Describes the positive mental, physical, and social growth impacts that the camping experience had on the author, and urges camp program evaluation to plan and implement such changes. Sidebar lists steps of effective evaluation: program goals and objectives, goals of evaluation, implementation of evaluation, data analysis, and findings and…

Camping or other outdoor experience is seen as an alternative to incarceration for youth-at-risk, matching the excitement of the street-gang society or peer group, while simultaneously giving youth-at-risk a sense of the reason for teamwork, adherence to a group-respected value system, regard for skills and abilities of others, plus a…

A research review points out the role of a "strategic center" in developing and managing partnerships between a camp and other organizations. A separate survey of 14 camp directors found that directors' awareness of their actions and philosophies about providing quality experiences to children were related to the accessibility of their attitudes…

A three-year study examining the effects of 15 resident camp programs on over 2,000 disabled campers ages 7-21 indicates that campers made notable achievements in both affective and recreational skills, that positive gains in personal development carried over to the home and community settings, and that increased independence was the predominant…

Defines "at-risk youth." Describes characteristics of resilient children and their families, friends and mentors, schools, and communities. Discusses camp program practices that have been shown to promote resiliency: focus on youth development, intentional processes that target the personal domain, organizational elements borrowed from…

Effective camps share seven habits that are essential elements of success: internal leadership development, explicit expectations for staff, ample camper preparation, personal relationships, supervisors-in-residence, two-way communication flow, and commitment to self-improvement. Three key outcomes for directors, staff, and campers resulting from…

Case studies in the National Camp Evaluation Project and National Inclusive Camp Practices project used interviews with counselors and parents about camper's growth to yield qualitative data for camp program evaluation. The importance, methods, and benefits of case studies are described. Sidebars give examples of comments on perceived camper…

Overviews the philosophy and theory of camp experiences and discusses the special benefits of camps, including experiences that can lead to significant life-changing outcomes, sound educational goals, a sense of psychological and physical safety, and helping children to deal with social problems such as the degradation of the environment and human…

Determined the effects of a highly structured and intensive 10-day camp program incorporating behavior modification techniques on 111 boys and 16 girls, ages 6-12, with severe behavior problems. Results of pre- and posttesting indicate that brief, intensive, and specialized camping programs can significantly increase these children's self-esteem.…

Trends in staff development for camp counselors include using experiential training activities, inviting outside speakers to address staff on topics of concern, and teaching staff about child-related issues. Addresses problems in working with staff and provides suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of staff training programs. (LP)

High-risk children aged 8 through 12 completed the Reynolds Child Depression Scale prior to and following participation in a therapeutic camp program. When compared to nonparticipants with similar learning disabilities or emotional disorders, the camp group demonstrated a significant decrease in level of depression following their camping…

A meta-analysis of 22 studies that provided effect sizes for the change in campers' self-esteem found that campers' self-esteem benefitted from camps that focused on self-enhancement as a working part of the program and philosophy. Campers aged 6 through 10 benefitted more than did older campers. Common factors of camps that focus on…

Explores value areas in which wilderness experiences can provide youth with a counterbalance to technology's narrow categorization of what we should strive to be: our concept of intelligence, an "I need vs. I want" lifestyle, spectator vs. participant, and insulation from perceived risks. (NEC)

Suggests that camp support staff concerned with maintenance and services improve the effectiveness of camp programs by creating a positive environment. Identifies common characteristics of camps that make "hospitality" a priority and that help camps tailor their services to the specific needs of both program and clients. (SV)

Discusses characteristics of the camp leader that can help a camp participate effectively in the issues and challenges of the future: openness to change and continual learning, high level of emotional intelligence, appreciation for diversity, and awareness of the value of wholeness and balance. (SV)