At a summer camp that introduces Japanese high school students to American culture, the authors learned the following basic principles underlying culturally responsive camp activities: sensitivity to cultural nuances in communication, deliberate and sequential processes, appreciation of one's own cultural biases, understanding perceived risks, and…

A day-by-day account describes Camp Greentop's first 5-day adventure camping trip, which was attended by five individuals with disabilities and their counselors. The first day was spent in games and initiatives designed to develop communication, teamwork, and dependability. Other days were devoted to hiking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting.…

A former counselor at a summer camp in Hampshire County (West Virginia) recalls his experiences with his campers and Jack Schaffenaker, an Appalachian "mountain man" and guitar picker. Through Jack, the campers engaged in fishing, storytelling, hiking, and folk singing, and shed some negative stereotypes about Appalachian people. (KS)

Describes how the Solomon Schechter Day Schools provide Jewish parents with a feasible choice for ensuring both the religious and secular education of their children. (SK)

Team tennis programs offer campers an equal chance to share the responsibilities and excitement of team competition, fostering feelings of self-esteem that can lead to remarkable changes in behavior. Recommendations cover organization of a team tennis program, conducting matches, and program adaptations for special circumstances. (LP)

Christian camps claim to create spaces where children and youth are more likely to encounter God and experience spiritual living, and yet contemporary camp ministries in the United States struggle to distinguish their environments from the cultural contexts in which their campers usually reside. This article reflects on the practices of 23 diverse…

Describes six-day residential camp experiences of 10 Soviet and 20 American youths at Alford Lake Camp (Maine) in August 1986. (NEC)

"Family learning vacations" 5-10 day summer residential programs for families with deaf children, are described. Guidelines for establishing such a program are given concerning rationale, physical plant, eligibility, scheduling, parent activities, children's activities, and evaluation. (Author/DB)

Describes the summer camp program in visual arts offered to elementary and secondary students at the Interlochen (Michigan) Center for the Arts, focusing on the participants' daily schedule. (SJL)

Describes features of the Frost Valley YMCA Wellness Camp for Young People. Self-responsibility, nutritional awareness, physical fitness, stress management, and environmental sensitivity are stressed. Settings such as school camps and nature trips provide opportunities for the counselor to interrupt, intervene, and influence, essential in…

Camping Unlimited for at-risk youth, which originally ran from 1969-76, was recently revived at Blue Star Camps (Hendersonville, North Carolina) with 150 youth from southern Florida. The one-week stay, funded by several partnerships and organized by youth programs in the home county, included all regular camp activities. Increased staff and…

Shooting sports teach discipline and responsibility, permit universal participation, and are popular with campers, yet are declining because of certification, cost, and safety issues. BB guns and air rifles are safer and quieter, need less space, can be used indoors, and are inexpensive compared to small-bore rifles. New target systems reduce…

Wilderness programs have earned a well-respected niche in the continuum of care for troubled youth and families by providing quality counseling and education in an outdoor environment. Research substantiates claims of program effectiveness. Outdoor therapeutic programming can be dissected into identifiable techniques and approaches, which have…

The Hancock field station (Oregon), owned by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, offers programs for children (age 6-13) which stress development of scientific observation and investigation skills, through field work in such areas as fossil hunting with professional paleontologists as well as other outdoor activities. (DB)

Describes results of study to discover what camping experiences most affect campers' self-concept (Cowin, 1988). Examines assessments by female campers, grades 5-11, of activities affecting them positively and negatively. Shows self-concept is enhanced through opportunities offered by camp programs. Older campers placed more emphasis on…