by Heather Kent | Dec 9, 2022
Our youth planning committee has been hard at work planning the 2023 Northwest Teen Retreat. This year’s theme is “Lights, Camera, Action!” and promises to be a fun-filled weekend of learning and friendship. The retreat will be held February 17-19 at 4-H Camp Timpoochee. Registration is open to all youth ages 12-18 in 4Honline. This event is planned for teens, by teens, and is designed to help youth develop and practice workforce-ready skills. Over the weekend, youth also have the opportunity to explore different 4-H project areas. Here’s a run-down of the agenda, and what to expect:
| Friday Night |
After check-in, enjoy some pizza, tour the camp, and participate in District games. This year youth will have the opportunity to try to beat the adults! |
| Saturday Morning |
After breakfast, youth will have the opportunity to participate in a service project, learn about 4-H awards and scholarships, and how to deal with different personalities. |
| Saturday Afternoon |
After lunch, youth will select a fun shop to learn more about a 4-H project area. This year, our teen planning committee selected the following:
1. Grilling- learn about fire safety, food safety, and how to win a scholarship in the 4-H Tailgating Contest
2. Sports Fishing- Camp Timpoochee is a great place for fishing. Learn some angler skills and how to participate in the 4-H Sports Fishing Tournament and Skill a thon.
3. Cake Decorating- If you love those baking shows, then you will love this session! Practice decorating a cake with icing like a pro.
4. Dance- Get your exercise will learning some fun new line dances, as well as a few favorites.
5. Forensic Science- This session is about forensic entomology. Work as a team to solve the murder of a Florida Black Bear- a mystery solved by science! |
| Saturday Evening |
After dinner, walk the Red Carpet Saturday and dance the night away. |
| Sunday Morning |
As soon as breakfast is over, pack up and head home. |
Thanks to generous sponsors, the registration fee is only $120 per youth and includes cabin accommodations, meals, workshop supplies, and a t-shirt. Your county 4-H program may be able to offer additional discounts or scholarships, so check with your local 4-H office before registering in 4Honline. Download this handy packing list to your phone.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your local UF IFAS Extension Office. Registration is open from December 16 through January 31st.
by pmdavis | Feb 2, 2022
Youth at teen retreat learning about financial literacy
The Northwest District 4-H Teen Retreat registration will close Feburary 7th. The actual event will be 25-27 @ Timpoochee 4-H Center. This weekend features leadership building and fun workshops for 12-18 years old youth.
Register NOW in 4honline for the NWD 4-H District Teen Retreat at 4-H Camp Timpoochee.
Friday’s Schedule
6:00-7:15 pm – Check-in & pizza
7:15pm – Welcome & District Intros
8:00 pm – Campfire
Saturday’s Schedule
8:30am – Breakfast
9:15am – Group Pic
9:30-11:30am – Workshop Sessions
12:00pm – Lunch
1:00-2:45pm – FUNshop Sessions
3:00pm – Rec Time – 4-Hers vs Agents Kickball & Nine-Square
5:00pm – Service Project
6:00pm – Dinner
7:00pm – District & State Events Reports
7:30pm – Dance, Games & Snacks
9:00pm – Music, Campfire & Smore’s
Sunday’s Schedule
7:00pm – Rise & Shine, pack-up
When I ask the youth that attended previously what they got out of the program? They said they learned how to interview for a job, how to write a resume, and find college scholarships. Another teen said, I met really nice people from other counties and how to decorate cakes. A third memeber said she learned how to start managing her money.
For more information contact your 4-H Agent. We can’t wait to see you at the 2022 NWD 4-H Teen Retreat!
by Niki Crawson | Feb 28, 2020
2020 4-H Northwest District Teen Retreat Participants
Seventy-four teens from the 4-H Northwest Florida District Teen Retreat took us down memory lane to the 60’s 70’s, and 80’s, on Feb 21-23, 2020, at 4-H Camp Timpoochee. This year’s theme was “4-H Through the Decades”. This leadership event was planned by senior 4-Hers from the Northwest Extension District for youth ages 13 and up.
L-R: Chairperson , Whitney Cherry from Calhoun County and 4-Her Sarah Crandall from Jefferson County giving instructions on opening night.
The Teen Retreat kicked off at Friday night check-in with lots of pizza for dinner. The program proceeded with the District Spirit Rally having lots of cheers where participants dressed in bell-bottom pants, tie-dyed shirts, John Lennon style sunglasses, peace sign necklaces, and fringe costume vests. Friday night ended with campfire and a movie.
Saturday morning opened with a group picture preceding two educational workshops, “Improv through Leadership” and “Living on My Own.” The Improv through Leadership workshop was more than just making stuff up as it inspired a creative way of advancing leadership skills. Through active listening, youth worked through given challenging situations, adapting quickly to new situations. The participants had many laughs and gained insight on using improv techniques to make them better leaders, team members, and productive citizens.
