According to Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow Research Review: Opportunities for Teens to Engage as Learners, Leaders, Team Members, and Workers, “Adolescents…benefit from opportunities to shape programs and activities, which can improve the programs, provide valuable leadership skills and build confidence.” Area 4-H Youth Development Agents, to fulfill the need for providing leadership development experiences and working in partnership with the Central 3 / Central 4 Area 4-H Teen Council, designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated a two-day, overnight middle school event. The C3/C4 Area 4-H Middle School Retreat would focus on teen-led workshops and funshops, a targeted leadership session, and a community service opportunity for the group. The Area Teen Council provided instruction during each of the sessions to engage participants in peer-driven learning, served as cabin counselors, and managed group gatherings. Nineteen high school students, 13 adults, and 73 middle school youth attended the event held at a regional camping facility. Following the event, evaluations were distributed and completed onsite.

Based on post-evaluations, 79.05% of participants would rate the workshops Above Average or Excellent. Workshop offerings at the 4-H Area Middle School included public speaking, team building, cooking, and fire building. Funshops evaluated by the youth participants showed 83.5% of attendees rated them as Above Average or Excellent. Funshops offered during the event were line dancing, games, leather printing, and a camouflage session. 52.3% of the middle school participants evaluated the leadership workshop as Above Average and Excellent. Continued development of the teen instructors to provide consistent curriculum-based lessons is a focus for future meetings between 4-H Youth Development Agents and the C3/C4 Area 4-H Teen Council. Additional questions were about the experience, soft skill growth, and continued involvement in 4-H Youth Develop programs from this experience. 94.3% of attendees understand there are different leadership styles following the Retreat. Finally, 98.5% stated they will participate in future 4-H activities. The C3/C4 Area 4-H Middle School Retreat demonstrated the appropriate balance in recreation and education and provided a unique circumstance to learn, develop, and look to the future as a 4-H member and potential community leader.