4-H Mission Possible summer camp provides ‘inclusive’ experience for youth

BROWNWOOD — The Texas 4-H Conference Center, 5600 Farm-to-Market Road 3021, Brownwood, will again offer its Mission Possible “inclusive” summer camp for youth with and without disabilities from July 8-10.

“The camp is a statewide effort to engage young people with various medically diagnosed disabilities into the 4-H program,” said Dr. Darlene Locke, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 4-H and youth development specialist and conference center director. “Mission Possible is held simultaneously with a session of County Camp, providing an even greater diversity of participants. Mission Possible campers participate in the same activities as those in County Camp.”

She said the Mission Possible camp is open to youth ages 8-18 and offers participants a full gamut of activities, including shooting sports, archery, dance, arts and crafts, kayaking, dancing, swimming and environmental education.

Individual registration is $175 through June 14 and five percent higher thereafter. Registration covers all meals, lodging, refreshments, health care services, facility and programming fees and a Mission Possible T-shirt.

Registrations are accepted on a first come, first served basis until the camp is filled. First time applicants should contact the 4-H Center for an application, which will be reviewed to ensure the camper’s needs can be adequately met. To register, go to http://texas4hcenter.tamu.edu and choose “Mission Possible” under the 2013 Summer Camps tab. A camp brochure may also be found at the site.

Locke said 4-H members ages 14-18 serve as mentors and act as camping or teaching assistants to ensure disabled participants learn and are successful in camp endeavors. They arrive a day before camp for an in-service training, which addresses disability awareness and explains their role in assisting the campers, including help with transportation, hygiene and personal safety.

“The goal of Mission Possible is to create an inclusive environment and to also help break down the barriers of misunderstanding and fear that hinder full community involvement by those persons with disabilities,” she said. “And we are accredited by the American Camp Association, so families are assured of a quality program and facility that meets rigorous standards.”

From 2005-2012 the center has held eight Mission Possible camp sessions serving 155 campers, 136 of whom have had medically diagnosed disabilities, including autism, Down’s syndrome, pervasive development disorder, cerebral palsy, blindness, traumatic brain injury and attention deficit hyperactive disorder.

“Mission Possible is unique as a camp for youth with and without disabilities, but is also unique in the disabilities served,” said Dr. Chris Boleman, statewide 4-H and Youth Development Program director, College Station. “While at camp, the focus is on their ability and not their disability, and activities are adapted to meet the individual needs of the camper.”

Boleman said the goal of the camp is to help campers with life skills toward independence, enhance self-esteem, increase understanding and acceptance, improve social abilities, widen awareness of and participation in recreational activities, and enable youth to connect with others.

“The value of the camp goes beyond the engagement of youth with disabilities in that 4-H youth serving as mentors gain insight into the world of disabilities,” Locke noted. “Their knowledge and increased awareness allows them to be better informed and to serve as advocates within their own communities for the disabled.”

Mission Possible is funded by private donations and user fees assessed from the participants. Each year, the 4-H Center seeks additional sponsors to help reduce the burden on individual camper families and the 4-H members volunteering their services as mentors, said camp coordinators.

“This year we particularly want to thank C.C. Creations of College Station, which has been our T-shirt sponsor for seven years, as well as the generosity of Warren and Jeannie Seidel, Mrs. Helen Piehl and Nathan and Gena Halfmann for their support of Mission Possible,” Locke said.

For more information, call 325-784-5482 or email texas4-Hcenter@ag.tamu.edu.

Currently there are more than 55,000 4-H members in 2,000-plus clubs statewide, with more than 600,000 Texas youth participating in 4-H programs and activities annually.

-30-