ESTILL DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE
  • Home
  • Live
    • Community Events
    • Education
    • Healthcare
    • History
    • Culture >
      • River City Players
    • Relocation >
      • Location
      • Services Directory
    • Insider
    • Youth Report
  • Work
    • Business Retention & Expansion Program
    • Chamber of Commerce
    • Government
    • Starting a Business in Estill County
    • Demographics
  • Lead
    • Leadership LEAP
    • Estill Action Group
    • Estill County Captains
  • Visit
    • Dining
    • Accomodations
    • Recreation >
      • Lily Mountain Nature Preserve
      • Trails
      • Veteran's Memorial Park
    • Historic Sites >
      • Cottage Furnace
      • Fitchburg Furnace
    • Events >
      • Mountain Mushroom Festival
      • Railroad Festival
      • Moonlight Market
      • Rock the River Town
  • About EDA
    • Gimme 5!
    • Contact Us
    • Join/Donate
    • Core Projects
    • Photo Gallery
    • Hall of Honor
    • Board of Directors
  • Home
  • Live
    • Community Events
    • Education
    • Healthcare
    • History
    • Culture >
      • River City Players
    • Relocation >
      • Location
      • Services Directory
    • Insider
    • Youth Report
  • Work
    • Business Retention & Expansion Program
    • Chamber of Commerce
    • Government
    • Starting a Business in Estill County
    • Demographics
  • Lead
    • Leadership LEAP
    • Estill Action Group
    • Estill County Captains
  • Visit
    • Dining
    • Accomodations
    • Recreation >
      • Lily Mountain Nature Preserve
      • Trails
      • Veteran's Memorial Park
    • Historic Sites >
      • Cottage Furnace
      • Fitchburg Furnace
    • Events >
      • Mountain Mushroom Festival
      • Railroad Festival
      • Moonlight Market
      • Rock the River Town
  • About EDA
    • Gimme 5!
    • Contact Us
    • Join/Donate
    • Core Projects
    • Photo Gallery
    • Hall of Honor
    • Board of Directors

Listening to our Youth

Estill County Youth Survey - 2022

As a baseline for data on what our youth want from our community and how they feel about it, we launched a youth survey tool in the spring of 2022 in cooperation with Estill County Schools. You may download the report of our findings by clicking the link below, or you may scroll down to read the report on this page.
2022 Estill County Youth Survey Report
File Size: 164 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2022 Estill County Youth Survey Summary
File Size: 137 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Picture














​

Picture
Estill County Youth Survey - 2022
Undertaken by Estill Development Alliance in cooperation with Estill County Schools
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PROCESS
Questions for this survey were borrowed and adapted from multiple similar surveys around the state and country. Questions were then reviewed for content as well as reading level to ensure no student felt excluded. All surveys were taken online using the Question Pro software. The link was shared with the two student bodies by ECHS Principal Josh Yost and ECMS Interim Principal Tim Burkhart, and responses were collected between April 22 and May 10, 2022.

​SURVEY PARTICIPANTS

The focus of this survey is on the public school students in sixth through twelfth grades in Estill County. Enrollment fluctuates regularly, so for the sake of rough statistics, 20-21 official enrollments were used. Estill County High School had an enrollment of 667 students and Estill County Middle School had an enrollment of 546 students, for a total surveyable population of 1,213. Given the latest population of Estill County from the United States Census Bureau is 14,092, the focus of this survey represents 8.6% of the residents of Estill County. 
Of the 1,213 possible respondents, 953 viewed the survey, or 78.6%. Of those 953, 711 students responded to at least part of the survey, for a participation rate of 74.6% and representing 58.6% of the students enrolled in both schools. Additionally, a total of 557 students completed the entire survey.

