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Ravalli County

4-H Camp Counseling Leadership Development Program

Published: 2019
By Katelyn Andersen
Through the Camp Counseling, a long-standing teen leadership development program, teens indicated the development of valuable life skills. Each summer the Ravalli County 4-H Camp is offered to youth to spend a week at an outdoor camp. The effectiveness of the camp is dependent upon the preparedness of the planners and facilitators of the event. Interested teen leaders apply and interview for the position to serve the campers, youth ages 8-12, and create a camp that is age appropriate with educational workshops, activities and situations that enhance positive youth development. One previous camp counselor expressed, “Counselor training has taught me the importance of rules and safety at camp. As a camper it’s difficult to grasp how important safety is at camp and it is easy to break rules. At trainings, I realized how critical it is for us to make sure that campers are having fun in a safe environment because parents are trusting us with their kids for four days.” Teen leaders who participate in the camp planning and training meetings prepare for camp through the collaboration of adult leaders, youth directors and a team of teen leaders to plan, implement and evaluate the summer 4-H camp. Teen counselors develop marketable life skills for future leadership positions, such as team building, group leadership, effective communication, conflict resolution and event planning.