Camp Counselors Research Articles

Does camp make a difference?: Camp counselors' perceptions of how camp impacted youth

IntroductionInterventions in early adolescence have the ability to change life trajectories. A day camp was established using the arts and athletics to facilitate positive youth development among middle school-aged youth who were from lower socio-economic status families or in foster care. ObjectiveThe purpose of the study is to understand how camp counselors perceive youths' camp experiences contributing to positive youth development. MethodsEleven camp counselors were interviewed about their perceptions of how camp impacted youth during the week. Transcripts were analyzed using a structured team-based thematic analysis. ResultsCamp counselors perceived the relationships youth formed, the creation of a “safe space” for youth to explore different activities, and the physical location of the camp on a university contributed to increasing youths' self-esteem and confidence, which contributed to youth refining their career and college plans. DiscussionShort-term interventions such as day camps that incorporate the arts and athletics may be a vehicle to facilitate positive youth development and promote interest in post-secondary education among youth.

Welcome to the Bubble: Experiences of Liminality and Communitas among Summer Camp Counsellors

Summer camps provide a special time and space for youth growth and transformation. This growth is possible, in part, due to the physical and social isolation that contribute to the liminality of traditional residential camps. Camps act as a sort of ‘bubble’ in which alternative realities, norms and identities emerge. For many campers and camp counsellors, the community and personal relationships that develop at camp produce feelings of acceptance and belonging. Positive camp experiences do not occur by happenstance and as such, youthful camp counsellors often feel immense pressure to deliver on the promises that camps offer. This article explores the challenges faced by counsellors as they seek to create and maintain this liminal space. This paper discusses camp counsellors’ own reflections on their personal struggles with social isolation and the need to be accepted, effects of gossip in the close-knit community of camp, a lack of private time or space, and the emotional demands of caring for campers. The article concludes by suggesting how we might reconsider camp counsellor experiences and offers strategies to support counsellors as they navigate and negotiate camp experiences for both themselves and their campers.

Young Adult Counselors with Diabetes at Diabetes Camps: The Effect of Being a Peer Mentor on Counselors’ Health Behavior

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with type I diabetes (T1D) often struggle with illness management. Although diabetes camps have been shown to improve blood sugar control among campers, the effect of the camp experience on counselors’ diabetes self-management has never been studied. In addition to the camp environment, it was hypothesized that peer factors among counselors, such as diabetes role modeling, would positively influence diabetes self-care behaviors and that counselors would be able to select diabetes role models based on these appropriate self-management behaviors. Counselors with T1D working at 2 summer camps were recruited to participate. Participants completed questionnaires including the Diabetes Behavior Rate Scale (DBRS) and a peer-assessment form in which participants were asked to nominate friends and diabetes role models, and to assign a role model score for each counselor. Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), a measure of blood sugar control, was obtained pre- and post-camp. Thirty-three participants completed the study. The average HbA1c score decreased 0.4% (p < .01) over the 6 to 10 weeks of camp indicating improved metabolic control at camp. The number of nominations for diabetes role model was associated with diabetes self-care (r = 0.351, p = 0.027). Diabetes role model scores were not associated with diabetes self-care (r = 0.272, p = 0.074). There was no correlation between HbA1c and diabetes self-care. The findings suggest that the camp counselor role is a potential target for intervention to promote positive outcomes for AYA with T1D. Lessons learned from how AYA with diabetes support one another at camp can be applied to community-based interventions for youth with T1D or other chronic illnesses.

