4-H Summer Camp Volunteers:
Adult Camp Chaperone Interest Form
Summer camps have been shown to have many positive outcomes for the youth who attend them. An impact study put out by the American Camp Association has shown that youth who have a high quality camp experience have “higher levels of affinity for nature, willingness to try new things, social awareness, independence, and grit.” Although the camp is run by the youth counselors, a high quality camp experience needs Adult Chaperones.
For the safety of the youth, all overnight 4-H programs must have at least one adult for every 10 youth. The Dunn/Eau Claire/Clark county will be holding their 4-H summer camp on June 6-9, and is currently looking for adults to help fulfill that ratio. Last year’s camp had over 80 participants. The 4-H Educators are expecting even more participants this year. This means they will need about ten adult volunteers who are willing to spend a week in nature.
Involving adults in a 4-H program isn’t just for safety, it also has great benefits for the youth. One of the tenets of 4-H is creating positive youth-adult relationships. Every youth needs someone they can look up to. Volunteering for 4-H is a great opportunity for adults to become positive role models. This is a simple, yet rewarding way to give back to the 4-H program.
In addition to helping youth have a high quality camp experience and being a positive role model, the best reason to become an adult camp chaperone is that it is easy. The camp is run by the Camp Director, and the activities are run by the youth counselors. An adult chaperone may be asked to help with simple tasks such as supply prep or activity cleanup. On a rare occasion, a chaperone may need to step in because a counselor requests help or there is an emergency, but for most of the time, the chaperones are there as back up and support.
Being a part of camp is just as rewarding for the adults as it is for the youth. If you are interested in getting more information about becoming a camp chaperone for the Dunn/Eau Claire/Clark County summer camp, follow the link below to fill out the interest form, and a 4-H educator will get in touch with you.
