Success StoryKY Military Teen Adventure Camps 2018



KY Military Teen Adventure Camps 2018

Author: Tyrone Atkinson

Planning Unit: Family and Consumer Sciences

Major Program: Nurturing Families (general)

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

Funding year 2018 of the Kentucky Military Teen Adventure Camps (MTAC) has been yet another success! With a total of 5 camps from April 2018- August 2018.  

Families including service members or spouses along with their teenage children were able to go high adventure trips such as whitewater rafting and canoeing, rock climbing and rappelling, and much more.  This program has developed into an efficient and beloved program by all family members and the staff who facilitate it. Continued common themes from camp pre/post test show that parents think their kids thoroughly enjoyed being at camp as well as benefited from meeting and connecting with other military youth for their children.

In addition, the bonding time between the parents and youth heavily increased due to limited screen time and more options of relationship building time away from technology. It has also been a common theme to see having that connection time with children meant a lot to the parents.

Participant quotes from camp

“It was just nice to meet other people (teens) like me. MTAC help me to know that I'm not the only one who has been through deployment of a parent being gone.”

“The best part of attending MTAC was getting to do new things and bond with my dad.”

“My teens learned to trust that their parents are not here to hurt them, but here to help them through tough times.”

"This by far has been the highlight of our summer!  The staff were warm, inviting, fun and so accommodating.  We're so thankful for this opportunity."

Kentucky MTAC has served and supported 69 youth and adults through 3 camps in funding year April 2018- August 2018. There are 2 camps left with an expectancy to serve 45 more youth and adults.

Military Teen Adventure Camp Opportunities are the result of a partnership funded by the Department of Defense between the Office of Military Community and Family Policy and the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture through a grant/cooperative agreement with Purdue University. Funding made available via award numbers 2012-48756-20192 and 2012-48703-20123.






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