The Water Walker by J. Robertson

Robertson, Joanne. The Water Walker. Second Story Press, 2017.The Water Walker is the true story Nokomis (grandmother in Ojibwe) Josephine Mandamin, the founder of the Mother Earth Water Walkers. Nokomis and the Water Walkers’ goal is show how precious nibi (water) is to our very survival, and to ensure it is properly protected and cared for.Nokomis had always been thankful for nibi, but feels compelled to act when an ogimaa (a leader or chief) told her that one day “... an ounce of water will cost more than an ounce of gold.” What was Nokomis going to do about it? Gathering relations, friends, and community members, they form the Mother Earth Water Walkers, with the goal to protect and honour nibi. Between 2003 and 2009, the Water Walkers walk around the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, carrying a copper bucket of water and a bald eagle staff as they went. The Water Walkers expand their call, walking water from the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, and Gulf of Mexico. At the end of the book, while Nokomis rests after her all walking, she wonders what are you going to do about protecting nibi?This is an accessible and relevant story appropriate for both early and mid-elementary school children. Younger children will appreciate the vibrant illustrations, while older children will connect with the environmental message of the book. Ojibwe words are used throughout, and there is a detailed glossary and pronunciation guide to assist readers. Finally, there is contact information for Josephine Mandamin, so readers can share with her how they are conserving and protecting water. This book would do well in both public and school libraries. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Andrea QuaiattiniAndrea Quaiattini is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s JW Scott Health Sciences Library. While working as a camp counsellor, she memorized Mortimer and The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch as bedtime stories for the kids. She can still do all the voices.

Stolen Words by M. Florence

Florence, Melanie. Stolen Words. Illus. Gabrielle Grimard. Second Story Press, 2017.Stolen Words is a sensitive and thoughtful story about the legacy and intergenerational impact of Canada’s residential school system, the reclamation of language, and the tender relationship between a seven-year-old nôsisim (granddaughter) and her nimosôm (grandfather). Florence draws on her own experience for the story, having never had the opportunity to speak to her own nimosôm about his Cree heritage.After making a dreamcatcher in school, Nôsisim goes to her nimosôm, asking how to say “grandfather” in Cree. Nimosôm replies that he “lost his words a long time ago.” He explains that he (and his words) were taken away from their home, “... to a school that was cold and lonely, where angry white faces raised their voices and their hands when we used our words.” Nôsisim wants to help Nimosôm “find your words again,” and the next day, brings home a Cree dictionary. Reading the long-forgotten words, Nimosôm’s language is reawakened, and he promises Nôsisim that he will teach her his words.Stolen Words does not shy from the realities and long-term impacts of the residential school system. However, Florence addresses these sensitively and age-appropriately. For example, Nimosôm talks about being separated from his family. While the pain of the separation is clear, Florence’s gentle prose ensures it is not overwhelming for young readers. Also, Grimard’s illustrations are evocative, highlighting the close relationship between Nôsisim and Nimosôm, and effectively showing how Nimosôm’s language was captured (and freed) using bird imagery.The phrasing of the sentences, and the inclusion of Cree words makes this a more appropriate read-aloud to younger readers, but it would be suitable for independent reading for students in mid-elementary school. While the subject matter is relevant for students in upper-elementary school, the text itself is below grade reading level. This book is highly recommended for both school and public libraries. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Andrea QuaiattiniAndrea Quaiattini is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s JW Scott Health Sciences Library. While working as a camp counsellor, she memorized Mortimer and The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch as bedtime stories for the kids. She can still do all the voices.

Rez Rebel by M. Florence

Florence, Melanie. Rez Rebel. James Lorimer & Company, 2017.Narrated by Floyd Twofeathers, a young Cree teenager living on the fictional Bitter Lake Reserve, Rez Rebel sheds important and much-needed light onto the suicide crisis faced by Indigenous communities across Canada.Suicides on Bitter Lake Reserve are rampant. Though Floyd occupies a position of status in his community, with his father being the hereditary chief and his mother a traditional healer, he is not immune from the tragedy—his best friend Aaron had committed suicide. However, after a suicide pact leaves four young girls dead, Floyd’s father struggles to find a solution to help his community and its young people find opportunities and support. Floyd and his friends believe that by sharing their own talents and skills (writing, drawing, sports) with their peers, and giving kids the opportunity to learn their traditional knowledge and practices from the Elders, that this will help turn their community around. When Floyd tries to bring these ideas to his father, he is ignored. It is only with a bold act, and another suicide threat that brings about meaningful change on Bitter Lake Reserve.Given the timeliness of the subject matter, and the lack of books on this topic, this is a much-needed novel. However, the overall story itself is a bit uneven. The book opens with the suicide crisis, and the reader can feel the tension and urgency of the situation. There is a lengthy description of Aaron’s suicide, as well as a crisis in Floyd’s family that may be upsetting or triggering to some readers. The middle of the book loses a bit of its focus, with chapters showing Floyd and his friends being teenagers—hanging out, fishing, falling in love—with little connection to the broader plot. The final quarter of the story reconnects the reader with the suicide crisis and Floyd’s solution for his community. The prose and tone are realistic—teenagers will see themselves in the characters, and the language is simple and accessible.This book would do well in the young adult section of public libraries, as well as in junior high and high school libraries. Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Andrea QuaiattiniAndrea Quaiattini is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s JW Scott Health Sciences Library. While working as a camp counsellor, she memorized Mortimer and The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch as bedtime stories for the kids. She can still do all the voices.

