Research has shown that 4-H participation helps to develop essential life skills through positive youth development.  The greater the intensity and breadth of experiences, the more the youth gain from their participation.  Shelby County 4-H provided a unique learning experience for teens by allowing them to plan and conduct a 4-H Day Camp for younger 4-Hers.

Teens were selected by an application and interview process.  Monthly planning sessions were held for six months prior to the event.  The teens planned the daily schedules, selected themes, determined the actual name of the event (4-H Clover’s Day Camp), and determined the marketing strategy.  They also were responsible for teaching a workshop, including creating a supply list and lesson plan.  A six hour training was held prior to the event to learn dances and team building activities to teach to campers.  They also received training on how to work with younger campers, deal with discipline problems, and insure all campers felt safe while having fun.

A total of 40 campers attended day camp ran by twelve teen counselors.  A self-evaluation was given to the teens after their selection and again at the end of Day Camp.  The evaluation was developed using the Targeting Life Skills Model by Hendricks.  Increases in the areas of Giving, Working, Being, Living, Thinking, Managing, Relating, and Caring were all reported by the teens.  The largest gains were reported in:  I am a leader, I am confident to lead a group activity, I know how to set and accomplish a goal, I use time management skills to stay on task, I can organize my ideas to create an activity, I can determine what resources are need to complete a project, I enjoy working in a team environment and I used information I learned to make decisions.  

4-H Clover’s Day Camp was a successful event based on the responses from campers and their parents.  However, the teen counselors gained the most from the event from the essential skills they gained and the increased confidence in their own abilities as a result of their participation.