The greatest thing we can give youth is to teach them skills that will last for a lifetime, which is why parents have been sending their kids to 4-H summer camps for decades. 4-H was established on the belief that when kids are empowered to follow their passions their skills grow and help them to become true leaders. 4-H camp, kids learn critical life skills like resilience and independence. If we want our kids to be able to bounce back from adversity, stress, challenges and failures, teaching them resilience is key. Having experiences outside their comfort zones help young people become more resilient, more independent and better able to plan and reach their long-term goals.

During this pandemic year we were allowed to attend camp again but at half capacity after camp was cancelled the summer before. Bullitt County 4-H and Trimble County 4-H came together to provide a week long camping experience that helped campers and their teen and adult leaders learn and be a part of the 4 essential elements (Belonging, Independence, Mastery and Generosity) and having 169 total present. Prior to camp, approximately 36 teen and adult leaders went through 24 hours of training, learning leadership, problem solving and teambuilding in order to help campers have a successful week. Several leaders said “They were so happy to be returning to camp after a year of camp being cancelled and enjoy camp training, it makes us feel part of a family and prepares us for giving campers a week of a live time.” The 62 leaders had a total of 3,240 volunteer hours for the camp week. Bullitt County 4-H had several emails and messages about how safe parents felt sending their kids to camp during a pandemic and how their children had a great week at camp. 2021 Camp was a success even during a pandemic year.