Teens from Jefferson County giving instructions in the “Living On My Own” workshop.
Living on My Own (LOMO) teens shared employment aspirations followed by being assigned a make-believe job, a take-home pay, and family size to balance the family’s budget. In theLiving on My Own Simulation, teens learned the basics of writing checks, paying bills, keeping track of spending, credit scores, and what really goes into being an adult. Through the simulation stations, teens chose a home to live in, transportation, paid for insurance, utilities, groceries, childcare, got a second job if necessary, opened a savings and retirement accounts, paid student loans, and packed in entertainment. At the end of the simulation, the teens shared what they learned and what surprised them. Many were surprised by the cost of food and childcare. It gave them a new appreciation of how much their parents do for them!
Cake Decorating was one of the many fun shops offered at the retreat.
The afternoon sessions highlighted fun shops: Play is Really Important, Line Dancing, Next Stop Job, Keep Your Cool, Cake Decorating, 4-H Olympics and a service project. The teens taught most workshops with adult supervision. This year’s service to communities’ project was friendship bracelets to share with special needs youth across the panhandle of Florida.
There is nothing like an entertaining game of kickball with teens versus adults. As always, the game was intense but lots of laughter ensued. Final score: Teens: 6 – Adults: 2.
District and state reports were given by district officers, followed by the dance, board games, and campfire with smores. On the final day, it was rise and shine as youth cleaned up the campground and completed the program evaluations.
Abigail Boyd, a first-time teen retreat participant, was asked what she enjoyed most about the teen retreat. She stated, “I enjoyed seeing old friends and making new ones over lunch conversations, nine square competitions, and goofy dance moves.”
Thank You Sponsors!
We were able to keep the cost to a minimum thanks to our awesome sponsors:
- Gulf Power
- Club 25
- Duke Energy
- Farm Credit of NW Florida
- Lynn Haven Garden Club
- Hancock Whitney Bank
- Career Source Gulf Coast
- Bay County Farm Bureau
- St. Joe Community Foundation
All sponsors are printed on the back of the t-shirts and each will receive a 36 X 48-inch banner signed by all the participants.
The Teen Retreat is an exceptional event because county faculty and paraprofessionals have developed a strong youth-adult partnership. This collaboration takes place as teens and adults from the 4-H Northwest District plan, learn, and work together, with both groups sharing in the decision-making process. The dynamic is very different than most programs because teens take leadership roles and the adults take supporting roles. The adults prepare the teens for the workshops they are going to lead. This youth-adult partnership builds on the strengths of adults to mentor the teens in leadership and achieve positive results, as evident by youth surveys each year.
The next 4-H Northwest Florida Teen Retreat will be held on February 26-28, 2021 at beautiful 4-H Camp Cherry Lake. For more information on 4-H programs, please contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office, or visit http://florida4h.
Special thanks to John Lilly, UF/IFAS Jefferson County Extension Director & 4-H Agent for providing this article and pictures.
by Whitney Cherry | Dec 20, 2019
The theme for Teen Retreat 2020 is “4-H Through the Decades”.
Online registration for 4-H teen retreat is now open at http://florida.4honline.com. If you’re an existing 4-H member, login as usual and register for this event. New 4-H’ers will need to create a family profile. You may contact your local extension office for help with this process.
Teen retreat is a weekend of fun and life skill building for youth ages 13-18 as of Sept 1, 2019. The retreat will be held February 21-23 at 4-H Camp Timpoochee and registration will be $90 per person through January 31st and $150 from February 1 to February 8. Registration includes lodging, meals, and an official teen retreat t-shirt. Please review the packing list for ideas of what to pack. We hope to fill camp with teens excited about teen retreat and making new friends as they learn and grow together!
For more information on teen retreat or other 4-H programs please contact your local County Extension Office.
by Whitney Cherry | Nov 21, 2019
The winning design by Evelyn, Madelyn, and Jayda.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a design for the Teen Retreat 2020 T-shirt Design Contest! With six designs to choose from, teens across the district met Tuesday, November 19th to vote on their favorite. This design by the Bay County delegation of Evelyn, Madelyn, and Jada rose to the top and the team will be awarded a $50 scholarship to teen retreat. We are very proud of all of our designers who submitted and can’t wait to see everyone at Teen Retreat 2020!
Our youth planning committee has been hard at work planning the 2023 Northwest Teen Retreat. This year’s theme is “Lights, Camera, Action!” and promises to be a fun-filled weekend of learning and friendship. The retreat will be held February 17-19 at 4-H Camp Timpoochee. Registration is open to all youth ages 12-18 in 4Honline. This event is planned for teens, by teens, and is designed to help youth develop and practice workforce-ready skills. Over the weekend, youth also have the opportunity to explore different 4-H project areas. Here’s a run-down of the agenda, and what to expect:
