Military Teen Adventure Camps Develop Leadership, Self-Confidence and Teamwork

In U.S. military deployments since 2001, more than 2.5 million soldiers have deployed overseas; 60% were married, 44% had children, and 25% had adolescents. Over 2 million children and half a million teens experienced overseas deployment of a parent. Children of soldiers are especially susceptible to emotional and psychological effects when parents spend time overseas. Using funding from departments of defense and agriculture, Purdue Extension coordinates Military Teen Adventure Camps (MTAC) for 13-18-year[1]olds of active duty, Guard, Reserve, and retired personnel. The high-energy, adventure, and experience camps were in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Eighteen overnight camps hosted 571 campers. Activities included archery, arts and crafts, birds of prey, campfires, canoeing, first aid, fishing, forest foraging, herpetology, ropes, hiking, horse training, horseback riding, kayaking, mountain biking, outdoor living skills, river rafting, rock climbing, shooting sports, paddleboarding, swimming, team challenges, tent camping, wilderness survival, and woodworking.

Campers shared:

• “I learned to take chances and never give up.”
• “It is important to live in the moment and make memories. By doing this, you will be able to carry those memories with you wherever you go.”
• “My favorite part of camp was getting to know many different people from different places, becoming friends with many of the different campers, and them actually talking to me because no one knew each other.”
• “This camp gave me a chance to connect with my dad, who often has busy and long workdays. This camp is helping me deal with the fact that he is about to go back to long workdays.”

Camper parents or volunteers stated:

• “I have volunteered at a lot of camps, and this is the most organized. The kids seem to have a lot of choice and fun.”
• “Thank you so much for organizing an amazing camp for the youth.”
• “This camp is phenomenal. The team leads ensure everyone feels included, everyone is actively engaged. The pace of activities is just right. Not rushed, but a lot of things packed into each day. Food and drinks are plentiful and good. Teamwork mindset is on full display.”
• “We are all incredibly grateful to you and everyone else for making camp such a wonderful experience.”

Purdue Extension coordinated 18 Military Teen Adventure Camps for 571 teens in U.S. military families to develop leadership, self-confidence, and teamwork skills while engaging with the outdoors.