Benton County 4-H youth attended training recently held at First Presbyterian Church in Foley. The counselor training was for counselors in grades 7-12 who are planning to assist with exciting events scheduled for this summer. 

This year marked the first time that training was conducted for all grades together. Given the consistently high attendance at the 4-H Day camps, it is crucial to have 15-20 camp counselors at each event, in addition to the staff. In the past, seventh and eighth graders received hands-on training while the day camps were occurring, but this year, the decision was made to integrate them with the older camp counselors.

The counselors began the day with an overview of what it means to be a counselor and shared their motivations for wanting to take on that role. They kicked off the training with competitive icebreakers and even a group math challenge. They discussed the importance of communication and acknowledged how challenging it can be to maintain a conversation while getting to know someone. 

Next, the counselors broke into groups to discuss the ages and developmental stages of children before reconvening to share their findings with the larger group. After learning about the uniqueness of different age groups and their experiences, they explored the best ways to engage each age group, focusing on how to build relationships and get to know them better.

The All-Camp Counselor Training featured special guests: the Green Superheroes of Science team. This group of teen science change agents, led by 4-H Extension Educators, Anne Stevenson and Amie Mondl, consists of 4-H teens from various counties who are working to transform our relationship with plastics. Their mission focuses on developing teens in grades 7-12 as science change agents who will lead younger children (grades K-2) in polymer science learning and exploring solutions for plastic use and pollution.

The Green Superheroes reviewed ages and developmental stages, discussed experiential learning and inquiry, and covered five essential learning skills. They led the camp counselors in four different experiment sessions: Bioplastics Moon Dough, Green Chemistry Foaming Fizzy Fun, Whoosh & Engineer a Water Soaker, and Green Cleaner. 

Benton County 4-H Camp Counselors were excited to experience a sampling of the superheroes’ science experiments because they plan to teach similar lessons at their 4-H Superhero Day Camp, scheduled for Tuesday, July 17, at Foley Elementary School, and Wednesday, July 18, at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Sauk Rapids.

After the Green Superheroes concluded their presentation, the training moved on to the next segment. The large group split into two smaller groups: the Camp Benton Overnight Counselors for grades 9-12 and the Day Camp Counselors for 7th and 8th graders.

Meanwhile, the other Camp Benton Counselors began planning for the upcoming overnight camp, which will take place in Paynesville at Camp Koronis from July 7-11. The first half of the camp is for Grades 2-5, running from July 7-9, while the second camp is for Grades 5-8, from July 9-11. The counselors broke into committees and session groups to start brainstorming fun and exciting activities they are planning. The theme for Camp Benton is “4-H Flashback to the 80s,” featuring disco, air guitar, neon colors, and more.

Contact the Benton County Extension Office to learn more about 4-H Day Camps and Camp Benton Overnight at 320.968.5077.