Camp Counselors Research Articles

Challenges and prospects for preparing future educators for camp counselor roles at children’s summer camps

Challenges and prospects for preparing future educators for camp counselor roles at children’s summer camps

The relationship of clinical and psychological characteristics with the syndrome of emotional burnout and neuropsychic maladjustment of summer camp counselors

Emotional burnout and professional maladaptation are quite common problems for many professionals who work with people, especially teachers. It is known that the phenomena under consideration can not only be related to each other, but also lead to serious problems with somatic and mental health, and can also provoke poor-quality, negligent performance of their duties, which, in turn, can lead to even greater negative consequences. To date, in the scientific literature there is practically no analysis of the connection between emotional burnout and neuropsychic maladjustment with other clinical and psychological characteristics of summer camp counselors. At the same time, the initial results of research into the level of burnout and work maladjustment indicate a fairly wide distribution of these phenomena. The purpose of our research was to study the relationship between the clinical and psychological characteristics of children's camp counselors and the level of their emotional burnout and neuropsychic maladjustment. The study involved 81 counselors from different children's camps with 24-hour stay. All employees completed a package of methods aimed at studying emotional burnout, neuropsychic maladaptation, motivation, personality structure, reflexivity, anxiety, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. The article presents the results of a study of correlations between indicators of emotional burnout, the level of neuropsychic maladaptation with other clinical and psychological characteristics of children's camp teachers. These phenomena are associated with a number of personal characteristics: anxiety, emotional intelligence, communicative competence, personality structure. In particular, counselors with a low level of burnout and a low level of maladjustment were characterized by sociability, trustfulness, emotional stability, an adequate reaction to conflict situations and a low level of anxiety. The results obtained are partially confirmed by our previous research and make a new contribution to the understanding of those factors that influence the state of counselors in terms of human capital. However, we also identified some contradictions in the data, such as the lack of a statistically significant connection between emotional burnout and the level of motivation. This indicates that motivation may play a less significant role in the formation of burnout among summer camp counselors compared to other professional groups, such as teachers. Of particular interest is the conclusion about the connection between the level of emotional burnout and neuropsychic maladjustment. There is a high level of maladaptation among counselors with a high level of burnout, which indicates a connection between these phenomena.

Influence of a Summer Wellness Program on Bullying Reduction Among School-Age Children

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine children’s, camp counselors’, and activity leaders’ perceptions toward the effects of a 4-week teaching personal and social responsibility model-based summer learning and enrichment program and its ability to reduce bullying behaviors among school-age children. Method: Data collection included semistructured interviews with 30 children and eight camp staff. Child participants completed the following pre- and postsurveys: Personal and Social Responsibility Questionnaire and the Illinois Bullying Scale. In addition, daily observations over a 4-week period were recorded in a field notes log. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations, and all observational and interview data were coded using inductive and deductive techniques. Results: The results indicated that the implementation of teaching personal and social responsibility model was perceived to be associated with reduction in the bullying. Conclusion: Findings from the present study suggested teaching personal and social responsibility facilitated social and emotional learning and improved children’s personal and social responsibility.

Retaining Camp's Most Valuable Resource: A Study on the Fulfillment of Counselor Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness and their Impact on Willingness to Return

Within the United States, recruiting, hiring, and retaining seasonal staff continues to be a major concern for the summer camp industry. In fact, retention of qualified seasonal staff was the number two (of seven) top emerging issues among American Camp Association professionals. Low staff retention rates are problematic because training is expensive, re-hiring consumes resources, and too much turnover creates instability. Camp administrators need solutions and tools to better understand, and support components of counselor needs, which in turn could improve staff retention. The current study utilized Basic Needs Theory (BNT), a sub theory of Self Determination Theory (SDT), to explore how the degree of need fulfillment and counselor experiences impact a staff member's willingness to return to work the following summer. Data were collected at a large rural coed residential summer camp and a total of 114 staff (mean age = 20.5, SD = 2.07) participated. The Work Basic Needs Satisfaction Scale (W-BNS) was administered to understand the fulfillment of autonomy, competence, and relatedness among camp counselors throughout the summer. A quasi-experimental design was used and baseline responses (pretest) for W-BNS items, dosage (weeks worked), camper years, counselor years, and willingness to return to work at camp were compared to posttest responses using independent sample t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Multiple regression analysis was used to develop the process and final model to understand the predictors for the dependent variable of staff willingness to return the following summer. Results indicated that dosage was not a significant predictor of willingness to return the following year. In addition, the number of years working at camp was negatively related to staff retention (β = -.402) and camper years positively predicted retention (β = .282). Relatedness (not autonomy or competence) was the most salient basic need predictor of staff retention (β = .288). Camp experience predictors of dosage, camper years, and staff years did not relate to measures of W-BNS but were the only predictors directly related to willingness to return. Results indicated that camp experience and W-BNS items were separate and distinct predictors of a staff member’s choice to return to work. This study expands upon a model for understanding need fulfillment and motivation amongst emerging adults within a summer camp work setting. Camp managerial and programmatic implications related to need fulfillment, training, and culture are discussed.

