Rutgers 4-H Summer Teen Leadership Program Accepting Applications

COURT HOUSE – The Cape May County 4-H Youth Development Program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County is seeking applicants for the 2019 Rutgers 4-H Summer Teen Leadership Program.
According to a release, the eight-week program, in its 21st year, runs from June 24 through Aug. 16 at the New Jersey Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May in Cape May.
This program is open to the public; it is not necessary to be a   4-H club member to participate.
To be eligible, youth must be entering seventh to 12th grades and interested in marine and environmental science, being outdoors and working with children.  
Linda Horner, 4-H Program Coordinator, stated, “This is an invaluable leadership opportunity and summer learning experience for this age group.”
This learning experience comes with a variety of service, teaching, and social activities. It coincides with the summer children’s program day camps held at the Nature Center of Cape May.
Professional New Jersey Audubon teacher-naturalists provide teens with mentoring in environmental science, teaching skills and successful work habits.
Rutgers 4-H educators lead teens in youth-driven community service projects and leadership development activities.
The benefits of attending the summer program include meeting other teens who have the same interests, earning valuable community service credits and gaining important work and leadership experience.
“These experiences prove invaluable in job seeking and in acceptance to preferred colleges,” added Horner.
Program participants are asked to job shadow nature center teacher-naturalists for 10 hours weekly and to attend a mandatory weekly training session every Friday from 12:30-2 p.m.
Coordinators try to accommodate teens’ outside work schedules. A mandatory orientation session will be held prior to the beginning of the summer program at the N.J. Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May.
Participation is limited to 20 students, and the tuition is $250 for eight weeks of hands-on experience and mentoring in environmental science, leadership skills and work habits.
The application deadline is June 10, 2019.  Full payment is due within two weeks of your acceptance into the program. Contact the 4-H Youth Development Program for an application or to learn more, at (609) 465-5115, ext. 3605.