Virginia Cooperative Extension Carroll County Internship : Head, Heart, Hands, Health: Week Four

This week I had my very first 4-H experience by spending the entire week at Carroll County 4-H camp. We arrived at the Southwest Virginia4-H Educational Center Monday morning along with over 100 excited campers ready to have fun. All the camp staff and teen leaders were so energetic and got the kids pumped up for all the fun activities they would get to participate in.

There were four color groups of campers, and each group could receive clover points for good behavior, spirit, acts of kindness, etc. At the end of the week, the group with the most clover points got to pie their teen leaders in the face.

Each night there was a special time of reflection and a campfire, where the campers sang songs, watched skits, and got presented with the spirit stick and friendship stick. This is one of everyone’s favorite parts of camp.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday the campers went to their classes. Classes included swimming, exploding science, high ropes, low ropes, exploring nature, animal care, fishing, performing arts, and others. I taught a class on electricity. The students in my electricity class learned about simple and parallel circuits, and could make one of each. We also made lamps from pop cans. They turned out so cute! The kids loved it, and got to take their lamps home with them on the last day. Steve talked to the kids about electrical safety and where electricity comes from. One night I was talking to one of my students and he said the class was “awesome,” which made all of it worth it for me.

Attending camp gave me a new appreciation for 4-H and all that it does for kids. I learned about the 4-Hs: Head, Heart, Hands, Health, and how they are the values that members work on during all of their activities and programs. I was able to see the kids experience each of these while they were at camp. Everything done at camp is for the kids, and I love seeing how hard all of the adults, volunteers, camp staff, and teen leaders work together to ensure that the campers get the best possible experience while they are there.

I also learned a bunch of fun songs! At 4-H camp there is a song or chant for just about everything, whether it be for saying grace, sitting down, or just to have fun and laugh. I talked with a lot of campers and teens that have been coming to camp for years. I loved hearing all of their stories. I had such a great time hanging out with the kids and making new friends. Now I finally understand what all of the hype was about!