Real-life Lord of the Flies

Perry features about Muzafer Sherif's classic experiment on children that held up as proof that waging war comes naturally to us. But there's more to this story than meets the eye. Among other things in the summer of 1954, a bus pulled into Robbers Cave State Park in the mountains of rural Oklahoma. The dozen 11-year-old boys on board, all of them strangers to each other, craned to catch a glimpse through the dusty windows of what for most of them was their first summer camp. Social psychologist Muzafer Sherif and his team, disguised as camp counsellors, watched each group bond and form its own identity. The two groups named themselves the Rattlers and the Eagles, each with flag, anthem, dress code, leaders and followers, as well as shared rules and standards. Gradually, each group became aware of the other: when the Rattlers discovered some empty cups in their hideout and heard the sounds of others playing on the baseball field, they began to resent the interlopers.

The Influence of Online Training on Camp Counselor Perceived Competence

In recent years there has been an upsurge of research focused on improving the overall experience for camp staff. Although there is an extensive body of literature focused on developmental outcomes (Bialeschki, Sibthorp, & Ellis, 2006; Henderson, 2006), camp programming (Mainieri & Anderson, 2015; Morgan, Sibthorp, & Browne, 2016), and the benefits of camp employment (Brown & D’Eloia, 2016; Duerden, Garst, & Bialeschki, 2014), there is much less known about the development of camp counselors and those who supervise camp. Preliminary research has revealed that camp staff lack basic camp knowledge (Ducharme & Feldman, 1992), exhibit inadequacies with respect to managing conflict among youth (Scales, 1997), and are deficient in their ability to create a safe camp environment (Baldwin, Duerden, & Witt, 2010; Wahl-Alexander, Howell, & Richards, in press). Although recent calls have urged researchers to focus their attention on the development of ability among camp staff (Thurber, Scanlin, Scheuler, & Henderson, 2007), there is no known research examining avenues of training in addition to traditional on-site development. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of module-based training videos that supplemented an eight-day orientation at a residential summer camp. The participants in this study were 195 camp counselors employed by a residential summer camp over a two-year period. All staff members participated in an extensive eight-day on-site training program, but only half of the staff completed six video Expert Online Training modules and accompanying quizzes. Primary analyses included 2x2 (time x group) mixed ANOVAs, which allowed for an examination of pre- to post-training competency ratings provided by participants while also considering the control and intervention conditions. The results of the investigation generally support the effectiveness of the online training module as a supplement to standard on-site orientation programming. Results indicate that both the control and intervention groups’ perceptions of competence related to study constructs increased over time, but the rate of change was typically greater in the control group. However, the additional gains made by the control group were not enough to overcome initial differences attributable to the online training program. The findings suggest that participation in an online training program leads to initial gains in counselor perceived competence that appear to prepare the counselors for the onsite orientation, leading to greater overall perceived competency on post-survey scores. These results supports the effectiveness of online training programs as a valuable supplement to on-site camp training. Furthermore, this conclusion gives credence to the notion that directors in other contexts can successfully improve counselors’ competency by implementing specific pre-training training videos. Subscribe to JPRA

