Health Rocks Youth Camp 2020

Published: 2019
By Alice Burchak

Toole County MSU Extension and Alliance for Youth collaborated to implement a youth camp for sixth to eighth graders from at-risk and income-challenged families to provide an overnight camping experience for youth that includes an educational component focusing on helping youth build skills around healthy choices. This year the first Health Rocks camp was held in early August at the Daryl Fenner 4-H Camp in Ferndale. Eighteen youth from Toole County attended, including youth from the communities of Sunburst, Kevin and Shelby. For most attendees, this was their first opportunity to attend a multi-day, overnight camp away from home. The youth experienced sleeping in cabins, campfires, hiking, swimming, boating and field trips during camp. The goals of Health Rocks Camp were to: · Help youth build life skills that lead to healthy lifestyle choices with special emphasis on substance use prevention · Help youth understand influences and health consequences of tobacco, drug, and alcohol use · Build positive, enduring relationships with other youth and caring adults in a camp setting. According to pre- and post-evaluation results: • Before the program, four participants strongly agreed that they can avoid trouble by making good decisions, and after, this number rose to 12. • Before the program, six out of 17 participants said they did not know how to say no to peer pressure and after the program, 16 out of 17 participants said they knew how to say no to peer pressure. Youth developed caring relationships with each other and the adult chaperones who can have direct influence in their lives. Developing a relationship with a deputy sheriff and high school teacher will help guide these youth through their high school careers. Another benefit of the camp was that youth made friendships with others outside of their town and economic circles.