In the summer of 2004, WVSU 4-H began offering a new and exciting camping opportunity for 80 middle school age youth in Kanawha County called the Hip-Hop Boot Camp. The week-long residential camp is an opportunity for students to learn about all aspects of the music industry, from the business skills involved in selling your music, to the exercise and nutrition information that can make sure an artist is performing, looking, and feeling their best.
The most unusual aspect of the camp is the Hip-Hop focus, but the skills learned at camp can be applied to all genres of music. Every activity or class that takes place at the Hip-Hop Boot Camp is framed to relate to the music business. This allows a level of camper engagement that would otherwise not be possible, especially with topics such as money management or exercise that generally do not immediately attract the attention of teens.
The camp curriculum is infused with leadership skills and the 4-H philosophy of "learning by doing." Students choose a track and remain in that track for the entire week of camp. Each track concentrates on a specific area of the industry (Performance, Production, Dance, or Arts).
Through a partnership with local radio station 98.7 The Beat, WVSU 4-H has been able to bring the 4-H message to a modern urban and minority audience. The station’s commitment to WVSU 4-H includes offering students the chance to guest DJ on the air and bringing a nationally-known music group to speak during the camp.
"We are very excited about this opportunity to expand the 4-H program to meet the needs of a much larger audience," says Gina Taylor, Program Leader for Youth Education Extension Service. "Hip-Hop Boot Camp is, as far as we know, the first camp of its kind in the country."
For more information on the Hip-Hop Boot Camp, contact WVSU Extension Service at (304) 766-5711 or toll-free at 1-866-WV-STATE.
