Summer camp programs provide adolescent counselors with opportunities to work alongside adult staff, aiming to develop critical skills such as communication, responsibility, independence, and teamwork. Growing research supports the value of camp-based developmental relationships through youth-adult partnerships. However, tensions often arise as…

This exploratory study used qualitative methods to better understand how youths in a residential setting perceive their relationships with the counselors. Using focus group methodology, the study focused on how youth describe the relationship, what staff qualities the youth are able to identify as important in engaging and maintaining the…

Materials available in this manual are designed to aid camp counselors in working effectively with students and with other camp personnel in making the overall camping experience as meaningful as possible. The manual includes sections on (1) the role of the junior counselor in relation to all other persons at the camp, (2) how the Outdoor School…

The benefits of outdoor camping for disturbed boys whose difficulties require treatment outside the home are described. The variety of emotional handicaps handled by group technique and direct experience with natural surroundings at Camp Woodland Springs outside of Dallas, Texas, and the reactions of the boys participating in this residential…