AMES, Iowa - As teenagers get older, they may struggle finding a summer camp that meets their interests. Some are ready for new challenges and activities. Others may be willing to take-on a role beyond the everyday camper. For these reasons, the Iowa 4-H Center is offering various summer camp options to high school aged campers that apply to their needs for independence and leadership.

New to the camping schedule this year is Create-A-Camp. Offered to youth ages 14-16, it is designed to give campers their own budget and allows them to create their daily schedule at camp. They will make their own menu, organize their own camp activities and plan field trips as a group.

“Many of our youth who have come in the past as younger campers are now in high school and are still looking for summer camp options. We’ve never had that before,” said Traci Haselhuhn, Iowa 4-H Center Program Specialist. “Create-A-Camp offers youth who have been here numerous times more independence.” The fourth week of camp, June 22-28, and the sixth week, July 6-12, are the two times this camp will be offered.

Also, multiple leadership options are available throughout the summer. For high school freshmen, Leader-In-Training (LIT) workshops are offered May 30-31 and June 5-6. During the training sessions, participants will learn about leading children in games and activities, serving as a supervisor, working on a team and day camp songs and traditions.

They will be able to apply the skills learned by choosing another week during the summer to come back and fulfill the fieldwork requirement. Fieldwork is one week long and involves helping out with day camp during the day for children age six to 10 and assisting other camp staff during the evening camp programs.

For high school sophomores and juniors, Counselor-In-Training (CIT) workshops are offered April 19-20, May 3-4 and June 6-7. Training will be similar to LIT except it will focus on campers who come on a weekly basis, not daily. One week of CIT fieldwork is selected and allows campers to serve as junior counselors in the cabins with a full-time counselor and youth ages eight to 13.

The cost to attend LIT or CIT is $30, which covers meals, a T-shirt, binders and other training materials. The cost of the fieldwork week is $130 for LIT and $100 for CIT, which covers the cost of food.

High school seniors also are invited to sign up at no charge for camp STARS (Service Team And Resource Support). STARS is an opportunity for recent high school graduates who may not be able to commit their entire summer to working at camp but would like to commit one week as a volunteer doing things such as working in the kitchen or on work-crew projects.

“STARS is a great option for students who are making the transition from high school to college,” Haselhuhn said. “They can still make the connection with camp but don’t have to be here the whole summer.”

Campers do not need to be 4-H members to attend camp. Registration forms and more details can be found at www.iowa4hcamp.com or by calling the camp office at (515) 795-3338.

In Iowa the 4-H program is administered by Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development and headquartered on the university campus in Ames.

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