A camp for Los Angeles (California) children traumatized by war, community violence, and hatred gives them time to heal and feel safe. The camp's theme of reconciliation and nonviolence is expressed by an all-volunteer staff through community, teamwork, and cooperation. Nature's diversity is used to show how diverse groups can interact, thrive,…

Describes outdoor leadership training program for disadvantaged children at Holiday Home Camp, Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Describes program objectives, progress levels, training courses, and activities. Describes grade-level training process. Program designed to help inner-city youth find sense of pride and self-esteem while improving life skills.…

Camp Minnow Lake (California) for at-risk families was developed with foundation and corporate funders and volunteer staff. Obtaining such funding requires developing a mission statement, identifying funders, making contact, and identifying ways to advance funders' goals. Describes elements of successful proposals and how to attract, work with,…

Examination of 31 therapeutic wilderness programs specializing in mental health treatment revealed that most programs served high-risk youth using a variety of outdoor modalities; that there was not a consensus on the definition of therapeutic; and that, in most cases, nonprofessional staff were responsible for therapeutic interventions. (LP)

Participants in a weekend camp program developed for families of children with AIDS indicated that the experience gave them a respite from daily challenges and provided them with a sense of community. Families participated in arts and crafts, a challenge course, fishing, horseback riding, cooking, and parent support groups. (LP)

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…

Camp Adventure is an international youth organization that trains college students to work as camp counselors at camps on U.S. military bases. Diary excerpts from four camp counselors (three who worked in Panama and one in the United States) reveal how they adapted to diversity in people, locales, and cultures. (LP)

Describes Camp Tech, a week-long activity that teaches junior high school students to apply technology to problem solving. Each annual Camp Tech has been organized around a different scenario, with each cabin representing world regions and minicorporations, and using technology to "Step into a Book." (DMM)

Describes Challenge Wilderness Camp (Bradford, Vermont), a 4-week residential program designed to teach boys, ages 9-16, environmental ethics through first-hand experiences. The camp incorporates land and waste management policies and procedures; programs in outdoor skills instruction; and wilderness trips including backpacking, off-trail hiking,…

Camp programs have a tremendous potential for providing environmental education and expanding on the existing environmental standards of the American Camping Association. Offers 50 ideas for saving the environment that can be implemented by camp managers, food service managers, office staff, program directors, and campers. (LP)

An inclusion audit looks at the messages that a camp conveys to campers, parents, and the public and evaluates whether those messages are congruent with policies of acceptance and inclusion of diversity. Elements include reviewing camp promotional materials, the camp mission statement, and the location of advertising; evaluating forms; examining…

Provides a personal reminiscence of the first two years (1928-29) of the now famous Interlochen Arts Camp. Profiles the camp's two founders, Joseph E. Maddy and Thaddeus P. Giddings. Early participants performed carpentry and landscaping duties and learned a classical music repertoire. Includes photographs of Maddy and Giddings. (MJP)

Summarizes research on the effects of friendship and group acceptance on adolescents' evaluations of camp, and on the incidence of homesickness among boys ages 8-16 participating in a residential sports camp. Implications for camp involve helping campers develop appropriate social skills and educating staff concerning the symptoms of homesickness.…

A study assessed social skills development in children aged 8-13 with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder after they attended a residential summer camp. Questionnaires returned by parents of 12 such campers reported increases in age-appropriate behavior, independence, self-esteem, connection with peers, and participation in group activities.…

This study investigated the cognitions of a teacher and four adolescent students during their involvement in critical thinking (CT) activities. Content analysis yielded a multi-dimensional construct of teacher, student, and teacher/student thought patterns. The teacher created a supportive learning environment, provided activities that maximized…