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

Reviewed by: Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol Elizabeth Bush Brosgol, Vera Be Prepared; written and illus. by Vera Brosgol; color by Alec Longstreth. First Second, 2018 256p Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-62672-444-0 $22.99 Paper ed. ISBN 978-1-62672-445-7 $12.99 R Gr. 4-6 Money is tight and Vera can't keep up with the social pressures of her classmates, and in Vera's estimation, her immigrant mother's cluelessness (who could possibly think Dimitri's pizza could sub for Pizza Hut stuffed crust at a party?) doesn't help. Vera does manage to talk her mother into sending her and brother to a summer camp, though it's not the one her buddies go to, but a Russian Orthodox one. At almost-ten, Vera is assigned to the older girl section, and her fourteen-year-old boy-crazy tentmates adopt her as a kind of mascot, good for providing covert candy and cleverly sketching pictures of the cute guys but easily abandoned when the social going gets tough. Just when things look their worst, though, Vera meets a younger camper with whom she shares interests, and she begins to consider the advice of her camp counselor on how to get along. Brosgol's illustration skills fully match her convincing narration in this autobiographical graphic novel, with a palette dominated by olive and khaki greens, and Vera's every woe and triumph amplified by the expressive eyes behind her big, round glasses. There's no real villainy here, just the quotidian slings and arrows carelessly shot by kids more concerned with fun than empathy. That makes Vera a character with appeal to every tween who's ever felt disappointed by peers—or by a fulfilled wish that didn't live up to its bright, shiny promise. EB [End Page 325] Copyright © 2017 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Социально-психологический портрет московского вожатого

Социально-психологический портрет московского вожатого

Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast

Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast

Rocky Mountain 123s by J. Asnong

Asnong, Jocey. Rocky Mountain 123s. Rocky Mountain Books, 2017.Though ultimately a basic counting book, Rocky Mountain 123s is a wholly whimsical and entertaining board book. Jocey Asnong, inspired by the beautiful surroundings of her home in Canmore, Alberta, takes readers on a numerical romp through the Rocky Mountains. Rocky Mountain 123s perfectly accompanies Asnong’s 2016 board book Rocky Mountain ABCs, with both books using the action and adventure of the great outdoors to teach the most foundational lessons to children.Though there is no overarching narrative, a page is a little story unto itself. Each page focuses on one number, with the numbers counting up sequentially from one to twenty. There is a short, simple sentence describing the “story”, with a colourful illustration to match. Using both animals and people as subjects, Asnong situates them in a variety of outdoor activities and locations around the Rockies, which she identifies in a small side text. “Fifteen footprints are made in the snow” has a girl tromping across Lake O’Hara in her snowshoes, while “Nine goats climb a hard line” shows mountain goats scrambling up Maligne Canyon. Readers will be able to easily identify and count the number items on the page - “Twelve tents light up the night” has twelve easily countable tents perched around Mount Robson. The number is also numerically written out in bold print and colour to help readers connect the illustration to the number.This is a delightful book, and is highly recommended. However, as it is a board book, it would be most appropriate for public libraries.Highly Recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Andrea QuaiattiniAndrea Quaiattini is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s JW Scott Health Sciences Library. While working as a camp counsellor, she memorized Mortimer and The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch as bedtime stories for the kids. She can still do all the voices.

The Owl and the Lemming by R. Akulukjuk

Akulukjuk, Roselynn. The Owl and the Lemming, illustrated by Amanda Sandland, Inhabit Media, 2016.The Owl and the Lemming is a traditional Inuit fable, and is based off of Roselynn Akulukjuk’s live-action and puppetry short film of the same name. This is a simple story of pride getting in the way of a tasty dinner on the Arctic tundra.After a long winter, Lemming comes out of her burrow to gorge herself on the tasty moss. Owl, who is also hungry, sees Lemming, and blocks the entrance to her home. Unable to pass, Lemming realizes she will have to trick Owl into moving away from her home. She suggests to Owl that he lean back, and look up into the blue sky - “No way! I am not stupid!” She then suggests that Owl wait for a fatter lemming to come by - “Why would I want to wait for a lemming that might never come out when I can just eat you?” Finally, Lemming suggests they have a contest to see who can jump the highest.The book is written simply enough that it could be used for children to practice their reading, though the text size is small and compact, making pointing a challenge. The illustrations are a combination of photographs of the tundra landscape, with Owl and Lemming superimposed as cartoon figures, which makes for an odd juxtaposition. However, the cartoons do allow for Owl and Lemming to show their personalities and reactions to their respective predicaments.Overall, this is an entertaining story, and the illustrations help to root it in the Inuit tradition. This book would do well in both schools and public libraries.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Andrea QuaiattiniAndrea Quaiattini is a Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta’s JW Scott Health Sciences Library. While working as a camp counsellor, she memorized Mortimer and The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch as bedtime stories for the kids. She can still do all the voices.

