Our Mission

The Iowa 4–H Center promotes life skill development by providing outdoor learning experiences for people of all ages that strengthen their sense of belonging, independence, generosity, and mastery.

What We Believe

Iowa 4–H is a youth development program with a century of experience fostering positive life skills in Iowa youth. At the Iowa 4–H Center every camper has the opportunity to participate in experiences that strengthen their sense of belonging, independence, generosity, and mastery. Iowa 4–H follows the principals of experiential learning, and draws on the knowledge base of Iowa State University and other institutions of higher education in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture.

Developmental needs of youth that the 4–H program addresses:
 

  • Belonging - Youth need to know they are cared about by others and feel a sense of connection to others in group settings. 4–H gives youth the opportunity to feel physically and emotionally safe while actively participating in a group.
  • Independence - Youth need to know that they are able to influence people and events through decision-making and action. By exercising independence through 4–H leadership opportunities, youth mature in self-discipline and responsibility and learn to better understand themselves.
  • Generosity - Youth need to feel their lives have meaning and purpose. By exploring 4–H community service and citizenship activities, youth can connect to communities and learn to give back to others.
  • Mastery - Youth need to feel and believe they are capable, and experience success at solving problems and meeting challenges to develop their self-confidence. Through the exploration of ideas and activities related to their interests, youth learn skills and participate in experiences that help them make positive life choices for their future.

The Iowa 4–H Center is ACA Accredited!

What that means to you: ACA accreditation is the best evidence parents have of a camp's commitment to a safe and nurturing environment for their children. Accreditation assures parents that camp practices have been measured against national standards and go a step beyond a state's basic licensing requirements. Because accreditation is voluntary, parents know the camp is committed to best practices. Currently, only 25-30 percent of an estimated 8,500 day and resident camps seek accreditation. Accreditation is an educational process-providing training, guidelines, programs, and publications for camp directors and staff. ACA standards are recognized by courts of law and government regulators as THE standards of the camp industry. The ACA accreditation program has a 50-year history and is continually evaluated and updated to reflect current best practice in camps. ACA collaborates with experts from many fields such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth-serving agencies to be sure required practices are current and sound. ACA standards are revised based on research in the public, legal, youth development, and camp arenas. No environment is risk free. However, ACA camps voluntarily go through a rigorous risk management process to prevent illness or injury to campers-and to have solid crisis plans if an emergency does occur. Camp provides a supervised, positive environment with controlled boundaries to help children grow. At least once every three years, an outside team of trained professionals observe the camp in session to verify compliance with over 300 standards. Accreditation standards cover all aspects of camp operation:

  • Site/Food Service : Fire protection, maintenance, sleeping areas, bathing/toilet facilities, food service areas and practice.
  • Transportation : Driver and vehicle requirements, traffic control, and transportation safety.
  • Health Care : Staff and facility requirements, medication management, required health information, and record keeping.
  • Management : Safety and security regulations, staff emergency training, crisis communications, insurance, and planning.
  • Staffing : Staff qualifications, training, ratios, supervision, and behavior management guidelines.
  • Program : Goals for camper development, orientation and safety policies for general and specialized programs, including aquatics, challenge courses, trips, and horseback riding.