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“I'm a Manning Leader” - 4-H Leadership Day Camp
| Name | Georganne M. Kirven | | Situation | Research shows that the development of leadership skills can help youth become productive, contributing, and competent members of society. | | Response | The Clarendon County Clemson Extension Service collaborated with a planning committee consisting of local volunteers and agency representatives to establish a week-long 4-H day camp for young adults. The camp gave each participant a chance to realize “I’m a Manning Leader.” The camp was for students entering high school, those just graduating and all classes in between. The city of Manning funded the program which was designed to develop each individual’s leadership skills. The week started out with building teamwork on a “ropes course.” Then, the students were led through personality profiling and career exploration. The second day focused on federal, municipal and county government. The campers heard a presentation from a local individual who had experience working at the White house. This was followed by a trip to the county courthouse, where they heard from the clerk to county council, the assessor, the auditor, the county attorney and the tax collector. Each explained his or her job and educational background. A trip to Columbia was one of the week’s highlights. The students toured the State House and had a behind the scenes tour of the Riverbanks Zoo. During the zoo tour, they learned about career opportunities related to zoos. Personal health and financial fitness were the focus of another day. The students toured the Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the Department of Social Services. Later, they participated in a yoga class at a health facility. Following that, they learned about the banking industry and how to manage money. The local bank’s Vice President and Human Resource Office showed the campers around the bank and taught them about budgeting. His comment was “this program is very good because it’s important for youth to understand how to be a leader and have a good idea of what is going on in their communities.” We taught them about borrowing money and keeping a good credit rating. We also taught basic banking terms and how to develop a relationship with a bank. They learned about budgeting and how not to “live beyond their means” The week concluded with the campers concurrently conducting various service learning projects. Projects included: developing a brochure for the county library and the Council on Aging, holding a car wash to raise money for Meals on Wheels and serving lunch to senior citizens at the Council on Aging. After the service learning projects were completed, a graduation ceremony was held. Parents, friends and host agency representatives attended.
| | Impact | The impact of the camp is best expressed by campers who were quoted in a front page article of the Manning Times newspaper. A fourteen-year-old rising freshman said “I’ve learned that it takes a lot of leadership and a lot of people to run things. Take the bank, you think one person runs it, but there are a lot of people who run it.” Another camper was quoted as saying, “I want to do what the Assistant Solicitor does. I want to put people in jail. I’m planning on coming back to camp again next year.” The efforts of the Extension Service and the planning committee were rewarded when upon graduation, the campers decided to form the “Step N Stones 4-H Leadership Club.” The club devotes it time to citizenship activities. Some activities have included assisting with the County Arbor Day celebration and raising funds and supplies for a local children’s home. The youth have also taken advantage of 4-H activities such as participating in the regional fair, attending 4-H Congress and the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens” workshop.
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Last update2/29/2008
This website is maintained by Russell Duncan.
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