The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of all-female camp experiences on women's lives. Using a retrospective approach, this study collected qualitative data from 131 women to examine the benefits of all-female camp experiences, to analyze the skills they gained at camp, and to understand how they apply these skills to their…

Problem: Leaders today need a new set of knowledge and skills to be effective in collaborative environments. The focus of this study was to investigate how collaborative environments can contribute to leadership development. The purpose of this study was to describe how the collaborative environment of summer camp helped shape emerging adults as…

Camps have long addressed multiple components of young people's development, including spiritual development. In particular, transcendental communion with nature and the outdoors may provide one pathway for young people's spiritual development. The physical, mental, social, and spiritual growth of young people has been at the core of camps for…

Over a 3-year period, the National Inclusive Camp Practices (NICP) project examined camp practices and youth outcomes at 14 resident camps and outdoor schools that fully integrate youth with disabilities into their programs. These outdoor programs were predominantly 1 week long. Data on camp practices and on 742 participating youth with and…

Addresses the potential of camp to promote self-esteem and nurture a sense of community. Summarizes articles in this journal issue that focus on individual and group behavior including homesickness, how camps can promote positive attitudes toward disabled campers, and a camp program that provides respite care for families of children with AIDS.…

Discusses how camps can focus on the connection between environmental ethics and spirituality. Addresses the importance of defining the meaning of spirituality; providing time alone for campers; developing rituals; celebrating natural holidays; sharing spiritual experiences; being open-minded about spirituality; cultivating respect; encouraging…

Discusses the nature of spirituality and the resources people use in responding to spirituality based on Robert Coles' book, "The Spiritual Life of Children." Answers questions as to how to use the camp experience to afford campers opportunities for spiritual growth while respecting the many expressions of spirituality in society. (LP)

Although summer camps can provide opportunities for personal growth, self-worth, and education for living, camp programming changes are necessary because today's youth have had experiences which reduce the novelty of camping. Summer camps can be used to provide the missing rite of passage from youth to adulthood and to create real contexts and…

A study examined features of camps and camp staff that might affect the personal and social benefits of organized camping for children. Questionnaires were completed by 29 camp directors and 270 campers aged 8-14 from 33 residential camps across the United States. Results indicate that higher personal and social outcomes were associated with…

Summarizes three studies relevant to camp. In focus groups, 68 adolescent camp counselors reported camp helped them become more responsible and confident, communicate better, and manage stressful situations. A study involving 400 campers found improvement in communication, leadership, decision making, working in groups, and understanding self.…

In Sandstone, Minnesota, at the Willow River Camp and the Sandstone Vocational School, a residential job-skill program teaches social and academic skills, as well as a trade, to selected Minnesota prison inmates in a 24-hour-a-day group-centered program free of restrictions, rehabilitating the whole person. (Author/BP)

Describes features of organized camping that are conducive to social learning, including the continuity and variety of the camping experience; planned, goal-oriented experiences; qualified adult leadership; and the informal atmosphere of camping. Stresses the role of small-group experiences as the most important aspect of camplife and social…

Describes Camp Atwater (North Brookfield, Massachusetts), a summer residential camp founded in 1921 to assist African-American children in developing leadership, character, citizenship, interpersonal communication skills, personal and educational confidence, environmental awareness, physical fitness, and cultural awareness. Describes Camp…