Seasonal Summer Camp Staff Experiences: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Every year, nearly one million staff work seasonally at summer camps. Although little research has investigated staff experiences compared to campers’ experiences, literature does exist. Understanding the breadth and depth of this literature is an important way to guide future investigations and employment practices regarding seasonal summer camp staff experiences. The purpose of our scoping review was to synthesize the literature about seasonal summer camp staff experiences. Using two scoping review manuals as guides, we systematically retrieved and reviewed the corpus of literature produced from 1900 to 2020 regarding seasonal summer camp staff experiences. We reviewed 116 documents, including peer-reviewed journal articles, theses and dissertations, and refereed conference abstracts. We extracted and analyzed documents’ topics, methods, sample and setting characteristics, major findings, and future research suggestions. We present our analysis of literature in two sections: staff outcomes and administrator/staff concerns. Findings from our review may inform future research and practice.

Using participatory culture‐specific consultation to support the mental health needs of summer camp staff

“…In this study, our qualitative findings suggested including a training on mental‐health and wellness during orientation communicated to camp staff and seasonal counselors that camp administration was interested in supporting their mental wellness. Our findings as well as literature around mental health experiences of camp staff suggest training around topics of compassion fatigue, burnout, and interpersonal conflict may be particularly useful for camp settings (Baker, 2020; Warner et al, 2021).…”

“…Further, some scholars recommend camp health‐care practices following the onset of COVID‐19 should include additional support services as a prevention method for physical and mental wellness (Barry et al, 2021). Having on‐call staff members for mental health emergencies may signal camp leadership understands the boundaries of camp staff expertise while also encouraging camp staff to ask for help when situations are outside of those expertise (Warner et al, 2021).…”

“…As a result of counselors' multiple responsibilities, long hours, limited benefits, and low wages, camp staff turnover, stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and reduced job satisfaction are all common (Borden et al, 2020; Hall et al, 2020; Richmond et al, 2020; Warner et al, 2021). Further, because counselors must attend to their own challenges and well‐being as well as to camper needs, the systemic and interpersonal stressors counselors face have implications for both themselves and the campers (White et al, 2020).…”

Mapping managerial expectations of graduate employability attributes: A scoping review

“…Managers have a vested interest in the long-term success of the company and graduate appointments would be strategically viewed by them (Lowden, Hall, Elliot & Lewin, 2011). The researchers chose to conduct a scoping review as scoping reviews enable scholars to identify knowledge gaps that show how existing and additional knowledge could inform practice (Warner, Godwin & Hodge, 2021). The review also allows stakeholders in the graduate employability sphere to make more informed hiring and development decisions.…”

Application of non‐pharmaceutical interventions in camps following the onset of COVID‐19

“…First, camp providers are guided by health, safety and risk management standards outlining policy and procedure guidelines for camp programmes and sites (American Camp Association, 2019; Association of Camp Nursing, 2017). Second, camp providers engage qualified and prepared staff who provide supervision, role modelling and mentoring to camp participants (Schafer, 2007; Warner, Godwin, & Hodge, 2021). Third, camp providers perform healthcare functions during camp sessions, including screening, delegation, documentation, medication management and communicable disease management (Erceg & Gaslin, 2020).…”