Camp Howe goes beyond the realm of teaching skills such as kicking a soccer ball, learning a new swim stroke or making a masterpiece in arts and crafts. In all honesty, we don’t believe we catapult any child in gaining any of these skills to any lever of mastery. What we excel at is having each child learn to accept themselves just as they are – strengths and weakness and build their confidence and esteem that helps them build on these strengths and weaknesses alike. Learning to genuinely value those around them and appreciate them “just as they are” gives them confidence to break outside their own comfort social zone and engage in meaningful interactions with individuals very different from themselves, both in and outside of camp, to open up a new world for them. We believe that camp is more than summer child care but rather, is a community that helps make the greater world  a better place through understanding, acceptance and appreciation of the barriers that typically exist.

Our goals are to create supportive environments for diverse youth and adults to reach their fullest potential by:

• providing a safe, enjoyable outdoor learning experience,
• providing opportunities to develop leadership, social and group living skills while fostering creativity, independence and responsibility,
• offering a choice of age appropriate programs that build confidence and self-esteem,
• encouraging an understanding and respect for the environment, animals, agriculture, and natural resources,
• building an appreciation and acceptance of the differences in people, and
  developing a caring community.

In keeping with the 4-H mission, Camp Howe goals are:

• to have fun,
• to learn about the outdoors,
• to learn to live, work and play with others,
• to learn self-reliance,
• to learn to get along away from home,
• to increase confidence and self-esteem,
• to develop some new skills and interests.

The most readily identifiable, general educational objectives for Camp Howe are the processes that may be related to five life-skill areas:
Self-Understanding - acquiring secondary skills, which support the development of self and which, aid others in pursuit of personal potential;
Communicating - artfully exchanging thoughts or information verbally and non-verbally to enhance cooperation and learning;
Decision-Making - recognizing life as a sequence of events, a pattern of steps, or a progression of challenges that require choices at each level; learning to learn; using the scientific method; fostering a spirit of inquiry to lead one around, over, or through obstacles encountered;
Managing Resources - using acquired knowledge to contribute to humanism while preserving and protecting the natural environment;
Coping - contending with difficulties which may arise unexpectedly in our changing environments and learning to act in order to survive those challenges without physical, social, or psychological suffering and with possibilities for growth in any or all of those areas.

At Camp Howe, we also have a strong commitment to LEADERSHIP - using the above life skills in positive way to bring self and others to new discoveries, improved relationships, and increased skills.