Welcoming in its 35th year, the Tennessee 4-H Electric Camp creates an interactive learning experience for more than 200 4-H’ers each summer, sparking early interests in STEM.
Pioneered in 1992 by Mike Buschermohle, Ph.D., with the help of Joe Jackson, former director of youth and member services for the Tennessee Electric Co-op Association (TECA), the electric camp facilitates an exploration of a diverse STEM curriculum for young 4-H’ers. A lifelong educator as a Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) from 1990 to 2022, Buschermohle continues his legacy through this program.
“We’ve had 12,000 to 13,000 kids come through the program, maybe more, since I stopped counting,” Buschermohle says. “This year the number is more than 220.”
4-H’ers Are Plugged In at Electric Camp
The camp is a four-day program for sixth, seventh and eighth graders from all 95 Tennessee counties. In the summer of 2026, the camp ran from Tuesday, June 23, to Friday, June 26, and kicked off with an opening program featuring a science presenter. The camp’s activities are structured around six different rotating learning centers where students will experience flying a drone, powering “volt city,” robotics, wiring an electric extension cord, electrical safety and electric motors.
“There will be three learning centers on Wednesday, then three on Thursday, so they’ll rotate through the six learning centers,” Buschermohle explains. “Wiring an extension cord gives the young 4-H’ers an opportunity to build something and take it home to show it off.”
The camp also includes a high-voltage electrical safety demonstration done by the Knoxville Utility Board (KUB) with a trailer that uses a generator to power utility lines.
“They teach them that most of the utility lines that are running in front of your house are not insulated,” Buschermohle says. “Depending on the system, there could be 7,200 volts or more running along the power line in front of your house.”
During the visual demonstration, the KUB allows the 4-H’ers a chance to try on protective utility equipment, like insulating gloves and hats, emphasizing safety and awareness.
“We think it’s important if we can save one person’s life from electrocution per year, then that learning center is very valuable,” he says.
Amped Up Activities
With most of the learning centers being hands-on experiences, students are given the opportunity to witness the outcome of their efforts with immediate, tactile results.
“It’s interesting to watch their eyes and their faces when they build something, they test it, and it works, or if they fly a drone or program a robot to do a specific task,” Buschermohle says. “Watching their faces and their excitement is rewarding.”
Though Buschermohle retired four years ago, he is still happily involved in the 4-H Electric Camp.
Many students who attend the Tennessee 4-H Electric Camp return multiple years of middle school, showcasing how the program is regularly updated and adapted to accommodate new technologies and different aspects of STEM applications.
The camp isn’t all work and no play, though. The students are also brought to The Main Event, which is a big arcade with bowling, video games and more. They are also awarded with a pizza party, swimming at the aquatic center and a dance party.
During their camp stay, students are immersed in the UTK campus, staying in college dorms and eating campus food, giving them a taste of their potential future if they pursue higher education toward a STEM-related career.
“If you look at the direction the future’s going, a lot of it is STEM-related. Look at how technology has changed,” Buschermohle emphasizes. “Now we’re talking about quantum computing and robotics and space exploration. So, in the future, a science-based curriculum is probably where a lot of the jobs are going to be.”
Power of Partnership
The 4-H Electric Camp is made possible because of unique partnerships established between The University of Tennessee Extension, TECA and its statewide member cooperatives, the Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association (TMEPA) and its statewide member municipal systems, Tennessee Valley Authority and allied industry donors. This partnership provides financial assistance to help offset the cost of the camp, donates equipment and supplies for the learning centers and supplies volunteers to help plan and teach the hands-on learning centers at camp.
“Our partnership with the power industry is what really makes this program unique,” Buschermohle says. “This partnership not only provides financial support, but also, we get a lot of help teaching learning centers with over 80 volunteers from the power industry from all over Tennessee.”
Buschermohle is grateful to the power industry partners in Tennessee who support the camp, as well as the state 4-H office and all the 4-H agents across Tennessee who promote Electric Camp in their own counties and recruit campers.
Tennessee 4-H Electric Camp is one of the ways the Tennessee 4-H Foundation and its supporters help provide educational opportunities in agriculture, STEM, healthy living and civic engagement. To support Electric Camp, donate online today at tn4hfoundation.org/donate.
