Kansas 4-H prepares to bring back summer camp
Spots now open; officials urge youth to contact local extension office
March 30, 2021
MANHATTAN, Kan. – This summer, hundreds of Kansas 4-H members will disconnect from technology and immerse themselves in the beauty of the great outdoors.
Ah, it’s a great feeling to know that 4-H camp is back.
Amy Sollock, a 4-H youth development specialist in the southwest region, announced recently that the Rock Springs 4-H Center is making preparations to host youth again this summer. She said the ranch, located south of Junction City, has been hosting camp for 75 years, not including last year when the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled all activities.
“We’ve been at this a long time,” Sollock said. “Summer camp is a cornerstone experience for 4-Hers across the state. Generations back, people talk about the wonderful time they’ve had at Rock Springs Ranch.”
Listen to an interview by Jeff Wichman with Amy Sollock on the March 29 4-H segment that aired on Agriculture Today
Several summer camps are currently scheduled from June 6 through June 30, including the popular Kansas 4-H Campference from June 27-30.
Youth interested in participating in summer camp at Rock Springs are urged to contact their local K-State Research and Extension office as soon as possible, since space is limited. Some scholarships may be available to help with the cost to attend camp.
Sollock said it’s a worthwhile experience: “You meet kids you would otherwise never meet. You get to interact with them in the outdoors and experience a lot of things for the first time – whether it’s canoeing, horseback riding, fishing… there are a number of things available for kids to experience.”
Camping opportunities are available for youth as young as the second grade, on up through high school. Many of the older youth may serve as counselors or other leadership positions.
“Our youth often do the work themselves at camp,” Sollock said. “They may help in cleaning up cabins, working on dish crews or kitchen duties and taking care of their stuff. They gain so much independence, even something so simple as choosing what they’re going to wear on a given day at camp.”
As camp counselors, “high school youth are trained to help the (younger) kids to make sure it’s a safe and successful experience.”
Plus, she adds, it’s a great foundation toward college and a career.
“High school youth have a tremendous opportunity to develop their leadership skills and put those into practice while they’re at camp,” Sollock said. “it becomes one of these really deep and meaningful, high impact experiences that our teens talk about for years after they attend camp. Employers, college professors, pick up on those experiences as they see and work with those kids; they know they have got this different, really high set of leadership abilities compared to kids that haven’t had that experience.”
More information about the Kansas 4-H program is available online.
