A summer camp promotional campaign serving six Northwest Iowa counties, including Cherokee and O’Brien, has earned national recognition for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H staff.
The team was selected as the national winner of the Promotional Package Team Award from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals. The award recognizes a coordinated campaign promoting camps for youth in grades one through eight in Cherokee, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, and Sioux counties.
The campaign included a regional camp flipbook, county-specific flyers, and coordinated social media graphics. Staff also developed Spanish-language materials to reach more families and meet requirements of local school districts distributing camp information.
“The strength of this project was the collaboration among counties,” said Beth Bunkers, 4-H Youth Development Specialist. “By working together, we were able to expand our reach, create high-quality promotional materials, and connect more youth and families with engaging summer learning opportunities.”
While the promotional campaign covered six counties, Extension reported participation figures for its five-county regional partnership, which includes Cherokee, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, and Sioux counties.
In 2026, 1,880 youth registered for summer camps offered through that partnership. Extension said 73% of participants were not current 4-H members, while 27% were members. Another 49 youth expressed interest in joining 4-H following their camp experience.
The project focused on sharing resources among counties, expanding program capacity, and promoting affordable educational opportunities. Camp topics included STEM, technology, family and consumer sciences, and visual arts.
According to Extension, the promotional materials followed ISU Extension and Outreach brand standards and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines.
Current members of the Northwest Iowa regional youth team are Jill Alesch, Jade Bakker, Laura Beyenhof, Beth Bunkers, Morgan Busack, Shelby Frederes, Morgan Keene, Helen Parks, Jill Postma, and Michele Wagner.
The award recognition is part of the association’s Oct. 29 awards banquet in Kansas City, Missouri.
(Courtesy fellow Community First Broadcasting station Sioux County Radio in Sioux Center)
