Dr. Richard Clark

On Monday and Tuesday of next week, the State Extension Advisory Commit-tee will be meeting in Crossville, TN. As part of their meeting, they will be visiting Clyde York 4-H Center and learning about our 4-H camping program. Lacy Harnage and I will give them a tour and update them on our 2017 camping season.

This is a great opportunity to inform the members of the impact of camp on the lives of young people and the workforce preparation skills learn by our camp counselors. We will share with the members that according to the American Camping Association, camp provides the forum for children to discover and explore their interests, values, and talents. Research shows, from a youth and parent perspective, that camp provides positive impacts for youth. Youth attending 4-H camp indicated their participation helped them acquire life skills and in making new friends, developing new abilities, and becoming more independent and able to take care of themselves. Furthermore, parents/guardians identified significant gains in their children in the areas of responsibility for actions, work responsibility, and increasing initiative as a self-starter.

4-H Camp Counselors also gain from working at 4-H camp. Research has shown counselors develop skills in in leadership, teamwork, and initiative. For many of these teens, camp counseling is their first paid work experience. This hands-on experience ties together work-force training with real-life work experience in a safe environment surrounded by caring youth professionals.

Thanks to all of our Agents and camp staff for providing a great summer 4-H camping experience for our youth!