BIAS STATEMENT
​
It should be noted that some survey questions were open-response style. That required the compiler of these answers, EDA Executive Director Joe Crawford, to make decisions on grouping similar answers for reporting purposes. All possible care was taken to ensure the intent and spirit of each response was represented as accurately as possible; however, some bias or misunderstanding, albeit minimal, is undoubtedly present in this report.
HIGHLIGHTS (“we” and “here” refer to Estill County)
  • Over 83% felt we need more fun outdoor activities for youth.
  • Over 80% of respondents felt youth should have more of a voice in our community’s future.
  • Over 78% felt we need more programs allowing youth involvement.
  • Over 77% felt we need better internet and cell phone access.
  • Over 76% felt we need to focus on being healthier as a community.
  • Over 73% felt we need more youth arts and culture programs.
  • Over 71% felt we need better technology in schools.
  • Over 70% felt we should have more youth leadership training.
  • Over 70% felt we need to better educate youth on opportunities that exist here.
  • Over 69% felt they could find a good job here after high school or college.
  • Over 64% planned to pursue some sort of higher learning after high school.
    • By a large margin, the most had plans to attend EKU (33.3%), with UK (20.9%) being second.
    • The top 3 intended fields of study were nursing (8.8%), health/medicine (8%), and education (6.7%).
  • Over 58% were generally happy living in Estill County.
    • Top positives for living here were friends (9.1%), good schools/teachers (7.6%), family (7%), nice people/inclusive 6.5%), and that it’s home (4.9%).
    • Top negatives for living here were not enough to do (by a large margin) (12.9%), not enough jobs/opportunities (7.8%), people are mean/closed-minded (4.7%), and unsafe/crime/drug use (2.5%).
  • Over 52% felt their community cares about them.
    • Positive reasons for that were that they feel welcome/included (21.1%), have family here/feel loved (20.1%), and that people will do anything for you (17.4%).
    • Negative reasons were that they’re not known (16.8%), people are selfish/fake/don’t care (16.1%), and discrimination (6%).
  • Less than 48% said someone has talked to them about starting a business as a possible career path.
  • Over 47% felt they have the opportunity to make Estill a better place to live, while over 34% say “maybe”.
  • Over 40% struggled with depression, anxiety, or other mental/emotional health issues, and 41% felt there isn’t enough support for young people dealing with those issues.
  • Only 40% said someone has talked to them about opportunities here after graduation.
  • For those inclined to volunteer, they wished to have opportunities for cleanup (30%), decorating (20.5%), community events (17.1%), building/landscaping (13.4%), and animal shelter (6.1%) the most.
  • The top qualities that make a community they want to live in were: good jobs (10%), good schools (9.7%), a good place to raise children (9.4%), and a clean environment (9%).
  • For those not pursuing higher ed, most planned to go to work (51.4%), followed by owning their own business (20%).
  • Finding out about community events came from friends or family (24.1%), social media (22.1%), or school announcements (17.7%) the most.
  • Their social media usage included Snapchat (20.2%), Tiktok (18.9%), Youtube (18.4%), and Instagram (15.9%) the most. Facebook (11.7%) was the fifth most used social media.
  • Picturing themselves at age 22, most saw themselves living in Kentucky but not Estill County (27.8%), followed closely by living in Estill County (26.9%).
  • The largest portion of respondents were age 14 (21%) with the smallest portion being 19 (1%). Likewise, the largest portion of respondents were in 8th grade (24%) with the smallest portion being in 12th grade (6%).
  • When addressing “something for the kids to do,” they felt the most popular “things for kids to do” would be: more and better parks (11.3%), more sports (10.9%), places to hang out (9.9%), more outdoor activities (7.3%), bowling (7.1%), more/better events (6.9%), and a community center/fun stuff (6.9%).
  • The top things we don’t have right now that would make it a better place to live were entertainment/more fun things to do (20%), restaurants (14.5%), and shopping (10.6%).
  • The top things they believed adults should know about being a young person in Estill County were: it’s harder than adults think (40.4%), they want to be heard (17%), bullying/discrimination/mental health need more attention (15.3%), the community is boring (13.2%), and kids like to hang out and have fun (10.6%).
Please show how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements:
(Strongly disagree = 1 => Strongly agree = 5)

Youth should be allowed a stronger voice in planning for the future of our community.    
Responses: 625    Average Answer: 4.08

Strongly Disagree                  16    2.56%    
Disagree                                  16    2.56%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    91    14.56%    
Agree                                       279    44.64%    
Strongly Agree                       223    35.68%    


Estill County should have more youth leadership training.    
Responses: 624    Average Answer: 3.86

Strongly Disagree                 12    1.92%    
Disagree                                 19    3.04%    
Neither Agree or Disagree   156    25%    
Agree                                      297    47.6%    
Strongly Agree                      140    22.44%    

