4-H Camp Makes a Comeback in 2021!  That should be the headline of every news article reporting on the success of 4-H camp from June to August.  According to the American Camp Association, seventy (70%) percent of all camps across the nation did not open in the summer of 2020 due to either government restrictions or by choice as each dealt with a pandemic reaching all corners of the world.  Those that did open showed great resiliency and creativity in adapting and flourishing within their new parameters (Pritikin, 2021).  

4-H Camp 2021 was needed.   It was not the same as a pre-pandemic 4-H camp, but it was needed to create the “camp magic” for campers for which it was known.  What is the camp magic?  According to Andy Pritikin, summer camps provide a real human connection; camp allows each camper to re-connect with nature; it nurtures kids to be resilient by confronting their challenges and fears; and it provides a healthy dose of positive mental health beyond the physical benefits camp provides (Pritikin, 2021).

4-H Camp 2021 happened with a plan in place to make it a positive, safe, healthy environment for all involved. It did so by implementing a 14-day self-check of symptoms and temperatures leading into the first day of camp.  It grouped campers into cabins then into teams and focused on a team-centric schedule that teams followed each day.  Every camper got to do the same activities, classes and programs as every other camper.  It was different than previous camp programs but it was fun and campers enjoyed it.

The success of camps in 2021 is best summarized by Pritikin, “camp offers kids the unique opportunity to step back into a simpler time, with no internet connection or mute button needed. A place where a small community can have faith in the human spirit and support from one another without judgment, simply because it’s the right thing to do. Our kids need to be out of our homes, playing with other kids, and camps have proven that it can be done safely, even under the most challenging circumstances.”