by Melissa Henry, 4-H Extension Officer
Canoeing on the lake, laughing on the water slide, campfire and s’mores; these are just some of the great times had by kids attending 4-H Camp. If you’re looking for a way to get the kids involved in some fun activities this summer, maybe one of the 4-H Summer Camps is the answer for you. There are several camping options available to youth this summer.
Putnam County 4-H members attend camp at the Clyde York 4-H Center located in Crossville, TN. The camp offers many different educational and fun activities for your children. Facilities include Olympic sized swimming pool complete with diving boards and a water slide, air conditioned cabins, dining hall and recreation hall, and first aid center staffed with a full time nurse. Activity centers located at the camp include wildlife, rifle range, archery range, crafts, tie-dye, wood working and canoeing at the lake. 4-H members also participate in group leadership activities and project sessions relating to the summer camp theme. During the camp week, 4-H members are supervised by trained adults, teen leaders and camp staff as well as the Putnam County 4-H Agents.
We will be offering two different weeks of 4-H Camp this summer. Junior 4-H Camp for 4-H’ers in grades 4 – 6 will be held June 10-14, 2019. Sign-ups are currently underway for this camp. The cost to attend the week long camp is $300 and the price includes transportation to and from camp, lodging and meals. This year we are pleased to offer a payment option, with families making three monthly payments of $100 until May. Parents are welcome to attend camp with their children, leader forms and information can be picked up at the 4-H Office. After camp sign-ups are completed a full orientation for youth and parents will be held to answer questions regarding what to pack, meal menus, schedules and other important information.
Jr. High 4-H Camp for 4-H’ers in grades 6 – 8 will be held May 27-31. Sign-ups are currently being accepted for this camp at the 4-H Office until May 6. The cost for Jr. High Camp is $325 and transportation is on your own. Jr. High 4-H Camp focuses more on leadership skills through participation in group games and team building activities. This year’s theme is “Adventure Awaits” and will include classes on food, games, and also includes an offsite field trip.
Electric Camp is open to youth in grades 6 and 7 and is held on the UT Knoxville campus June 25-28. This camp focuses on electricity and energy sources, science and technology. Youth participate in building workshops and learning sessions. The cost is $290 and includes all class materials, transportation, and trip to Dollywood. The deadline to sign up for this camp is May 1.
Experience the Sweet Life is our 4-H culinary camp. This is open to youth in grades 6 – 8 and youth must submit an application to attend the camp. The application is available on our website at http://putnam.tennessee.edu and will be accepted until April 5. This camp will be held July 9-11 at Tennessee Tech University.
There are also an option for senior high youth. FCS Behind the Scenes is a career oriented camp for grades 9 – 12. This year’s camp will focus on cooking and culinary arts. This event will take place July 16-18 in Knoxville and Asheville, NC. Highlights include food photography, meet food bloggers, cooking lessons, and a tour of the Biltmore Estate. The cost is $300 and the deadline to register is April 20.
4-H Camps are open to all 4-H members in Putnam County regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion or disability. There are a limited number of partial camp scholarships available for each camp. For more information please call, the 4-H Office at 526-4561, or visit our website http://putnam.tennessee.edu and click on summer camps.