​
Please show how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements:
(Strongly disagree = 1 => Strongly agree = 5)

Estill County leaders should come up with more programs that allow youth involvement in our community and community activities.    
Responses: 624    Average Answer: 4.07    

Strongly Disagree                     7    1.12%    
Disagree                                   18    2.88%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    111    17.79%    
Agree                                       277    44.39%    
Strongly Agree                       211    33.81%    


Estill County leaders should develop more youth programs for arts and culture.    
Responses: 623    Average Answer: 3.97    

Strongly Disagree                    10    1.61%    
Disagree                                    27    4.33%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    127    20.39%    
Agree                                       267    42.86%    
Strongly Agree                       192    30.82%
Please show how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements:
(Strongly disagree = 1 => Strongly agree = 5)

Youth should have more opportunities to participate in fun outdoor activities.    
Responses: 620    Average Answer: 4.25    

Strongly Disagree                    11    1.77%    
Disagree                                   16    2.58%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    74    11.94%    
Agree                                      222    35.81%    
Strongly Agree                      297    47.9%    


Estill County should focus more on making the health of all of our residents better.    
Responses: 617    Average Answer: 4.09    

Strongly Disagree                    12    1.94%    
Disagree                                    13    2.11%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    118    19.12%    
Agree                                       238    38.57%    
Strongly Agree                       236    38.25%
Please show how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements:
(Strongly disagree = 1 => Strongly agree = 5)

Estill County should make technology better in our schools.    
Responses: 621    Average Answer: 4.03    

Strongly Disagree                     5    0.81%    
Disagree                                   24    3.86%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    151    24.32%    
Agree                                        211    33.98%    
Strongly Agree                       230    37.04%    


Estill County needs to get better internet and cell phone access.    
Responses: 628    Average Answer: 4.18    

Strongly Disagree                     6    0.96%    
Disagree                                   25    3.98%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    111    17.68%    
Agree                                       197    31.37%    
Strongly Agree                      289    46.02%
Please show how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements:
(Strongly disagree = 1 => Strongly agree = 5)

Estill County should better educate youth on opportunities within our county and surrounding counties so more youth will come back to the community after higher education/training.    
Responses: 624    Average Answer: 3.97    

Strongly Disagree                     8    1.28%    
Disagree                                   23    3.69%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    151    24.2%    
Agree                                       242    38.78%    
Strongly Agree                       200    32.05%    



Someone has talked to me about opportunities to come back to or stay in Estill County after graduation.    
Responses: 630    Average Answer: 3.1

Strongly Disagree                    77    12.22%    
Disagree                                   116    18.41%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    185    29.37%    
Agree                                        170    26.98%    
Strongly Agree                         82    13.02%
Please show how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements:
(Strongly disagree = 1 => Strongly agree = 5)

Someone has taught me about starting my own business (entrepreneurship) as a possibility for my future.    
Responses: 625    Average Answer: 3.22

Strongly Disagree                    73    11.68%    
Disagree                                   113    18.08%    
Neither Agree or Disagree    140    22.4%    
Agree                                        201    32.16%    
Strongly Agree                          98    15.68%
How sure are you that you can get a job after high school or college in Estill County that pays a salary you can live comfortably on?
(634 Responses)

Very sure                                                  190    29.97%    
Somewhat sure                                       250    39.43%    
Really don't know what options exist    96    15.14%    
Somewhat not sure                                  57    8.99%    
Very not sure                                             41    6.47%
Thinking about everything, how happy are you living in Estill County? Tip: Think about your health, things to do, quality of education, job opportunities, community events, inclusiveness. (605 Responses)

Very Unhappy                     29    4.79%    
Unhappy                              53    8.76%    
Neutral                               170    28.1%    
Happy                                239    39.5%    
Very Happy                        114    18.84%    

​
Why do you feel this way? (628 Responses)

Positive Reasons (54.8%)

Friends                                        57 (9.1%)
Good schools/teachers           48 (7.6%)
Family                                         44 (7%)
Nice people/inclusive              41 (6.5%)
Home                                           31 (4.9%)
Outdoor recreation/sports     24 (3.8%)
Everyone knows each other    23 (3.6%)
Small Town/welcoming           21 (3.3%)
Jobs                                             15 (2.3%)
Scenery                                      14 (2.2%)
Community events                   13 (2.1%)
Good healthcare                       6   (1%)
Safe/low crime                         4   (0.6%)
Great restaurants                     2   (0.3%)
ATC                                             1   (0.1%)

