Campers at the Virginia 4-H Shooting Education Camp receive intensive training from certified range coaches in shotgun, rifle, air rifle, air pistol, and archery. Such programs teach campers responsibility; develop character and self-concept; and promote safety, sportsmanship, and ethical behavior. Includes resources for developing a shooting…

Camp staff can remove prejudices from camp by acknowledging their own personal biases, understanding and accepting diversity, developing a deep understanding of existing differences, and internalizing changed beliefs. Camps should strive to be multicultural organizations that reflect the contributions and interests of diverse cultural and social…

Research suggests eight universal features that should be present in all youth development programs. Each feature is named and described, opposite poles are noted, and camp-specific actions to incorporate the feature are listed. A flow chart presents a series of questions to help camp administrators determine whether these features are present in…

Stresses the importance of camp staff understanding why campers misbehave. Offers recommendations for helping campers to learn responsible behavior, including setting clear expectations and consequences for camper behavior; teaching campers self-discipline and problem-solving strategies; asking campers thought-provoking questions; avoiding power…

Strategies for recruiting and retaining summer camp staff include promoting meaningful relationships among staff, communicating to staff the importance of their job, providing opportunities for challenge and growth, encouraging staff to have fun, making camp an affordable employment option, and giving staff a voice in camp operations and…