About
SDSU Extension 4-H Outdoor Education includes 4-H Camps, the OWLS program, the ETHICS SD furbearer education program, and year-round outdoor education learning through webinars and campouts. 4-H Camps are generally 3–4 day overnight camps where youth can take part in experiential learning with other participants from across the state, including at 4-H Camp Poinsett and 4-H Camp Storm Mountain. OWLS is a program for senior 4-H members that includes a final capstone experience to test their skills, and ETHICS SD is a comprehensive furbearer education program focused on growing the next generation of trappers.
• Schedule: 4-H Camps are generally 3–4 day overnight camps.
SDSU Extension 4-H Outdoor Education is part of SDSU Extension, which is the outreach arm of South Dakota State University and works in cooperation with South Dakota counties and USDA to provide research-based information to youth, families, communities, farmers, ranchers, and agri-business people. The program uses curriculum resources that educators or club leaders can use to bring outdoor education to the youth they work with, and outdoor education experiences range from single events to year-long programs. SDSU Extension 4‑H states that it is a community that provides experiences where young people learn by doing, and 4-H teaches life skills and leadership to youth in the four program priorities of Agriculture, Science, Health and Wellness, and Leadership. The 4-H Regional Operations support system launched on December 16, 2024, and is organized into four regions (North, South, Central, and West), with regional youth educators including Regina Bakley for the West Region, Kyle Beach for the Central Region, Hilary Kroupa for the South Region, and Julia Thaden for the North Region. South Dakota State University adheres to AA/EEO guidelines in offering educational programs and services. The program’s history is connected to the Morrill Act of 1862, which led to South Dakota State College in 1881, early South Dakota Boys Club meetings in 1906 or 1907, the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 that created the Cooperative Extension System, and the official adoption of the 4-H name and clover by 1924.
Last updated March 18, 2026.
• Schedule: 4-H Camps are generally 3–4 day overnight camps.
SDSU Extension 4-H Outdoor Education is part of SDSU Extension, which is the outreach arm of South Dakota State University and works in cooperation with South Dakota counties and USDA to provide research-based information to youth, families, communities, farmers, ranchers, and agri-business people. The program uses curriculum resources that educators or club leaders can use to bring outdoor education to the youth they work with, and outdoor education experiences range from single events to year-long programs. SDSU Extension 4‑H states that it is a community that provides experiences where young people learn by doing, and 4-H teaches life skills and leadership to youth in the four program priorities of Agriculture, Science, Health and Wellness, and Leadership. The 4-H Regional Operations support system launched on December 16, 2024, and is organized into four regions (North, South, Central, and West), with regional youth educators including Regina Bakley for the West Region, Kyle Beach for the Central Region, Hilary Kroupa for the South Region, and Julia Thaden for the North Region. South Dakota State University adheres to AA/EEO guidelines in offering educational programs and services. The program’s history is connected to the Morrill Act of 1862, which led to South Dakota State College in 1881, early South Dakota Boys Club meetings in 1906 or 1907, the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 that created the Cooperative Extension System, and the official adoption of the 4-H name and clover by 1924.
Last updated March 18, 2026.
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