Negative Reasons (45.2%)
​

Not enough to do                                         81 (12.9%)
Not enough jobs/opportunities                49 (7.8%)
People are mean/closed-minded             30 (4.7%)
Unsafe/crime/drug use                             16 (2.5%)
Too small                                                       12 (1.9%)
Unfair/Last names matter too much        12 (1.9%)
Discrimination/lack of diversity                11 (1.8%)
Rampant bullying                                         10 (1.6%)
No higher ed options                                   9   (1.4%)
Not enough community events                  9   (1.4%)
Homophobia                                                  8   (1.3%)
Not enough/variety of restaurants           8   (1.3%)
Older people don’t want change                7   (1.1%)
Racism                                                            7   (1.1%)
Need more mental health support             5   (0.8%)
Need more/better shopping                      4   (0.6%)
Not enough housing                                    3   (0.5%)
Too much trash                                            3   (0.5%)

​
Do you feel you have the opportunity to help make Estill County a better place to live?
(635 Responses)

Definitely yes                        101    15.91%    
Probably yes                          198    31.18%    
Maybe                                     217    34.17%    
Probably not                           83    13.07%    
Definitely not                         36    5.67%
If you’re willing to volunteer, please list some things you would enjoy volunteering to do (examples: town cleanup, landscaping, decorating, help with community events):
(560 Responses)

Cleanup                                               151 (30%)
Decorating                                          115 (20.5%)
Community Events                           96   (17.1%)
Building/landscaping                       75   (13.4%)
Animal shelter                                   34   (6.1%)
Homeless/Food bank                       22   (3.9%)
Fundraising                                         12   (2.1%)
Helping the elderly                            10   (1.8%)
Tutoring/watching kids                   9     (1.6%)
Outdoor activities                              7     (1.3%)
Art/painting murals                          6     (1.1%)
Sports-related                                    5     (0.9%)
Cooking for people                            4     (0.7%)
Fire department                                 3     (0.5%)
Hospital                                                2     (0.4%)
Collecting stories (oral history)        2     (0.4%)
Search and rescue                              2     (0.4%)
Parking cars                                         1     (0.2%)
Peer support                                        1     (0.2%)
Library                                                  1     (0.2%)
Pet sitting                                             1     (0.2%)
Mental health awareness                   1     (0.2%)

​
In your opinion, what are the THREE most important THINGS THAT MAKE UP A COMMUNITY you would want to live in after high school?
(2639 Responses)

Good jobs                                                               265    (10%)
Good schools                                                         256    (9.7%)
Good place to raise children                               248    (9.4%)
Clean environment                                               239    (9%)
Low crime rate                                                      204    (7.7%)
Same opportunities for everyone (Equity)        203    (7.7%)    
Fun outdoor opportunities                                   193    (7.3%)
Being close to family                                              193    (7.3%)
Access to health care                                             190    (7.2%)
Good places to eat                                                  160    (6.1%)
Access to sports                                                      154    (5.8%)
Good shopping                                                         111    (4.2%)    
Access to arts and culture                                     100    (3.8%)    
Religious or spiritual values                                    87    (3.3%)
Other                                                                          36    (1.4%)    


If you chose "other" please explain. (36 Responses)

Fewer drugs                                    7 (19.4%)
Open-minded people                    6 (16.7%)
Better economy                             4 (11.1%)
Jobs                                                  3 (8.3%)
Better law enforcement                3 (8.3%)
Diversity                                          3 (8.3%)
Housing                                           2 (5.6%)
More sports                                    2 (5.6%)
Homeless shelter                            1 (2.8%)
Better restaurants                          1 (2.8%)
In general, do you feel like your community cares about you? 
(608 Responses)

Yes                                        317    (52.1%)    
No                                        100    (16.5%)    
I don't know                        191    (31.4%)    


Why do you feel this way? (298 Responses)

Positive Reasons (58.7%)
Feel welcome/included                         63 (21.1%)
Family here/feel loved                           60 (20.1%) 
People will do anything for you            52 (17.4%)

