The theory of inclusion is the foundation for the study reported here; inclusion is a focus not only of formal education, but also of nonformal educational settings such as 4-H. Ideally, 4-H camps are designed to serve youth of all backgrounds and abilities. By accommodating youth with special health care needs, 4-H camps are effectively meeting…

Examining mindfulness in a non-clinical and non-therapeutic setting such as a summer camp is an area of growing interest. Our study tested three mindfulness scales with staff in a summer camp setting, and we conducted preliminary reliability and validity analyses for any modifications needed in the scales. Results indicated two major findings: (a)…

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…

Staff morale is part of all aspects of the camp operation. Six components of camp operation are reviewed in terms of how they affect staff morale. They include: scheduling, training, food, facilities, staffing pattern and program. Each of these aspects is presented in terms of physical needs, or emotional needs, or the subtle, underlying ideas…

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…

To increase its counselor retention rate, a New York camp developed a course for counselors that focuses on leadership training and earns participants college credit. The class teaches situational leadership and focuses on the camper, not the activity. Course curriculum and objectives, course elements, and lessons learned about program improvement…

School camping began with three movements in American society: children's camping, which has been traced back as far as 1823; the Nature Study Movement, which is thought to have begun as early as 1839; and the holistic "new education." In 1940, L. B. Sharp opened National Camp in New Jersey and Julian W. Smith initiated the Clear Lake…

Briefly summarized is the American Camping Association's Camp Ecological Training Project, its goals, accomplishments, problems, and future potential as seen by the first two Itinerant Ecologists who participated in the project. Creation of an ecological awareness and conservation consciousness were the major goals of the project. To accomplish…

Six programs are described in which camps served children who lost parents in the September 11 attacks. Programs ranged from providing free camp or making the annual camp more supportive and safe, to special camps just for those children. All included outreach to families, special staff orientation, bereavement counseling, and balancing support…

Provides checklists to prepare for camp opening. Covers such areas as health histories of all campers and staff, staff credentials, condition of facilities and equipment, staff training, horse stables and equipment, and safety of swimming areas. (LP)

Describes role of nurses in residential camp programs. Discusses ways camp administrators find and hire camp nurses. Emphasizes importance of communication between nurse and other staff for assessing campers' developmental needs and potential health problems. Discusses camping environment, health service needs, and campers' most common health…

Exploring the problem of high turnover rates for counselors at a therapeutic camp reveals that low job satisfaction--specifically lack of advancement and educational opportunities--is one frequent factor influencing resignation. This study examines the possibility of increasing agency support of personal advancement by creating individual…

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)

Reports on a study to examine and assess stress-levels of factors of anxiety, depression, and hostility present in a camp staff during a ten-week resident program. Results indicate that anxiety, depression, and hostility do not correlate directly or inversely with each other. (TW)

Abstracts are presented of twelve presentations made at the March 1982 National Convention of the American Camping Association: (1) the operations and environment of a summer residential camp serving individuals with disabilities, and the relationships among staff members' perceptions of the organizational climate, acceptance of self, acceptance…