Summer day camps are an important part of 4-H, not only because we are able to reach youth that might not otherwise be able to benefit from 4-H programs, but also because of the depth of content we are able to provide. Safety and self-awareness are a particularly vital component of what we are able to share with youth. Teaching outdoor survival skills, first aid, and search and rescue techniques help youth to have the tools they need if they should encounter a circumstance in which they are lost or stranded as well as to understand the procedures that are going into finding them.

This summer 4-H partnered with KlaasKIDS Search Center for Missing & Trafficked Children as well as the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department to educate youth in skills such as clue awareness, grid search skills, first aid, compass, and self-awareness techniques such as those promoted by the “Get Loud” campaign. Youth spent 6 hours engaging with experts in these fields and were able to “learn by doing” in a mock search and rescue simulation in which they were called in by the Sheriff’s Department to a local command center, were briefed on the situation of the missing person, gathered clues, and were able to find the subject.

This day camp, like other 4-H programs, engaged youth in hands on learning that is both fun and practical. You can read more about what 4-H has to offer at the 4-H Youth Development link on this page.

Read more from the Pensacola News Journal, or watch the YouTube video from the day, produced by KlaasKIDS.

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