4-H Camp in a Box

Story in Brief

Due to the pandemic, Georgia 4-H decided to cancel summer 2020 residential summer camp experience. Morgan County 4-H was scheduled to attend Cloverleaf Camp at Rock Eagle 4-H Center the last week of June. The Morgan County 4-H staff enlisted the help of middle and high school 4-H members to plan and organize an exciting program called “Camp in a Box.” Fundraising events raised $1,394 to fund the “Camp in a Box” virtual camp for Morgan County youth. Eighty-six youth registered and participated in the camp. The “camp” included an interactive fun-filled week while taking a virtual trip to all five 4-H centers. Each box was packed with over 20 activities youth could complete at home. The activities ranged from instructions for preparing camp snacks, such as trail mix and S’mores, to outdoor adventures like leaf rubbings, birding scavenger hunt, hopscotch, and arts and crafts to STEM activities such as making balloon rockets and Oobleck -- a non-Newtonian fluid. Additional activities were completed during live Zoom sessions led by Morgan County 4-H teen leaders serving as virtual summer camp counselors, allowing older students to accept leadership responsibilities to conduct the camp program. Activities were designed to highlight the areas of S.T.E.A.M, (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) with a focus on agriculture, food, and critical thinking. In addition to Extension staff and camp counselors, participants enjoyed special presentations like classes campers would have attended if they had been able to travel to one of the 4-H centers. These presentations were delivered by guest appearances during the Zoom sessions, including traveling virtually to Rock Eagle 4-H Center, where Rock Eagle camp counselors presented a virtual nature hike and trip to the effigy; traveling virtually to Tybee Island, where a Burton 4-H Center camp counselor presented a program on marsh ecology; traveling virtually to Camp Wahsega in Dahlonega and a virtual herpetology class with snakes and a bearded dragon; traveling virtually back to the beach, this time Jekyll Island, where a camp counselor taught a class called Crabs and Critters, which shared interesting facts on marine life. The final virtual destination for the week was to Fortson 4-H Center, where local producers offered the students a tour of their farm. Wrote one parent, “This program kept my children engaged and having fun for hours. Thank You!”

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• 4-H Camp goes Virtual