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4-H Camping

4-H Camping


For more than 80 years, Virginia 4-H camping has been a proven and effective method of teaching youth life skills. Each year more than 17,000 youth participate in 4-H camping programs at Virginia’s six 4-H educational centers.

Both residential and day 4-H camping programs have a rich history of providing educational programming to thousands of youth annually through hands-on, experiential learning. 4-H camping teaches youth to make their own decisions, solve problems, and manage their resources without the help of family. Through involvement in the 4-H camping program, youth gain a better appreciation of family members by learning how to become more responsible. Campers and parents of campers also learn to better appreciate each other.
 

Virginia’s 4-H camping program is recognized throughout the nation as a leader in 4-H camping programs. Each of the six Virginia 4-H Educational Centers has achieved and maintains American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation.

Parents and guardians should always look for the ACA seal when selecting a camp for their child to attend. Only about 25 percent of all camps in the nation are accredited by the ACA, the recognized camp accreditation organization in the United States. Having ACA accreditation means that the camp meets the highest standards for safety, food service and staffing, health care, and program quality.

Each 4-H Educational Center maintains these standards annually. Additionally, all 300 standards are reviewed every three years for reaccreditation. Each 4-H center program staff person, as well as the adult and teen 4-H volunteers who participate in camp, are carefully selected and trained prior to the camping event.

In Virginia, there are four basic types of 4-H camps:

  1. Residential 4-H camps: programming events in which campers stay overnight, generally from two to five days. Most of our 4-H camps last for five days, with campers staying overnight for four nights.
  2. Special interest 4-H camps: programming events focusing mainly on a specific project or theme area. There are a large variety of special interest 4-H camps available. Different age-group requirements are offered for these camps.
  3. Day 4-H camps: programming events in which campers participate in learning activities throughout the day, but do not stay overnight.
  4. Cloverbud 4-H camps: programming events for youth 5-8 years of age. Youth must meet the minimum age of 5 between October 1 and September 30 of the following year, and must not be older than the maximum age.

Most 4-H camping programs in Virginia are conducted at the six 4-H educational centers located throughout the state. Each 4-H camp is an independent educational event.

4-H camp is open to any youth in Virginia. Youth do not have to be 4-H members to attend 4-H camps; however, they will be given the opportunity to join. For residential Junior 4-H camps at the 4-H educational center in your geographic area, youth must turn 9 between October 1 and September 30 of the following year and they must not have reached 14 years of age.

Opportunities are also available for teens, 14 to 18 years of age, to be trained and gain experience as 4-H camp counselors. Additionally, there are other opportunities for special interest 4-H camps that may include different age groups.

Adults have opportunities to volunteer their services as camp staff for a week of 4-H camp through their local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. Each volunteer is carefully screened and provided with training before being able to serve as a volunteer at 4-H camp

Forms

Spanish-language forms

Northern Virginia
4-H Educational Center		 Southwest Virginia
4-H Educational Center

Center Director - Vacant

Katie Tennant, Program Director
tennantk@vt.edu

Jeannette Reynolds, Center Director
jeanetter@vt.edu

Abbie Moore, Program Director
abbigail20@vt.edu
Holiday Lake
4-H Educational Center		 Jamestown
4-H Educational Center

Heather Benninghove, Center Director
heathern@vt.edu

Levi Callahan, Program Director
levic93@vt.edu

Sue Williams, Center Director
wsue8@vt.edu

Adam Parker, Program Director
adamp19@vt.edu
W.E. Skelton
4-H Educational Center		 Airfield
4-H Educational Center

Nina Brooks, Center Director
ninabrooks@vt.edu

Rayna Wheeler, Program Director
rjlawson@vt.edu

Center Director - Vacant

Program Director - Vacant

Please contact Sam Fisher; safishe3@vt.edu

 

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Contact

State 4-H Office

Sandra "Sam" Fisher
safishe3@vt.edu

See Contact tab for educational center contacts.