Negative Reasons (41.3%)
I’m not known                                               50 (16.8%)
People are selfish/fake/don’t care            48 (16.1%)
Discrimination                                               18 (6%)
No future/no opportunities                        5   (1.7%)
Feel unsafe                                                     2   (0.7%)
Do you struggle with depression, anxiety, or other mental/emotional health issues? (601 Responses)

Yes                                   243    (40.4%)    
No                                    270    (44.9%)    
I don't know.                    88    (14.6%)    


Do you feel like there is enough support in Estill County for young people dealing with these issues? (579 Responses)

Yes                                    185    (31%)    
No                                     245    (41%)    
I don't know.                    167    (28%)
Do you plan on going to a 2 or 4 year college, trade or technical school, or university after graduating high school? (579 Responses)

Yes                                   373    (64.4%)    
No                                      65    (11.2%)    
I don't know.                    141    (24.4%)    
    
If you answered yes to the question above, please list the schools you are thinking about attending: (537 Responses)

EKU                179 (33.3%)
UK                   112 (20.9%)
Morehead        28   (5.2%)
BCTC                28   (5.2%)
Tech School     16   (3%)
Berea                 12   (2.2%)
WKU                  10   (1.9%)
UPike                 9     (1.7%)
U of L                8     (1.5%)
Cumberland     7     (1.3%)
Alabama            7     (1.3%)
Tennessee        6     (1.1%)
Florida              5     (0.9%)
Stanford           5     (0.9%)
UCLA                5     (0.9%)
Ohio St             5     (0.9%)
Auburn             5     (0.9%)
Murray             5     (0.9%)
Harvard            4     (0.7%)
Yale                   4     (0.7%)
Cosmetology   4 (0.7%)
Asbury              3 (0.6%)
LSU                   3 (0.6%)
Cincinnati        3 (0.6%)
Duke                 3 (0.6%)
Transy              2 (0.4%)
Centre              2 (0.4%)
Union               2 (0.4%)
Georgetown    2 (0.4%)
Indiana             2 (0.4%)
Texas                2 (0.4%)
NYU                  2 (0.4%)
Colorado St      2 (0.4%)
TAMU                2 (0.4%)
TN St                 2 (0.4%)
Michigan St      2 (0.4%)
UConn               2 (0.4%)
Michigan           2 (0.4%)
Somerset           2 (0.4%)

Kansas St., Coastal Carolina, Oklahoma St., Indiana St., Purdue, Washington St., West Point, Sullivan, Culinary School, St. Petersburg IN, Colorado, Clemson, Appalachian St., Alice Lloyd, Art School, Oregon, West VA, NKU,     
UC-Berkeley, Moore, Graceland-MO, Mississippi St., Johnson & Wales, Notre Dame, Vermont, Cornell, Penn St., Boston College, Wyoming, Utah, Dallas, Midway, and Tampa each had 1 (0.2%) for a total of 33 (6.2%).        


If you answered yes to the question above, please list the topics you plan on studying: (477 Responses)

Nursing                               42 (8.8%)
Health/Medicine              38 (8%)
Education                           32 (6.7%)
Psych/SW/Counseling    23 (4.8%)
Criminal Justice                 21 (4.4%)
Veterinary                           21 (4.4%)
Engineering                        21 (4.4%)
Diesel/Mechanic               19 (4%)
Math                                     19 (4%)
Business/Finance              18 (3.8%)
English                                 17 (3.6%)
Art/Design                          16 (3.4%)
Marine/Biology                  15 (3.1%)
History/Social Science     14 (2.9%)
Law                                       13 (2.7%)
CS/IT/Coding                    12 (2.5%)
Science                                 11 (2.3%)
Welding                               10 (2.1%)
Music                                   10 (2.1%)
Pharmacy                            9   (1.9%)
Cosmetology                       8   (1.7%)
Ag/Animal Science            8   (1.7%)
Forensics                             6   (1.3%)
Sports/Coaching               6   (1.3%)
Emergency Medicine         5   (1%)
Electrician                           4   (0.8%)
Chemistry                            4   (0.8%)
Sports Medicine                  4   (0.8%)
Physics                                 3   (0.6%)
Theatre                                 3   (0.6%)
Environment/Ecology       3 (0.6%)
Culinary                                3 (0.6%)
Architecture                         3 (0.6%)
Optometry                            2 (0.4%)
Marketing                             2 (0.4%)
Dentistry                               2 (0.4%)
Economics                            2 (0.4%)
Political Science                   2 (0.4%)
Entrepreneurship                2 (0.4%)
Plumbing                               2 (0.4%)
Accounting                           2 (0.4%)
Industrial Maintenance      2 (0.4%)
Broadcasting                        2 (0.4%)
Foreign Language                2 (0.4%)
Astronomy                            1 (0.2%)
Trucking                                1 (0.2%)
Aviation                                 1 (0.2%)
Physical Therapy                  1 (0.2%)
ASL                                         1 (0.2%)
Blacksmithing                       1 (0.2%)
Carpentry                              1 (0.2%)
Philosophy                             1 (0.2%)
Lineman                                 1 (0.2%)
Sales                                       1 (0.2%)
Sports Journalism                1 (0.2%)
HVAC                                      1 (0.2%)
Forestry                                 1 (0.2%)
Geology                                 1 (0.2%)


