Youth Adult Partnerships is one of the most important modules to help me with my camp planning next year. While this concept can be a difficult for some, I like to embrace the concept of working with youth as resources for a partnership. Research shows the benefits of youth adult partnerships: It’s good for youth, adults, organizations and communities (2004). By allowing the camp counselors to help plan camp activities it will allow them to feel valued, respected, productive and of equal value to the campers and the director. My ultimate goal for camp is for all youth, campers and counselors alike, to have fun. By working with the counselors, this gives them a voice in the direction they want to see camp go. It is my belief that if I …show more content…
At camp this year we embraced our camp nurses, camp cook and those who came to perform hands on activities with the campers am valued volunteers. All of these volunteers are essential for camp. The great part about our volunteers is that the camp nurses and camp cook are 4-H parents. By looking into the assets and engaging our 4-H families as volunteers, we were able to have support for our organization while working as a team. Looking at our 4-H volunteers as camp resources is important to show that we see their strengths and trust them to do a good job while at …show more content…
However, it is a very important factor in any kind of youth development programming such as a summer camp. This is an important part of camp that I do not think we explained to our counselors as well as we should have. They know the rules of not allowing the campers to run down the hill, wearing appropriate shoes when the campers go hiking and properly supervising the campers when they are fishing. But I think it would be beneficial to fill out a 4-H Event Risk Management Plan with them. They could quite possibly be the person who needs to call the fire department or police. The counselors need to know where the fire extinguishers are. The only cell phone service provider that is available at camp is Verizon Wireless. We have a landline phone located in the kitchen. I am not even sure if the new counselors know that. Last year we almost needed an evacuation plan due to flooding. All of these things are important for the counselors to know! I am appalled that the majority of these things were not addressed at the camp counselor training! On a better note, the counselors were training on CPR and basic first aid at their camp counselor training prior to camp. First aid kits in drawstring carry bags were dispersed among the counselors and cabins. All campers had health forms on hand with the camp nurse. And all the camper’s medications were secured in a locked box and dispersed by the camp