Give and gain: Black engineering students as near‐peer mentors

AbstractBackgroundEngineering‐oriented bridge programs and camps are popular strategies for broadening participation. The students who often serve as counselors and mentors in these programs are integral to their success.PurposePredicated on the belief that mentoring contributes to positive outcomes for the mentors themselves, we sought to understand how undergraduate student mentors approached and experienced their work with a 6‐day overnight, NSF‐sponsored youth engineering camp (YEC). This study was guided by the question: How did YEC camp counselors approach and experience their roles as mentors?Design/MethodsWe conducted an exploratory qualitative study of four Black undergraduate engineering students' experiences with and approaches to near‐peer mentorship in the YEC program. Data consisted of transcripts from two post‐program interviews and one written reflection from each participant. We analyzed data through abductive coding and the funds of knowledge framework.ResultsThrough subsequent interpretation of code categories, we found YEC mentors: (1) engaged in altruistic motivations as YEC mentors, (2) leveraged previous experiences to guide their approaches to mentorship, and (3) engaged in self‐directed learning and development.ConclusionsThis study highlights the knowledge and strategies that YEC mentors drew upon in their roles, and how they sought and achieved various personal, academic, and professional benefits. Insights from this study illustrate how near‐peer mentors can support their and others' engineering aspirations.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Online Delivery of Affective Curriculum for Gifted Students

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the online delivery of an affective curriculum for gifted and talented youth to gain further understanding of its effectiveness and perceived advantages and disadvantages of delivering affective curriculum online. Using convergent parallel mixed-methods design, we evaluated data from 38 secondary education students and 4 camp counselors to examine their experiences with the online delivery of an affective curriculum. We found the curriculum effectively increased students' self-perceptions, planning, and self-monitoring. Further, camp counselors generally perceived the online delivery to be effective and identified several benefits of online delivery, such as increased access and easier differentiating. Yet, they continued to prefer a face-to-face delivery where possible. Implications for practice are discussed.

Leader Activity Fundamentals Module in the Curricula of Teacher Training

The article deals with the issues of training counselors in higher education organizations in accordance with the letter of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation dated 08.08.2017 no. TS-56/09 “On the inclusion of the program in the main professional educational programs” Leader Activity Fundamentals module. The author of the article focuses on the content of the professional standard “Specialist involved in the organization of the activities of the children’s collective (leader)” dated December 25, 2018 no. 840n and points out the insufficiency of the introduction of the Leader Activity Fundamentals academic discipline into the curricula of bachelors, since the theoretical overview course is clearly insufficient for training in the profession of counselor and one discipline it is not able to solve the problem of high-quality training of the required employee of the children’s camp. According to the author, the Leader Activity Fundamentals module is integrative in nature and should include several disciplines combined in thematic blocks, mandatory of which are: theoretical, practical and scientific and methodological. The author expresses an opinion on strengthening practical orientation in the training of leaders (introduction to the curricula of a game workshop and a methodological course, an instructional gathering, summer pedagogical (leader) practice as part of professional training), on cooperation with potential employers (remote meetings to prepare for work under the program of changing a specific camp, consultations on employment issues, preparation of methodological material, etc.). The scientific and methodological block of training camp counselors should be represented by writing a research paper (term paper, final qualifying work) and passing the final certification (differentiated credit).

Pedagogical Conditions for the Professional Development of a Children’s Summer Camp Counsellor

Pedagogical Conditions for the Professional Development of a Children’s Summer Camp Counsellor

The Potential of a Children's Health Camp in the Personal birth of a Counselor

The article was prepared based on the results of a study conducted in children’s health camps in 2022. The article analyzes how the professional activity of a children’s health camp counselor affects the development of a number of personal qualities and abilities in young people. The study was conducted by the method of questioning, in which counselors from four regions of the Russian Federation took part (Novosibirsk region, Perm region, Rostov region, Tyumen region). The results of the study are confirmed by a large sample - more than four hundred and fifty counselors working in children’s health camps on the second and third shifts took part in the survey. The purpose of the article is to analyze the possibilities of a counselor in the personal development of young people - counselors of children’s health camps. Methodology and research methods. The methodological basis of this study includes: an approach to education as a process of creating favorable conditions for personal development; approaches underlying humanitarian, social, pedagogical expertise; ideas reflecting positional, humanistic, event-based approaches. The main research methods used to solve the set tasks and achieve the goal were analysis and synthesis, as well as empirical methods - a sociological survey, questionnaires via the Internet. The conclusion of the article presents the conclusions that professional activity as a counselor of a children’s health camp contributes to the development in young people of such groups of qualities as organizational, communicative, professional and humanistic attitude. The personal development of counselors is facilitated by both preliminary training at the schools of counselors of children’s health camps and within the framework of special disciplines in universities and colleges related to teacher education, as well as working conditions in a children’s health camp: almost round-the-clock interaction with children, responsibility for their life and health, responsibility for the quality of the organization of their recreation and recovery, the desire to make it interesting and creative, and much more. In the process of work, the relevant qualities are formed and developed, which is another effect of the activities of the children’s health camp.

