The Value of 4-H Summer Camp!

Jefferson County is fortunate to host one of the remaining eight 4-H residential youth camps remaining in New York State!  4-H Camp Wabasso is owned and operated by Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Jefferson County.  Celebrating 76 years of positive youth development experiences to approximately a thousand youth annually.  4-H Camp Wabasso is a 177-acre wonderland of wooded trails, Adirondack style cabins, and waterfront right on Millsite Lake for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and fishing!  Old and new activities are offered – hikes, wilderness survival, arts and crafts, wood working, tie-dye clothing, archery, high ropes, low ropes, GaGa ball and so much more.  Of course, no time at 4-H Camp Wabasso would be complete without s’mores over a campfire with songs and team building games.  One of the best parts is that there are camp opportunities fitting every family’s needs – Day Camp, two-night three days Overnight Camp and Week-long Overnight camp for ages 6 – 16.  Scholarship applications are available and due by March 31st.  And there are discounts for Military, currently enrolled 4-H members, and multi-week campers.  Alongside the scholarships are early bird registration that saves an additional $25 if completed by April 12th.

When it comes to providing children with life-changing experiences, there isn’t anything quite like 4-H summer camp.  Camp merges the full benefits of the 4-H experience into camping in the great outdoors.  National 4-H Council shares – the best gift we can give our kids is to empower them with skills that will last a lifetime, which is why parents have been sending their kids to 4-H summer camp for decades.  4-H is founded on the principle that when youth are empowered to pursue their passions – we call them “sparks”, and are allowed to plan their own courses, their skills grow and take shape, which help them to become leaders in their own way, shape their careers and contribute towards their communities. 4-H is grounded in research-based development and delivery model, which means at 4-H Camp Wabasso and other 4-H Camps, youth learn critical life skills like resilience and independence.  We want our children to bounce back from adversity, stress, challenges and even failures, teaching them resilience is key. Letting young people experience things outside their comfort zone in safe-supported environments will contribute to strengthening resilience, gaining independence and helping them to reach their long-term and even short-term life goals.

4-H Camp Wabasso’s 2025 camper survey results demonstrate we are building the life skills critical for success – 99% of campers enjoyed being at camp, 96% of campers made new friends at camp, 93% learned a new skill at camp, 97% felt adults at camp cared about them, 92% felt they belonged at camp and 86% felt they get to be a Leader at camp.  4-H Camp Wabasso is licensed by New York State Department of Health and holds the esteemed American Camping Association (ACA) accreditation.  To learn more, go to 4hcampwabasso.org or call (315)788-8450.