Register Your Child to Attend Summer 4-H Camp
The school year is starting to wind down, and summer is just around the corner. Plans for the beach or a theme park are being made, but University of Tennessee Extension youth development specialist Daniel Sarver encourages parents to consider sending their youth to 4-H camp. 4-H is the youth development program of UT Extension, which cooperates with Tennessee State University and volunteers to deliver quality youth programs throughout the year, including summer camp.
With a long tradition of youth development and STEM education, 4-H camps offered across the state are an amazing opportunity. Tennessee 4-H operates camps in Columbia, Crossville and Greeneville and Extension agents in every county are now registering kids and teens for summer adventures.
More than 4,800 Tennessee youth are expected to attend summer 4-H camps in 2018. Any child in the fourth through twelfth grade is eligible to be part of the 4-H camping program, including leadership opportunities for older youth.
“Tennessee 4-H camps are a chance for youth to explore their relationship with the world around them while having loads of fun. Tennessee 4-H camps move by the motto “learn by doing” and also by 4-H’s experiential learning method of ‘Do, Reflect, and Apply.’ Youth are engaged and involved from the time they arrive to the time they depart,” says Sarver.
Besides general 4-H camping, there are also specialty camps that focus on fashion and design, electric energy, and shooting sports. Activities are numerous and varied, including crafts, zip-lining, canoeing, archery, swimming and others, depending on location. Each camp also has its own pool and cabins, as well as a nature center and sports fields.
Tennessee 4-H Camps, which are accredited by the American Camp Association, are directed by caring professionals and volunteers, which include on-site camp staff and county 4-H agents. These adults have worked hard to design a program that is educational, inclusive, rewarding and fun.
If you are interested in your child attending a 4-H camp, please contact the UT Extension Office in Cannon County at 615-563-2554. The mission of Tennessee 4-H is to provide research-based Extension educational experiences that will stimulate young people to gain knowledge, develop life skills, and form positive attitudes to prepare them to become capable, responsible and compassionate adults.