Diabetes Camp Counselors: An Exploration of Counselor Characteristics and Quality of Life Outcomes.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of volunteering at a diabetes camp on emerging adults with and without type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Methods Thirty counselors with and 22 without T1DM (19.07 ± 2.71 years old) volunteered at a 1-week T1DM camp in the northeastern United States. Counselors with T1DM had a range of self-reported A1C scores (5.8% or 39.9 mmol/mol to 14.0% or 129.5 mmol/mol). Self-report measures of quality of life, hope, and well-being were completed pre- and postcamp at 4 time points: 1 month before camp, arrival at camp, final day of camp, and 2 months postcamp. Open-ended questions regarding counselor experiences were analyzed to understand camp effect. Results There were significant differences between counselors' levels of trait hope in comparison to published norms. There were few clear differences in psychosocial outcomes pre- and postcamp; however, some increases in well-being were revealed in anticipation of camp. Major reasons for volunteering included assisting others and reciprocating or continuing a perceived positive experience as a camper. Conclusion No changes in psychosocial outcomes pre- to postcamp were observed. However, measures used in this study may be poorly defined for a counselor population. Further research on the characteristics of emerging adults who choose to be camp counselors is needed. By understanding the demographics of this population, health professionals can help target individuals to become camp counselors as well as enhance the camp experience to fit their developmental needs.

Commentary: Positive Youth Development Goes Mainstream.

Evidence has accumulated that confirms the success of a positive youth development (PYD) approach. Importantly, a positive development approach is just that-an approach. It is not a particular program or curriculum but a set of practices designed to achieve one or more positive outcomes. As such, PYD practices can be added onto other programs to make positive outcomes more likely. For example, a tutoring program can work hard to hire and train staff to work with students in a trusting, respectful relationship. Camp counselors can be encouraged to build rapport and positive bonds among the campers.

Supplemental Summer Literacy Instruction: Implications for Preventing Summer Reading Loss

Summer reading loss is a prevalent problem that occurs primarily for students who are not exposed to or encouraged to read at home or in summer programs when school is out. This problem prevails among early readers from low-income backgrounds. This study provided 31 six and seven-year-old children with a structured guided reading program through an existing community summer program (e.g., YMCA). Specifically, camp counselors were trained to deliver scripted guided reading instruction daily in ability groups consistent with student age. Researchers were able to establish the need for reading instruction to, at minimum, prevent summer reading loss by administering the Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) prior to intervention. Further, weekly oral reading fluency assessments were completed for all participants throughout the 9-week reading program. Results suggest that both six and seven-year-old children performed consistently across the summer program, without any summer reading loss measured. The implications for practitioners and researchers from this simple, efficient summer reading program are discussed.

Transformative Leadership: The Camp Counselor Experience

A study, utilizing focus groups, was conducted with teens serving as camp counselors at the North Central 4-H camp in Missouri. High school students, 14-18 years old, served as camp counselors during a four-day residential camp the summer of 2014. Each counselor was a current 4-H member and had served as a 4-H camp counselor in Missouri for at least one year, some serving as many as five years. Comparing two training models, evidence was found that intentional training sessions are crucial for the empowerment that leads to transformation.

