MAKING HISTORY — The Hancock County 4-H Camp marked its busiest and most succecssful summer in history. Four camps were offered, featuring a total of 135 members from across the county taking part in the event. -- Contributed

WEIRTON — This summer marked the busiest and most successful season of 4-H camping in Hancock County history. A total of 135 members from across the county attended one of four camps being offered. Participants explored new skills, made lifelong friends and discovered the power of teamwork, creativity and learning through hands-on experiences.

The Hancock County 4-H Camp kicked off the summer with a week-long overnight camp that included 60 campers and 26 staff members. This year’s theme was entitled Ancient Greek Heroes.

The theme brought history to life for campers as they took part in themed games, activities and challenges, all inspired by mythology and figures of ancient Greece.

The Hancock County 4-H Cloverbud Camp welcomed 25 of its youngest members attending.

The children spent three days discovering and having fun under the heroes theme. Campers met real-life community heroes, learned about courage and perseverance and celebrated the hero inside each of them, according to organizers.

And for the first time in its history, Hancock County hosted a Weekend STEM Camp, welcoming 25 campers who explored the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.

From coding to strawberry DNA extraction, the weekend was filled with curiosity, problem-solving and hands-on experiments that sparked a love for STEM learning, officials stated. The summer wrapped up with the Weirton Cloverbud 4-H Day Camp, in which 25 young campers explored a dinosaur theme. The children learned about different species, created their own volcanoes and enjoyed special visits from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Campers celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library through activities that honored a decade of inspiring young readers.

“Our 4-H camps are more than just fun — they’re opportunities for youth to learn, grow and connect,” stated Zachary White, West Virginia University Extension 4-H and Youth Development agent for Hancock County. “We have officially recovered from COVID, and we refuse to go back!”

“This summer proved that 4-H is stronger than ever, and our community’s youth are ready to make the most of every opportunity. Hancock County 4-H is grateful to all of its volunteers, staff and community partners who made these camps possible,” White said. “With record-breaking participation and enthusiastic campers, this summer set the bar higher than ever for the future of 4-H in Hancock County.”