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Cape May Court House – Seven teens enrolled in the Rutgers 4-H Summer Teen Leadership Program graduated on August 16, 2024 after completing the 8-week program at New Jersey Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May. 4-H teens have been mentoring campers and learning leadership skills at the nature center for nearly 30 years in this unique educational internship program.
This year, both local teens and summer residents ranging from seventh through 11th grades completed the program. They are Kailin Back, Cameron Black, Desteny Galan, Donovan Napoli, Chloe Oechsle, Hannah Oechsle, and Mick Weldon.
This learning experience comes with a variety of service, teaching, and social activities. Each week New Jersey Audubon teacher-naturalists provided teens with mentoring in environmental science, teaching skills and successful work habits while Rutgers 4-H educators led teens in youth-driven community service projects and leadership development activities. Each week, the teens also took part in an intense leadership training session with 4-H Program Coordinator Linda Horner and Emily Mawhinney, Teen Leader Naturalist Program Coordinator.
Additionally, as befitting any 4-H group, the teen leaders complete a community service project. This summer, the group’s project was The Importance of Pollinators. The teens created a display, complete with models of pollinators, and brought the display to the 2024 4-H Fair where they provided information and answered questions about the pollinators.
Horner said, “For nearly 30 years this partnership has taught leadership skills to hundreds of teens who participated in this very worthwhile program. However, due to restructuring of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County personnel, the teen leadership program will be revamped at both 4-H and the nature center. We are grateful for our partnership with the Nature Center of Cape May that enabled our teens to mentor thousands of campers through the years.”
According to Retired Cape May County 4-H Agent Betty Jean Webersinn, who created the original program with the nature center, the program came out of a need the center had for programing for their summer day camps. First, a Junior Naturalist Program was created which developed into the Rutgers Teen Leadership Program that has flourished for so many years. “This project was very important at the time because Rutgers Cooperative Extension was looking to develop partnerships in the community and the nature center was looking for assistance with programing for their camp. It was a win for both entities and a partnership that greatly benefited the community and the thousands of campers and teen leaders who have participated in the program ever since,” said Webersinn.
“As times change, so do the needs of the community. I am certain Cape May County 4-H will develop new partnerships that will address the current needs of the County’s youth as we move forward,” added Webersinn.
For information about the 4-H Youth Development program in Cape May County, visit our website capemay.njaes.rutgers.edu, call (609) 465-5115, ext. 3605 or email linda.horner@co.cape-may.nj.us.
4-H Youth Development Program is part of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. 4-H educational programs are offered to all youth, grades K-13, on an age-appropriate basis, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