If you answered no to the question above, please tell us what your plans are. For example, if you plan to go to work, list what kind of work you plan to do and where: (35 Responses)

Work                                          18 (51.4%)
Own my own business            7   (20%)
Farming                                     3   (8.6%)
Video/Youtuber                       3   (8.6%)
Construction                            2   (5.7%)
Military                                      2   (5.7%)

​
How do you find out about community events and other things to do in Estill County? (1676 Responses)

Friends or Family                                405    (24.1%)
Social Media                                         370    (22.1%)
School announcements                      297    (17.7%)
Internet search                                    120    (7.2%)
Newspaper                                            116    (6.9%)
Fliers sent home from school            102    (6.1%)
TV                                                            97    (5.8%)
Radio                                                       86    (5.1%)
Local websites                                       83    (5%)
    
What social media platforms do you use regularly? (2032 Responses)

Snapchat                         410    (20.2%)
Tiktok                              383    (18.9%)
Youtube                           374    (18.4%)
Instagram                        322    (15.9%)
Facebook                         238    (11.7%)
Discord                            105    (5.2%)    
Twitter                              82    (4%)
Twitch                               82    (4%)    
Other                                 36    (1.8%)    

If you chose "other" please explain. (36 Responses)

Pinterest                            9 (25%)
Skype                                 2 (5.6%)
Tumblr                               1 (2.8%)
Teamreach                        1 (2.8%)
Spotify                               1 (2.8%)
Myspace                            1 (2.8%)
Reddit                                1 (2.8%)

Picture yourself at the age of 22, what county/state do you think you will be living in? (546 Responses)

In State (368 Responses (67.4%))
Kentucky (Other)    152 (27.8%)
Estill                          147 (26.9%)
Madison                   40   (7.3%)
Fayette                      13   (2.4%)
Laurel                       4     (0.7%)
Clark                         3     (0.5%)
Jefferson                  2     (0.4%)
Jackson                     2 (0.4%)
Powell                       1 (0.2%)
Montgomery            1 (0.2%)
Pulaski                       1 (0.2%)
Rowan                        1 (0.2%)
Pike                            1 (0.2%)

Out of State (178 Responses (32.6%))
Florida                  25 (4.6%)
California             15 (2.7%)
Texas                    15 (2.7%)
Tennessee           12 (2.2%)
US (Not KY)         11 (2%)
New York             10 (1.8%)
Alabama               10 (1.8%)
Colorado             9   (1.6%)
Montana              7   (1.3%)
Ohio                     7   (1.3%)
Arizona                5   (0.9%)
Louisiana            4   (0.7%)
Washington        4 (0.7%)
Illinois                 3 (0.5%)
Georgia               3 (0.5%)
Indiana                3 (0.5%)
Wyoming             3 (0.5%)
North Carolina    3 (0.5%)
Utah                     2 (0.4%)
Maine                   2 (0.4%)
West Virginia      2 (0.4%)
Massachusetts    2 (0.4%)
Japan                    2 (0.4%)
United Kingdom  2 (0.4%)

North Dakota, Oregon, Arkansas, Virginia, Delaware, South Carolina, Idaho,     
Alaska, New Jersey, Africa, Norway, Canada, Iceland, Sweden, Germany,     
Spain, and Russia each had 1 (0.2%) for a total of (3.4%).

​
How old are you currently? (550 Responses)

11                25        (5%)
12                87        (16%)
13                78        (14%)
14                115        (21%)
15                72        (13%)
16                75        (14%)
17                76        (14%)
18                17        (3%)
19                5        (1%)




What grade are you in currently? (551 Responses)

6th                92        (17%)
7th                69        (13%)
8th                133       (24%)
9th                79        (14%)
10th               66        (12%)
11th                80        (15%)
12th               32        (6%)


When adults talk about what Estill County needs, the biggest need is often “something for the kids to do.” Please list what you feel would be the most popular “thing for kids to do” that local leaders could try to make happen: (576 Responses)

More and better parks                65 (11.3%)
More sports                                  63 (10.9%)
Places to hang out                       57 (9.9%)
More outdoor activities             42 (7.3%)
Bowling                                         41 (7.1%)
More/better events                   40 (6.9%)
Community center/fun stuff    40 (6.9%)
Skating rink                                  35 (6.1%)
Theaters/movies                         34 (5.9%)
Arcades                                          23 (4%)
Public pool                                     19 (3.3%)
More restaurants                          17 (3%)
Community clean-up                   13 (2.3%)
Tracks/riding trails                      13 (2.3%)
Gaming                                           9   (1.6%)
Culture/public art                        9   (1.6%)
More shopping                              9   (1.6%)
Water/splash park                        9   (1.6%)
Fishing                                            6   (1%)
Amusement parks                         5   (0.9%)
More groups for kids                    5   (0.9%)
Let kids express ideas                  3   (0.5%)
Pool room                                      3   (0.5%)
Bounce/trampoline park             3   (0.5%)
Skate park                                      3   (0.5%)
Gym                                                2   (0.3%)
Mini golf                                         2   (0.3%)
Go karts                                          2   (0.3%)
Laser tag                                         2   (0.3%)
Community garden                       1   (0.2%)
Escape room                                  1   (0.2%)

What is the one thing Estill County doesn’t have right now that you feel would make it a better place to live? (415 Responses)

Entertainment/more fun things to do        83 (20%)
Restaurants                                                      60 (14.5%)
Shopping                                                          44 (10.6%)
Community improvement/clean-up           24 (5.8%)
Walmart                                                            22 (5.3%)
Addiction help                                                 20 (4.8%)
More/better jobs                                             18 (4.3%)
Sports                                                                17 (4.1%)
Tolerance/Inclusivity/Diversity                    17 (4.1%)
Better parks                                                      14 (3.4%)
Safety                                                                 14 (3.4%)
Public arts/music/events                               13 (3.1%)
Homeless shelter                                              10 (2.4%)
Pool/water park                                               10 (2.4%)
Better housing                                                   7   (1.7%)
Movies                                                                 7   (1.7%)
Mental health support                                      6   (1.4%)
Better/safer schools                                         5   (1.2%)
Track/riding trails                                             5   (1.2%)
Better roads                                                        4   (1%)
Better internet                                                    4   (1%)
Jail                                                                        3   (0.7%)
Fishing                                                                 2   (0.5%)
Animal shelter                                                     1   (0.2%)
Better leadership                                                1   (0.2%)
Public transportation                                         1   (0.2%)
Community garden                                             1   (0.2%)
Better healthcare                                                1   (0.2%)
Higher education locally                                    1   (0.2%)


Please tell us anything else you believe we should know about being a young person in Estill County. (235 Responses)

It’s harder than adults think                                                              95 (40.4%)
Listen to young people!                                                                     40 (17%)
Bullying/discrimination/mental health need more attention    36 (15.3%)
The community is boring                                                                  31 (13.2%)
Kids like to hang out and have fun                                                   25 (10.6%)
Young people don’t feel safe                                                              5   (2.1%)
The county needs to be cleaned up                                                  2   (0.9%)
Young people want to leave here                                                      1   (0.4%)

​

About Us

(c) 2023 Estill County 21st Century, Inc.
177 Broadway
PO Box 421
Irvine, KY 40336
(606) 723-2450

Contact Us

Our Staff is currently teleworking. Please email joe@estill.org or jessica@estill.org with any needs.