The buses rolled in with a rumble, and before the dust settled, the air was already buzzing with excitement, sunscreen, and the scent of adventure. It was the first day of 4-H Summer Camp, and for 381 wide-eyed participants, it felt like stepping into a world where anything was possible. Water bottles clinked, duffel bags tumbled, and name tags fluttered as new friends were made faster than you could say “bug spray.” Behind every game, craft, canoe paddle, and s’more was a purpose—building confidence, leadership, and connection.

For one camper, a grilled cheese sandwich was the difference between going home early and learning independence. For some children that participate in 4-H Camping programs, it is the first time they are away from home overnight, and for those that participate in 4-H Summer Camp, they’re spending a week away from their safe space. While it is a great opportunity for them to try new things, make new friends, and discover themselves; it can also be very scary.

As the Owen County Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development, I am a point of support for every one of the campers from Owen County. Sometimes, when a camper is having a rough time, you just have to talk them through it and offer them something that reminds them of home… in this case, a grilled cheese sandwich. Sometimes, you get big wins, but often enough it’s the little wins that mean the most. To me, that grilled cheese win was the highlight of my week. She stayed the whole week, made friends, learned new skills, and, most importantly, she became confident enough in her ability to stay away from home, thus improving her independence.

A typical 5-day camping week at North Central 4-H Camp includes 80 hours of direct contact with trusted adults/cabin leaders from their community, which is approximately the same as spending 30 minutes at the dinner table as a family 160 days a year. In 2025, Owen County brought 57 campers, 4 teen leaders, 8 adult leaders, and 1 extension staff, which was the 3^rd largest camp attendance for Owen County since 2003.

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.