed them at the pavilion — one of the newest permanent structures rebuilt following the massive flooding several years ago.
Every 30 minutes, the kids had an opportunity to experience a new learning module inside and outside of the pavilion. Some of the learning stations included electrical circuitry, engineering, entomology, farm machinery, hydroponics, microgreens, and soil, trees and wildlife identification.
Heather Coleman, UK Extension agent for 4-H Youth Development in Floyd County and facilitator of the “What’s the ‘buzz’ about agriculture?” station, taught students why honeybees are important pollinators in Kentucky, and offered them a honey tasting.
“The kids learned how important bees are and got to taste two types of honey — orange blossom and Western State wildflower,” Coleman said. “It’s important that youth learn about science and agriculture because they are our future.”
Coleman grew up in Extension and has been participating in Youth Science Day for more than 15 years. She is hopeful the students walk away with a deeper appreciation and tell their families and friends what they learned about UK Extension’s service in all 120 counties in Kentucky.
“I’m a product of Extension. I started 4-H in fourth grade and never left,” Coleman emphasized. “We have county agents that can help communities with a wide variety of programs that can reach anybody and every kid. Extension is for everybody.”
For Daniel Wilson, Robinson Center director, the success of these events comes down to teamwork and offering something valuable for everyone.
“We remain thankful to the University of Kentucky, our college, and Extension agents and administration for supporting our events here at the Robinson Center,” Wilson said. “Events like Youth Science Day happen because of our amazing team coming together and having activities that are both informational and inspirational. It’s also a testament to our rich history here at the Robinson Center, spanning more than 100 years.”
Stamper, who grew up in Knott County and started attending events at the Robinson Center when he was 9 years old in Kentucky 4-H, acknowledged how much the center means for everyone in Eastern Kentucky and beyond.
“The Robinson Center has always been home to me,” Stamper said. “I love Appalachia, the people and the issues that we face. I love how we can share what we know with people in the community.”
For more than 15 years, Youth Science Day has been held in concert with the annual Mountain Ag Week and Robinson Center Field Day events, which attract thousands of people from the local community, including producers, families and youth.
In addition, attendees have learned about the Robinson Center’s rich history and programs, while participating in free events including Win with Wood and Pumpkin Day.
The Robinson Center team plans to continue hosting these annual events in Fall 2027.
Learn more about the UK Robinson Center at robinson-center.mgcafe.uky.edu.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and healthcare. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.