4-H Camp Benefits Youth and Adults

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 is 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 are 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 conversations with caring adults, to practice generosity, group decision-making, they experience new activities they typically do not have access to at home, and they gain independence by taking on the responsibility in keeping track of their belongings and keeping to the camp schedule.

A first-time camper parent reached out to me to say “It was my daughter’s first time away from home. I can tell a difference in her level of independence after 4-H camp. She made friends and keeps talking about the experience. Thanks for giving her the opportunity to belong and gain independence. She cannot wait for next summer.”

Hickman County 4-H had twenty-eight youth including 2 who served as counselors-in-training, 2 teen volunteers who served as teen counselors, 2 adult volunteers who served as adult counselors and 2 extension staff participate at West Kentucky 4-H camp during the week of July 10-14. Hickman County 4-H Council supported the camping program by fundraising over 4,620 dollars in scholarship support. Two Kentucky 4-H Foundation scholarships were granted to support diversity within the county camping program. Fifteen campers were supported with a full scholarship. Eighty-four percent of the youth surveyed responded that 4-H is a place where you get to figure out things for yourself. Ninety-two percent of the youth surveyed responded that 4-H is a place where you get to teach others what you’ve learned and a place where it’s okay for you to make mistakes. Ninety-six percent of the youth surveyed responded that 4-H is a place where adults care about you and a place where you feel safe.

Youth are eligible to attend residential summer camp as a participant for a span of 6 years, beginning at age 9. 15-year-olds can return as a counselor-in-training, with opportunities to observe adult cabin leaders/counselors, attend leadership workshops, assist with leading some camp classes, and providing behind the scenes support of their camp session programming. 

The vision of Kentucky 4-H Camping is to serve the citizens of Kentucky and beyond by providing a safe environment for experiential learning opportunities. The mission of Kentucky 4-H Camping is to improve people through intentional life skill development. This will happen through: • collaboration with local, state, and national partners, • research-based methods and programming, • service-oriented practices,• long-term strategic planning, • and play.