4-H Summer Camp is one of the most important events that 4-H offers for youth.

Camping is one of the most valuable experiences a child can have. It’s a learning experience that helps boys and girls appreciate the outdoors, live together as a group, be self-sufficient, get along with others and appreciate people with different interests and background.

The camp was held at the LSU AgCenter’s Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center located near Pollock.

This camp was five days, starting on Monday/July 2, an afternoon when the boys and girls arrived, and ending on Friday morning/July 6. Three meals and snacks were served each day.

Campers (fourth to sixth graders) and teen counselors from St. John Parish attended and stayed in boy and girl cabins.

Campers had recreational time to play sports, games, team-building activities, creating handcrafted items, visiting with friends, shopping for souvenirs in the camp store, line dancing, archery, kayaking, canoeing, tubing and swimming. Evening programs were fun and filled with skits, talent shows, dances and special guests.

Campers also participated in one of seven educational tracks while at camp. The tracks our St. John 4-H’ers campers chose from are as follows:

• Water Safety, That’s What’s SUP! This track will teach you how to stay safe in the water, while having fun on the water with a stand-up paddle board.

• Food & Fitness: Through hands-on cooking activities, group fitness sessions and team challenges, you to learn about eating healthy, getting up and moving and setting healthy goals.

• Get ready, get SET – Science, Engineering & Technology Get ready, get SET … to have some fun with science, engineering and technology. The SET track will explore the exciting worlds of chemistry, computers, construction, digital photography, rockets and much more.

• Outdoor Adventures Participate in a large variety of hands-on activities like learning the proper techniques to shoot a bow; how to navigate through our pond in a kayak and canoe; woodsmen skills; and tree/wildlife identification.

• Explore Louisiana: Wetlands, Wildlife, and YOU! This track introduces campers to what wetlands are, what they do, and why Louisiana needs them so badly.

This track was action-packed with loads of games and activities about wetlands and the plants and animals that live there.

• The Artist Within: Hands-on activities in this track encourage your artistic expression, creativity and imagination to run wild. It’s amazing to see what you can do when you have the freedom to explore and to express yourself creatively.

• Hunter’s Safety Certification participants who were at least 10 years old and wished to become a certified hunter had the opportunity. Top shooters have a chance to return to camp to test their skills against other top marksmen statewide in archery and rifle.

Those from St. John in attendance included Sophie Milioto (Riverside), Janie Roccaforte (Riverside), Bailey Epperly (Riverside), Skylar Vicknair (Riverside), Cheyenne Ford (St. Peter), Kayleigh Belvin (St. Peter), Kaydence Hoover (St. Peter), Amina Blackman (West St. John Elementary), Makayla Rousseve (West St. John Elementary), Mya Rousseve (West St. John Elementary), Cobey Wahden (Riverside), Brad Wilson (John L. Ory), Zachary Denham (John L. Ory), Ronald Daivs (John L. Ory), Imari Cooper (St. Peter), Claire Gaines (Riverside), McKayla Noble (St. Peter), Da’Jontell Scott (West St. John Elementary) and Anaya Shepherd (West St. John Elementary) as campers.

St. John also had two junior Counselors in attendance from East St. John High: Coy Vedol and Isaiah Bell.

Brittney Ivey is the assistant extension agent for 4-H in St. John the Baptist Parish. For more information on getting involved in St. John 4-H, call 985-497-3261 or email bivey@agcenter.lsu.edu.