College of Agriculture

4-H Camp Volunteer Training

Training Units

• Table of Contents
• Orientation Outline
• Unit 1, Why We Do What We Do
• Unit 2, 4-H Camp Leadership Team
• Unit 3, The Cabin Leadership Team
• Unit 4, The Basics of Working with Campers
• Unit 5, Keeping Yourself and Campers Safe
• Unit 6, Dealing with Common Camp Problems
• Unit 7, Camper Discipline
• Unit 8, Emergency Policies
• Unit 9, Survival Tips
• Volunteer Training Confirmation Form
• Instructions for Volunteer Training Confirmation Form (Word)

Quizzes

This section will provide you with resources to assist in the training of both teen and adult volunteers for summer residential camp. According to the American Camping Association standard HW-11, our volunteer leaders, considered short-term staff for camp, should include 24 hours of pre-camp training. This training should include such items as camp policies and procedures; emergency procedures, health and safety of campers, camper supervision, prevention of child abuse, blood borne pathogens, proper planning for camp, and more. The 24 hours of training may also include previous camp experience with youth, other leadership training experiences and other youth program experience.

In addition to training programs planned by each county, self study modules, developed by Madonna Weese and Kelly Woods, 4-H agents, may be used to supplement the pre-camp training. Also available are quizzes developed by Torey Earle, 4-H agent, that can be used at the end of each of the nine self-study modules.

At the end of this section, you’ll find a ‘Volunteer Training Confirmation Form’ that should be completed and brought to camp with other required camp forms. This form will confirm that the required 24 hours of training has been completed and that the necessary background check has successfully been completed on adult volunteers.