LaSalle Parish 4-H members in fourth through sixth grades dove into summer fun at 4-H Camp Grant Walker from May 30 to June 2. Each day of camp was filled with something new and different to excite, engage and encourage personal growth.

Youth participated in the educational track of their choice. Fun hands-on educational tracks available included: Food and Fitness, Science Engineering and Technology, Outdoor Adventures, Water Safety, Hunter Safety and Explore Louisiana: Wetlands, Wildlife and YOU. Afternoon recreation activities included canoeing and kayaking, archery, line dance lessons, arts & crafts, swimming pool and more.

Camp not only provided an avenue to learn and have new experiences but also serves to develop a youth’s sense of independence and responsibility.

“For several of our campers it was their first time away from home,” Silas Cecil, Extension Agent for LaSalle, said. “In our cabin, youth learned to make their bed, pick up after their self, use a broom, follow the daily schedule and plan accordingly and even more importantly how to work together with everyone else in the cabin which enhances their social skills.”

4-H Camp strives to develop a variety of life skills related to Head, Heart, Hands and Health. One of the most important skills children learn from camp is self-sufficiency. That is, they learn how to survive four days and three nights on their own in a safe and structured setting.

For more information on 4-H and other youth development programs, contact the local Cooperative Extension Service at (318) 992-2205. It is the policy of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age or disability.