Author: Ralph Hance
Major Program: Camping
4-H Camp has been an integral part of Cooperative Extension Service program for over 100 years. Club members look forward to the fun and adventure of 4-H Camp. Yet, behind all the fun that 4-H Camp offers, children are learning valuable life skills. 4-H Camp can be a very good learning experience for youth as well as for adults. Back in 2008, Trimble County had Thirty eight campers, Thirteen teens, six adults, and one agents attended camp. In July 2018, we hit our record number of 83 campers, 12
Author: Elijah Wilson
In a world where youth increasingly find themselves engaged with electronic devices and isolated from peers, the need for meaningful, face-to-face interactions and hands-on experiences has never been more critical. Modern lifestyles often limit the time families and communities spend together, which can hinder the development of social, emotional, and practical life skills. Many young people lack opportunities to step outside their comfort zones, build resilience, and foster a sense of independe
Author: Kimberly Ragland
Kentucky has one of the largest, most dynamic 4-H summer camping programs in America with more than 12,000 attending in 2024. Each week of camp, youth ages 9-14 participate as campers with adult counselors (AC) 18 and over attending as chaperones. But perhaps the group who benefits the most consists of the 15-18-year-old senior 4-Hers who serve as Junior Counselors (JC). Boyle, Lincoln, and Powell counties have camped together for nearly 20 years and have developed a unique leadership
Author: Bernita Cheirs
According to the U.S. Census the median household income in Fulton County is $33,567. The cost for one 4-Her to attend 4-H Summer Camp is $300 plus the cost of transportation. Many families in Fulton County do not have the financial resources to allow their children to attend 4-H Camp. Even if the cost of 4-H Camp was only $200, many families are finding it more difficult to come up with the extra money to pay camp fees or purchase the necessary items that you need to attend camp.The Fulton Coun
Author: Anna Meyers
A typical 5-day 4-H Camp session offers upwards of 96 hours of direct, uninterrupted contact between youth and their cabin leaders/counselors. That’s the equivalent of a family sitting down at the dinner table for 30-minutes, 192 days of the year. The interactions offered in a residential camp/group living setting is so important to youth. The time we spend with youth in the camp setting offers opportunities for those youth to feel a sense of belonging, to have meaningful conve
Author: Joe Maynard
A typical 5-day 4-H Camp session offers upwards of 96 hours of direct, uninterrupted contact between youth and their cabin leaders/counselors. That’s the equivalent of a family sitting down at the dinner table for 30-minutes, 192 days of the year. The interactions offered in a residential camp/group living setting is so important to youth. The time we spend with youth in the camp setting offers opportunities for those youth to feel a
Author: Lois Carter
Describe the Issue or Situation.The Targeted Life Skills model (Hendricks, 1998) has been an important guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating 4-H youth development programs. This model provides a holistic youth development approach, referred to by multiple researchers (Barkman & Machtmes, 2002; Garton, Miltenberger, & Pruett, 2007; Pittman & Yohalem, 2002; Scales, 1996; Wright & Bersamin, 2004.) 4-H based studies using Targeted Life Skills identified a positi
Author: Lori Clark
Author: Sue Ann McCandless
Many youth are having a more difficult time coping with various issues and are feeling more anxious especially in new situations or environments.A typical 5-day 4-H Camp session offers upwards of 96 hours of direct, uninterrupted contact between youth and their cabin leaders/counselors. That’s the equivalent of a family sitting down at the dinner table for 30-minutes, 192 days of the year. The interactions offered in a residential camp/group living
Author: Mary Lawson
Menifee County 4-H continues to grow in our small community. Menifee County 4-H recently hosted an exciting day camp, where local youth had the opportunity to explore various fields, including cooking, science, agriculture, and robotics. Through hands-on activities, participants learned valuable life skills and developed a deeper appreciation for these subjects. The cooking sessions taught them how to prepare nutritious meals, fostering both independence and healthy habits.In the science wo
Author: Melissa Goodman
On May 26, 2024, the West KY storms left West KY 4-H Camp with damage and no power. Our camping group, which consisted of Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Graves, and Hickman counties, was scheduled to depart for camp the next day. Due to the damage, our group was first postponed by one day, but eventually, the week was canceled due to losing all the food for our group. We had 493 disappointed campers and counselors and had to do something to make it up to them! First, each of our counties ho
Author: Susan Campbell
The Targeted Life Skills model (Hendricks, 1998) has been an important guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating 4-H youth development programs. This model provides a holistic youth development approach, referred to by multiple researchers (Barkman & Machtmes, 2002; Garton, Miltenberger, & Pruett, 2007; Pittman & Yohalem, 2002; Scales, 1996; Wright & Bersamin, 2004.) 4-H based studies using Targeted Life Skills identified a positive relationship between particip
Author: Heather Hunter
Author: Melissa Schenck
According the the American Camp Association young people who attend camp believe that camp helped them to make new friends (96%), helped them feel good about themselves (92%), and do things they were afraid to do at first (74%). 70% of parents who send their kids who camp said that camp helped their child gain self-confidence. In an effort to promote these, and other positive examples of self efficacy to youth in Washington County, the Washington County 4-H has strengthened their commitment
Author: Mollie Tichenor
Author: Allison Croslin
Describe the Issue or Situation.On May 26, 2024, West Kentucky 4-H Camp was hit by strong storms that caused power to be out for several days and structures to be damaged. This prohibited the Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Hickman, and Graves camping group to attend camp in May. 4-H Camp is one of the biggest programs that happens in Kentucky 4-H, and many 4-H'ers look forward to it every year.Describe the Outreach or Educational Program Response (and Partners, if applicable).All agents in t
Author: Presley Grubb
4-H Summer Camp- Memories That Last a Lifetime Greenup County had 67 youth, teens and adult volunteers attended 4-H Summer Camp at North Central 4-H Camp. A typical 5-day 4-H Camp session offers upwards of 96 hours of direct, uninterrupted contact between youth and their cabin leaders/counselors. That’s the equivalent of a family sitting down at the dinner table for 30-minutes, 192 days of the year. The interactions offered in a residential camp/group living setting i
Author: Lloyd Saylor
Butler co. is a small rural county, our youth need involvement with good adults, educational programs, and activities.4-H Camp is one of KY Extension's Signature programs. 2024 was a banner year for Butler Co. 4-H Camping, with 156 campers, teens and adults. 15 more than our previous record. Almost 30 attended on at least a 50% scholarship. We always lose a few leaders who moved, or their children aged out. We recruited additional adults, and trained our teen le
