Virginia has been involved in 4-H camping since the first residential 4-H camp took place in the state in Loudoun County in 1917. For more than 80 years, 4-H camping has been a proven and effective method of reaching, teaching, and involving youth in leadership skill development. Each year, more than 21,000 participate in 4-H camping programs at Virginia's six 4-H educational centers.

Both residential and day 4-H camping programs have a rich history of providing educational programming to thousands of youth annually through hands-on, experiential learning. The leadership skills that are given major emphasis in Virginia's 4-H camping program include:

Understanding Self

Communicating and relating to Others

Acquiring, Analyzing, and Using Information

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Managing Resources

Working with Others

What is 4-H Camping?

4-H camping is cooperative group living in a natural environment which focuses on the individual's social, spiritual, mental, and physical development for both boys and girls. Since 4-H camping is educationally focused, it is recognized as a method by which to deliver 4-H programming.

These camps involve trained professional staff, as well as highly skilled adult and teen volunteers in working with and supervising all campers.

What Do 4-H Camping Events Provide That a Playground, Day-Care, or School Program Doesn't?

The outdoor environment at 4-H camp provides youth opportunities to learn how to live and relate in the natural world, as well as with others. Through hands-on subject matter programming, youth become active learners in a variety of learning laboratories that camp affords. In essence, youth are encouraged to apply new knowledge and skills learned to real-life situations. The learning is focused on the appropriate age levels of the campers, and takes place throughout the camping experience. The major purpose of 4-H camping is to allow each youth to develop a sense of accomplishment and achievement.

Is 4-H Camp Worth the Cost in Dollars, and Disruption to Family?

4-H camping is a bargain in terms of costs, time, and time spent away from family. The low price charged, in comparison with other youth-serving agencies and organizations, is to allow any youth to attend a quality, educational experience at the lowest cost to family or sponsor. By comparing costs of 4-H camp to other camps, the dollar cost is minimal. Some 5-day camps (no lodging; only 1 lunch per day) costs more than the 5-day, 4-night, 13-meal events provided by 4-H.

4-H camping allows youth to learn to make their own decisions, solve problems, and managing their resources without the help of family. By involvement in the 4-H camping program, youth usually gain a better appreciation of family members by learning how to become more responsible. Campers and parents of campers usually learn to better appreciate each other.

Is 4-H Camp Educationally Sound?

The 4-H program is associated with the land-grant university system throughout the United States. In Virginia, 4-H is a segment of the Virginia Cooperative Extension system of its two land-grant universities-Virginia Tech and Virginia State. Thus, 4-H programs, including 4-H camping, is educationally focused and has university-researched projects. The mission of the 4-H program is to help youth and volunteers in their development through educational programs using the knowledge and educational base of the land-grant universities.

Each 4-H educational center employs a 4-H program director who works cooperatively with the county and city 4-H agents to plan and deliver quality educational learning opportunities for campers who participate in the 4-H camping program.

Is 4-H Camp Safe?

Virginia's 4-H camping is recognized throughout the nation as the leader in 4-H camping programs. Each of the six 4-H educational centers has achieved American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation.

Parents should always look for the ACA seal when selecting a camp for their child to attend. Only about 25% of camps in the nation are accredited by the American Camp Association, the highest accreditation in the United States. Having ACA accreditation means that the camp meets the high standards for safety, food service and staffing, health care, and program quality. Each 4-H center must be involved in an intensive review every three years for accreditation.

Each 4-H center program staff person, as well as the adult and teen 4-H volunteers who participate in camp, are carefully selected and trained prior to the camping event. Yes, 4-H camps are safe for all youth who attend.

Objectives of 4-H Camping in Virginia

1. To have educational, recreational, and social experiences in outdoor living away from home.

2. To provide opportunities to meet and learn to get along with other people by living together and participating together in a camping experience.

3. To provide opportunities for youth to learn to take responsibility for their own decisions and actions.

4. To provide new experiences for youth by exploring new interests, or by exposing them to new approaches to old interests, such as nature, aquatics, music, and other life skills that cannot be provided as effectively outside of camp.

5. To teach youth about citizenship and the importance of being a responsible citizen.

6. To discover and provide opportunities for developing leadership skills.

7. To discover special talents among campers and teen leaders and provide opportunities for developing these talents.

8. To learn to meet individual and group responsibilities.

9. To enrich the on-going 4-H club program and to involve youth in unit 4-H clubs.

10. To have fun.

11. To be inspired to practice better 4-H club membership.

In Virginia, there are four basic types of 4-H camps ~

1. Residential 4-H Camps-programming events in which campers stay overnight from 2 - 5 days generally. Most of our 4-H camps last for 5 days, with campers staying overnight for 4 nights.

2. Special Interest 4-H Camps-programming events focusing mainly on a specific project or theme area. There is a large variety of special interest 4-H camps available. Different age group requirements are offered for these camps.

3. Day 4-H Camps-programming events in which campers participate in learning activities throughout the day, but do not stay overnight.

4. Cloverbud 4-H Camps-programming events for youth 5-8 years of age. Youth must meet the minimum age of 5 between October 1 and September 30 of the following year, and must not be older than the maximum age.

Most 4-H camping programs in Virginia are conducted at the six 4-H educational centers located throughout the state. [link to Virginia's 4-H Educational Centers] Each 4-H camp is an independent educational event.

4-H camp is open to any boy or girl in Virginia. Youth do not have to be 4-H members to attend 4-H camps; however, they will be given the opportunity to join. For residential Junior 4-H camps at the 4-H educational center in your geographic area, youth must reach their 9th birthday between October 1 and September 30 of the following year and they must not have reached their 14th birthday.

Opportunities are also available for teens, 14-18 years of age, to be trained and gain experience as 4-H camp counselors. Additionally, there are other opportunities for special interest 4-H camps that may include different age groups.

Adults have opportunities to volunteer their services as camp staff for a week of 4-H camp through the local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. Each volunteer is carefully screened and provided training before being able to serve as a volunteer at 4-H camp.

Who to Contact

In order to have your child(ren) attend residential 4-H camps at the 4-H educational center in your service area, or any other 4-H camping experience, contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office for specific details on registration, costs, and deadlines.

What Goes on at 4-H Camp?

Each camp provides a large variety of fun and exciting activities and events that you don't normally get at home. Such things as canoeing, swimming, archery, shooting education, recreation, and many, many other great things to do. Every boy and girl gets to meet and make new friends, as well as being with old ones. Youth explore new interests and new approaches to old interests; learn to make their own decisions, and develop and practice leadership skills.

Each residential camp provides nice sleeping arrangements for campers, three great meals each day, and an opportunity to live-away-from-home for a week. There are campfire programs, opportunities to explore nature, a chance to learn how to go through a ropes course, and learn things you did not know how to do before. Each day provides a different variety of fun, exciting, and challenging activities just for you. You will have the opportunity to create memories for a lifetime!!!

How About YOUR Child???

Why not call your Extension 4-H agent NOW to find out how YOUR child can be a part of the 4-H camping experience. Find your county or city in which you live and find the 4-H agent's phone number on the web site, and ask to speak to the 4-H agent or the secretary. We hope to see YOUR child in 4-H camp

Visit one of our 4-H Educational Centers...

Airfield 4-H Educational Center, Wakefield, VA

Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center, Abingdon, VA

Northern Virginia 4-H Educational Center, Front Royal, VA

Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, Appomattox, VA

Jamestown 4-H Educational Center, Williamsburg, VA

Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Educational Center, Wirtz, VA

A Brief History of the Virginia 4-H Educational Centers