Seven teens participated in the Endless Mountains Teen Retreat. Teens ranged from ages 13-18 years old and were active 4-H members in Bradford, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union and Wyoming counties. Endless Mountains Teen Retreat took place Nov. 21-23 at Three Springs Ministries in Morris Township.

According to a news release, throughout the weekend teens attended various workshops, made new friendships, and even got to stay in a mansion. The workshops focused on leadership and activity-based programming.

“Upon arrival teens got to know one another by finding a person to answer questions about something they had done in and outside of 4-H,” the news release said. “The questions included finding someone that had a pet cat or someone who attended a State 4-H event. Then the teens got to do a rotation of eight teambuilding stations where they completed an obstacle course, made their own leathercraft nametag, played Tetris and Tic Tac Toe, and unscrambled words.”

Saturday’s programming featured rotational workshops that introduced participants to new skills and project areas including kitchen chemistry and money management. After lunch, the group welcomed Sled Dogs of Smokey Hills for an engineering and teamwork challenge.

“Teens worked in groups to design and build cardboard-and-duct-tape sleds strong enough to be pulled through an obstacle course by sled dogs while carrying a 20-pound bag of dog food,” the news release said. “The evening wrapped up with a fall-themed escape room filled with puzzles and locks, followed by a bread-making session where teens crafted their own picnic loaves filled with meats and cheeses.”

The final day of the retreat continued with additional rotational workshops: Competition Kitchen, block printing, 4-H opportunities, and glass etching. In Competition Kitchen, teens used mystery ingredient cards to create a themed meal and story. During block printing, they designed their own Styrofoam block stencils and printed custom bandanas. Pennsylvania State 4-H Council members Caitlyn Shrodo and Ariana Cook led a dynamic session on statewide 4-H leadership opportunities, incorporating team-building activities.

Participants from Lycoming County included: Landon Cundiff (On the Fence), Peyton Hartman (Back Country Roads), Crickett Robbins (Back Country Roads), Katie Shipton (Pioneer Valley), Blake Snyder (Back Country Roads), Grace Winter (Keystone Kountry), and Rachel Winter (Keystone Kountry).

For additional information on 4-H programs in Pennsylvania, contact your county Penn State Cooperative Extension office at extension.psu.edu/counties or visit the Pennsylvania 4-H Program web site at extension.psu.edu/programs/4-h.

Administered in Pennsylvania by Penn State Extension, 4-H is a community of more than 6 million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. Penn State Extension 4-H youth development educators in all 67 counties throughout the commonwealth administer local 4-H programs through non-formal education and outreach. To find your local program, visit the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/programs/4-h.