Development of a Competency Model for a State 4-H Camp Counselor Program

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Residential camp counselors are responsible for campers 24 hours a day, thus they have a great impact on the camp environment and contribute to the quality of a camp program (Garst, Browne, & Bialeschki, 2011). Nationally and in Ohio, 4-H is known for its use of teens as camp counselors. Ohio 4-H’s continued commitment to a quality camping program led us to consider developing a camp counselor competency model. Competencies are individual knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with high performance. Competency modeling may benefit an organization by supporting better processes for recruitment, selection, training, and performance evaluation. We reviewed competency models developed for camp professionals (American Camp Association, 2010) and youth development professionals (Astroth, Garza, & Taylor, 2004; National Collaboration for Youth, 2004; Starr, Yohalem, & Gannett, 2009). However, there were no models suited to the roles and responsibilities performed by teen camp counselors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a competency model for Ohio 4-H camp counselors. A mixed-method research design was used, with an emphasis on qualitative approaches. Methods used included a review of literature, interviews, modified nominal group technique, focus groups, and a survey. The process included data gathering, analysis, integration, and peer debriefing in four phases: (a) review of literature, document review, and idea generation; (b) new model development; (c) model validation; and (d) final refinement and confirmation. Roles and responsibilities form the basis for a competency model; there were 16 agreed upon for Oho 4-H camp counselors. After several iterations, 15 competencies met the criteria for inclusion in the final model. Eight competencies were considered essential by half or more of the 4-H professionals who responded to the survey: health, wellness and risk management; supportive relationships; professionalism; role model; teamwork and leadership; child and adolescent development knowledge; thinking and problem solving; and cultural awareness. The remaining competencies received very important as their highest rating: program planning, teaching and facilitating, professional development, personal commitment, communication, self-direction, and understanding the organizational and camp environment. In addition to a definition, three to seven key actions further described each competency. Ohio 4-H professionals have begun to align their county-based training, statewide training, and curriculum development with the model. We discuss implications for research and make recommendations for using the model and applying results. The process reported here could serve as a model for other organizations that might be interested in creating, updating, or refining a competency model. Subscribe to JPRA

Changes in Perceived Burnout among Camp Staff Across the Summer Camp Season

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Burnout is considered a major problem in a variety of occupational contexts, and especially in human service professions. Researchers have postulated that burnout could result in the reduction of performance, quality of life, and other factors including turnover and absenteeism (Whipp, Tan, & Teo, 2007). Given the negative consequences associated with burnout syndrome, scholars have begun investigating factors that fuel individuals to thrive in the face of adversity and avoid feelings of burnout. To date, there is lack of depth examining the prevalence of burnout in camp contexts; initial results indicate substantial deterioration of well-being and high levels of burnout in camp counselors during the summer (Bailey, Kang, & Kuiper, 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between camp counselors’ resiliency and levels of burnout at different phases throughout the summer. The participants in this study were 80 summer camp counselors from one traditional, residential summer camp in the U.S. Northeast. The sample was comprised of 38 males and 42 females. The average age of the participants was 19.20 years (SD = 2.07), with the majority of participants being Caucasian (77), with the remaining participants reporting African American (2), and Asian (1). All staff members completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory three times, and the CD-RISC, a multidimensional measure of resilience, once during the summer. Following initial assessments, 3 x 2 (Time x Gender) Mixed ANCOVAs were used to examine changes to the three burnout constructs of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment over time while taking gender into consideration and holding perceived resilience constant. Based on the metric underlying the scale of measurement, perceived depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment were low at all three iterations. Emotional exhaustion was low-moderate at time point one, and low at time points two and three. Based on the mean values K. males perceived significantly higher depersonalization at all three time points. No significant differences were found between males and females for emotional exhaustion, reduced personal accomplishment, or resilience. Camp counselors who displayed high resiliency tended to present depressed levels of emotional exhaustion during the third iteration of the survey. Furthermore, resilience correlated significantly with reduced personal accomplishment at each of the three iterations. This suggests that counselors with high resiliency were shielded from the effects of burnout specifically at the end of the summer. Subscribe to JPRA

Influence of a Training Program on Camp Counselors’ Perceived Competency When Accounting for Prior Camp Experience

The purpose of this study was to evaluate summer camp counselors’ perceived competency prior to and after an 8-day training at an independent for-profit overnight camp. The participants in this study were 101 camp counselors who were employed at an overnight summer camp in the northeastern United States. Counselors’ perceived competency was measured with a 21-item survey with seven subscales including typical day routine, conflict management, counselor expectations, safe camp environment, relationships, develop camper skills, and behavior management, prior to and following staff training. Results from the survey indicate increases across all constructs were significant, and the three factors with the largest increase after the orientation training were typical day routine, counselor expectations, and developing camper skills. The two factors with the smallest increase were behavior management and creating a safe camp environment. Devoting additional time teaching tangible methods on how to handle conflict and cultivate camp skills may similarly lead to stronger competency in staff. In the future, integrating video module training for staff prior to training may be beneficial.Subscribe to JOREL