Summer camp is an important setting within the learning landscape of youth—a landscape that also includes school, sports, arts and music, religious settings, home, and eventually, work. While research on camp outcomes is abundant, practitioners and policymakers have little empirical evidence that summer camp participation offers long-term impact and value. The purpose of this study was to build on existing camp research to identify learning outcomes that are highly attributable to camp participation and to determine whether these outcomes are considered important in everyday life. A second purpose was to identify other settings that may contribute to learning outcomes often associated with camp participation. This study used mixed methods design and involved a national sample of 352 individuals (18-25 years old) who had attended camp for at least 3 weeks in their youth and had not worked at a camp. Alumni reported that the development of independence, perseverance, responsibility, appreciation for differences, and appreciation for being present were camp-related outcomes that were highly attributable to their camp experiences and that these outcomes were also of high importance in daily life. Among all outcomes that were highly attributable to camp, study participants noted that camp was a primary setting for developing affinity for nature, how to live with peers, leisure skills, a willingness to try new things, independence, being present, and empathy and compassion. School and home were primary learning settings for other outcomes. Findings from this study help identify where camp is particularly effective in promoting lasting outcomes and areas where camps may need more intentionality and resources.
Emerging adults engage in a range of education, employment, and other experiences that provide opportunities to build skills necessary for future success. The camp industry employs 1.5 million individuals each summer, and its potential as a setting for development is important to understand. The purpose of this study was to identify the outcomes of camp employment and compare these outcomes across settings. Participants were 254 individuals engaged in a longitudinal study, all of whom were camp staff during summer 2018. This study employed an explanatory sequential design. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using RMANOVAs and paired t-tests. Qualitative data were analyzed using a multi-step coding process including open (survey responses) and utilitarian coding (interviews). Findings indicated emerging adults learned relationship skills, leadership, and appreciation for being present and that camp employment is a rich setting for emerging adults to learn skills they may not learn elsewhere.
In this study of 227 students enrolled on 30-day backpacking courses, we examined how certain demographic factors relate to status within the task (goal-related) and social (interpersonal) domains of group functioning. Of particular interest were socioeconomic status (SES) and gender. Using a mixed methods approach, we found that female students had less status in task-based and social contexts, even when controlling for previous experience. Students with low SES had lower status than did their peers in the task-based contexts, but this difference disappeared when also considering previous multinight backpacking experience. As we expected, sources of status differed based on the situational context, with competence driving status for task-based contexts and interpersonal relationships taking precedence in social situations. The findings have important implications for practice in outdoor adventure education, as student demographics change and programs seek greater diversity in a field in which students are traditionally White and male.
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