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[background music]
From the outside looking in, Joint Reserve Teen Summit
looks like any other summer camp.
But from the inside, the camp is truly one of a kind.
Teen Summit brings together teenagers from across the U.S.
who share one common bond – they all come from military families.
More than 150 teens gathered in the north Georgia mountains
in July of 2011 for the first Teen Summit camp.
Held at Wahsega 4-H Center in Dahlonega, Ga., the camp was
hosted by Georgia 4-H and the Air Force Reserve Command
at Robins Air Force Base.
The students travelled to the camp from 41 states,
Puerto Rico, Guam and the *** Islands.
4-H has offered camps for military kids for seven years,
but this is the first camp designed to help
reserve-component teenagers build leadership skills.
Barring any state or national disasters,
National Guard and Reservists spend one weekend a month and
two training weeks each summer away from their families.
But, in recent years, that time away has grown.
More and more guard members and reservists are being called
into active duty.
When a military parent leaves, it impacts the entire family.
Teen Summit camp’s goal is to help military teens gain
confidence in themselves and their abilities and learn new ways
to connect with military teens.
Like most summer camps, the camp also includes activities
like hiking, rappelling, high-ropes challenges and white-water rafting.
Campers climb Wahsega’s rock wall, zoom down the camp’s zip line,
hone their archery skills and ride the flying squirrel.
Using the creek that runs through the camp,
Georgia 4-H counselors teach the campers stream ecology,
gold mining and fishing.
They also lead the students on nature hikes and
take them through a team-building ropes course.
The campers visit a nearby Army Ranger training facility
where soldiers lead them across a wire bridge hanging over
Georgia rapids and help them rappel down a 60-foot cliff.
The week of adventure closes with a white water rafting trip
on the Ocoee River.
In addition to the outdoor activities, the military teens attend workshops on
personality identification, healthy lifestyles,
proper etiquette and leadership.
And they learn about all the branches of military service --
Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard --
as well as their reserve and National Guard units.
Teen Summit camper Will Appl of Austin, Texas summed up his
experience by saying…"I expected the camp to be a lot like boot camp,
but it was a lot more laid back. I made a lot of new friends, and
I think this experience will make me a better person."
To learn more about Georgia 4-H’s military programs,
visit www.georgia4h.org.
This camp was made possible through the
Extension-Military High Adventure Camp Partnership.