Immersion in Wellness Camp Experience

Iowa 4-H Center offers ‘Immersion in Wellness’ camp experience 

During summer 2013 Iowa 4-H Center Resident camp and Counselors in Training campers have the opportunity to experience ‘Immersion in Wellness’.

 

 

Campers enrolled in either camp are encouraged to enroll in a research study conducted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.  Select weeks of Everything Camp and Counselors in Training (CIT) will engage in a variety of  wellness learning activities (nutrition, gardening, culinary science, physical activity, health-promoting environment –details outlined below), whereas the remaining weeks of camp will take part in the traditional camp experience.  

Immersion in Nutrition Education. Each day, campers will experience  a nutrition education station.  Example topics to be addressed include:

  • MyPlate
  • Hero Fat vs. Villain Fat
  • Portion Distortion 

 Immersion in Gardening. A  garden will be created at the Iowa 4-H Center and maintained by the campers with the assistance of the Boone county Master Gardener program. The Center garden will supplement food for the camp menus and provide the opportunity for campers to learn and experience firsthand where their food comes from. Campers will learn about:

  • Basic gardening skills
  • Garden maintenance
  • Harvesting

 

Immersion in Culinary Skills. To extend the garden experience, culinary skills will be incorporated into the campers’ daily schedule. Campers will not only assist with harvesting food from the garden, but with the preparation of these foods as part of the camp meals. Culinary experiences will include:

  •  Food safety principles
  •  Knife skills – dicing, chopping, slicing
  • Recipe adaptations/seasonal foods

 

Immersion in Physical Activity. The Iowa 4-H Center provides a number of structured and unstructured opportunities for physical activity. The daily resident camp schedule includes two and one-half hours each morning of structured camp program activities as well as one hour of free swim and two hours of unstructured camp activities (cabin choice) in the afternoon. Activities available include:

  • High ropes and zip line
  • GPS navigated hikes/scavenger hunts and obstacle challenge course
  • Archery
  • Canoeing and kayaking

NEW for the 2012 summer – an inverted climbing wall at the swimming pool!

 

 

Immersion in a Health Promoting Environment. Camp menus will be revised to incorporate more healthful options and provide opportunities for campers to fine-tune newly acquired culinary skills by assisting with the preparation of various meal items. The camp store will highlight and promote more healthful snack options for the campers.

How to Register

To be eligble for the research project campers must enroll in Resident Camp (ages 8-16)  or  Counselor-in-Training fieldwork (ages 16-17) for one of the following sessions:

Week 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9

 (weeks 1 & 2 are not included)

Campers enrolling in the study will have the opportunity to receive up to a $65 camper scholarship. To receive the camper scholarship the camper must:

  1. Complete surveys prior to attending camp;
  2. Attend and participate in camp activities;
  3. Complete surveys at the end of camp week; and
  4. Complete surveys six months after the camp experience.
Important Forms to Review

To enroll in the ‘Immersion in Wellness’ research project:

READ FIRST: Immersion in Wellness Cover Letter

 

Older youth (16+) :  Both youth and parent must sign and return the ‘Older Youth Assent Parent Consent’ form

 

Younger youth (8-15) – Parent must sign and return the ‘Older Youth Assent Parent Consent’ form & Youth must sign and return the ‘Younger Youth Assent’ form

 

Older Youth Assent Parent Consent Form

 

Younger Youth Assent Form

 

Pre-Camp Survey

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