Youth who want to go to North Dakota State University Extension summer camp have a wide variety of topics from learning about trade careers to artificial insemination of livestock.
The camps that begin in May and run through September are held at an 80-acre site along the Missouri River near Washburn, North Dakota. The cost of the camps and the minimum and maximum ages required to be eligible for them vary, depending on the camp topic.
Campers do not have to be 4-H members or North Dakota residents, said Karla Meikle, NDSU Extension state 4-H activities coordinator. Some of the campers come from Minnesota and South Dakota, she noted.
The camp site also includes counselor cabins, an educational center and a large building for livestock and outdoors crafts activities. Camp staff include NDSU Extension staff and volunteers who teach the topics. NDSU Extension agents across the state suggest the camp topics, some of which can vary from year to year.
“Some of them change and some of them have been held for years,” Meikle said.
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The livestock and horse camp, which typically are held every summer, fill up quickly, she said.
The fish camp also is popular with youth. Campers, who bring their fishing poles and tackle boxes to camp, fish for northern pike and trout in the camp pond and at nearby lakes. They also learn how to identify fish species and clean the fish.
The camps are geared for both younger and older children. Children ages 5 to 9 can attend a “Cloverbud” camp, which is slightly more than 24 hours long. Parents or guardians stay with their children at the camp, which is designed to give the campers an overview of what they can expect when they attend camp. Activities include a trail walk and campfire.
Older campers stay at the Washburn camp from 4 p.m. Sunday until 11 a.m. Thursday. The camp site also includes counselor cabins, an educational center and a large building for livestock and outdoors crafts activities.
The early summer camps, which include horsemanship, chef and fish camp are full, but there still are openings for July and August camps, including trade, STEM explorer and adventure.
There also are openings available for a two-day livestock artificial insemination camp in September.
During the A.I. camp NDSU extension specialists will teach campers, ages 13-18, about the anatomy of beef, sheep and swine, proper handling of breeding tools and protocols for staying safe around livestock. There will be animals on hand so Extension livestock specialists can show the campers the livestock’s anatomy and hands-on activities on livestock models.
No matter the week’s topic, campers stay busy learning and doing activities during their stay, Meikle said.
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“We send them home tired,” she said.
For more information about the camp: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/extension-topics/4-h-youth-development/camps
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