Archery to Belonging Activity

4-H Camp can provide teens and adults the best environment to nurture the best aspects of summer camp. When we are planning for out camping session we looked at ways to help get the training across more efficient and fun for our teens and adults. One section of our training we looked at what will we be doing this summer? Archery, Swimming, High Ropes, etc. Our leaders worked together to provide important benefits kids will get from their summer camp experience. Things like friendships, sense of belonging, self confidence and independence. Teens connect the activity in question with particular benefits that kids get from coming to camp. They were asked, "How do these benefits come from the activity?" "How can we do a better job of delivering those benefits or creating new and better benefits during camp activities. The purpose of this activity is it helps teens get in a more intentional frame of mind. Some of them will not have considered that there was a lot more going on in the Arts and Crafts than just creating art and crafts.Teens may not have understood how crucial they are to delivering better benefits in each of the different program areas.Helps teens to more completely understand what's important about 4-H Camp. How can teens can make those important things happen?

Example: When teens walk onto the Archery Range, they won't think, "Sweet, 30 minutes to sit and zone out." They'll think - "30 minutes to help kids become more confident, to help them try something new, and to develop mastery."

It essentially provides an action plan for every teen at every activity at 4-H Camp.

After this particular activity during training you could instantly see light bulbs going off in the teens minds. They were connecting summer camp activities to real benefits of their campers. This activity alone has helped our leaders strive for goals of being good role models and making sure each camper left with a skill, confidence and wanting to come back to 4-H Camp next summer.