LUMBERTON — “We’ll have fun, fun, fun until…” and that is where I will split from the Beach Boys.
We are planning on having Summer Fun all summer long here in 4-H. We are excited that right now all our camps, day, mini, and overnight, will be in person and full of learning experiences. If you know a child between the ages of 5 and 18, we have a little something for all of them.
Here is a sneak peek.
For our Cloverbuds, ages 5 to 8, we have a weeklong day camp to get them back into the swing of school. Each day we will have a different theme, and our youth will be immersed in hands-on activities. This camp is scheduled for Aug. 15-19.
For our 9–13-year-olds we have a plethora of activities. The first camp will be a single-day camp focusing on manners. Our 4-H Etiquette day camp is scheduled for June 22 and is open to our 9- to 18-year-olds. Youth will have the opportunity to learn about in-person and online manners in a fun environment. This hands-on opportunity will include a very special lunch, identify rude behaviors, and youth will get to go home with a book to help guide them through life’s sticky social situations.
The week of June 27 to July 1 we will be cooking up some fun as part of our Junior Chef day camp. The menu will include youth learning how to cook international favorites, creating value-added products, and food prep like never before. We also will take field trips to learn more about the career opportunities in this growing field. If you have a child who loves food, this is a yummy opportunity.
Learning about food can also mean learning how to grow your own good eats. Youth who attend our 4-H Junior Master Gardener day camp the week of July 11-15 will have the opportunity to become certified nationally as Junior Master Gardeners. They will get to play in the soil, play detective, and eat things they grow. We will have two daylong field trips with this camp.
Let’s not forget our citizen scientists because we make science fun. Aug. 1-5 we will have our traditional 4-H Biotech day camp. This is a hands-on camp for youth who like to ask questions and explore. Each day, we travel to the experts so youth can accidentally learn about all sorts of fun topics.
If you are looking for a more traditional form of camping, please join us for our weeklong overnight camp at Betsy-Jeff Penn. This will take place July 24-29 and is for our 9- to 14-year-olds. Youth will have the opportunity to take part in activities such as archery, rock wall climbing, and swimming.
For our 14- to 18-year-olds we have two fun events. Citizenship Focus will take place June 14-16 in Raleigh. Youth from across the state come together to learn about civic engagement, youth advocacy, and how to make a difference in their communities. Congress also will take place in Raleigh on the NC State University campus July 16-19. This leadership event includes state presentations, workshops, and community service projects.
It is a summer packed with 4-H Fun. To learn more about our programs or to register, you can go to our website at robeson.ces.ncsu.edu, our blog at robeson4-h.blogspot.com, or download our free 4-H app (4-H Now! in your app store – choose Robeson County 4-H) and go to programs to register for Summer Fun.
Shea Ann DeJarnette is the 4-H Youth Development agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center. She can be reached by calling 910-671-3276 or by email at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu.