Invest until the End? Examining Camp Counselor Experiences of Inevitable Exit, Identification, and Support

This research examined how camp counselors anticipate and experience inevitable exit from roles centrally characterized as requiring intensive emotional work. This study extended previous inquiry on planned exit from organizations, examining the way known exit shapes socialization, identification, and social support in helping professions. The researchers analyzed counselor membership and exit experiences through three primary themes regarding inevitable exit, identification, and support. This study theoretically contributes to current scholarship on organizational exit and offers practical insight regarding member care in the workplace, specifically demonstrating that members often hyper-invest or completely withdraw as they anticipate inevitable exit from emotionally-intensive roles.

A Simulation Training to Prepare Camp Counselors for Working With Children at Camp HOPE America

Camp has proven to be an effective positive youth development strategy for children and youth who experience trauma and adversity. However, training camp counselors who are prepared to meet the needs of trauma-exposed youth in these settings are less understood. This pilot evaluation study provides the results of a social simulation-based training for counselors who will work with children who have witnessed family violence through Camp HOPE America. Survey data (N = 76) and content analysis from video recorded training sessions in simulation that used standardized actors and scenarios from the 1st year (n = 37) were conducted. Repeated measures ANOVA results indicated statistically significant improvements from pre- to post-instruction simulation in counselors’ hope scores (p < .001); their knowledge and confidence in recognizing and reporting physical/sexual abuse, and self-harming behaviors (p < .001); as well as significant increases in their knowledge and confidence in de-escalation, preventing difficult situations, and building campers’ hope (pl < .001). Further, analysis of simulation videos suggests that camp counselors used new skils from the training during the simulation experience. Participants showed gains in knowledge, confidence, use of skills, and an overall increase in hope after completing the simulation training.

Therapeutic recreation camps for youth with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: perceived psychosocial benefits

BackgroundThe psychosocial burden of having a chronic disease can be substantial for adolescents with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). Current literature is scarce on interventions that can improve psychosocial outcomes for this population. Therapeutic recreation camps have been proposed as a beneficial experience for chronically ill pediatric populations. However, their effective components have not been well characterized in patients with cSLE. In this study, we sought to understand the various components of the camp experience for adolescents with cSLE from both the patient and parent perspective.MethodsWe recruited patients with cSLE who had participated in one or more annual, weekend-long recreational lupus camp(s) near Dallas, Texas. Semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews were conducted from March-June 2020 with both the patients and parents. Questions focused on overall patient experience, psychosocial impact of camp participation, coping skills gained, and opportunities to prepare for the transition from pediatric to adult care. Interviews were coded and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsWe interviewed 9 current and former campers (ages 16–24), including a current camp counselor, and 3 of their parents separately. Reported benefits included a positive impact on social support through peer bonding, opportunities to develop coping mechanisms through structured activities and peer/medical staff interactions, opportunities for education about the cSLE disease experience, improved adherence through peer modeling, overall increase in self-efficacy, and better parental insight into the patient experience. Participants also provided suggestions for expansion and improvement in program development to optimize educational opportunities for both campers and parents. In addition, they advocated for longitudinal social support and community building.ConclusionsIn this qualitative study, in which cSLE patients and their parents reflected on their experiences with therapeutic recreation camps, we found several perceived benefits impacting the patient and parent experience. Participants expressed a desire for more educational opportunities that could contribute to their successful transition from pediatric to adult care. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the effects of therapeutic recreation camps on the psychosocial health of this population.

A Virtual Skin-Model-Building Activity Educates Campers With Chronic Skin Disorders and Their Families

A Virtual Skin-Model-Building Activity Educates Campers With Chronic Skin Disorders and Their Families

507 Capturing Growth and Change Through the Burn Camp Experience

IntroductionThe American Camping Association (ACA) has asked in their study titled, Youth Development Outcomes of the Camp Experience: Evidence for Multidimensional Growth, “In what ways do children change because of camp experiences?” Our burn camp program wanted to answer this same question about the medical specialty camp experience. Camp counselors and staff have been addressing this question in their camp summary reports for years, focusing on independence, social relationships, and adventure/risk taking. This project asked campers and caregivers/parents to rate their experiences of change in these key areas of growth and development.MethodsThe ACA supported the development of the Camper Growth Index instrument. We selected items from this larger scale to address three areas of change in our burn camp population: Independence/Leadership, Adventure/Exploration, and Social Skills. Three to four items were selected for each area based on the strength of their factor scores in the original study, relevance to our medical specialty camp setting, and the growth we were already documenting in our counselor reports.Campers ages 8–18 and their caregivers/parents rate items addressing these areas on a 4-point Likert scale (disagree a lot, disagree a little, agree a little, agree a lot). Sample questions are “I am good at doing things on my own”, “I like to talk to kids I don’t know yet”, and “My child likes to try new activities”. Items are phrased in positive and negative directions (reversed scored).All 60 campers and caregivers received these questions prior to camp. The same questions will be sent 3 months post camp to assess change in these areas.ResultsPreliminary findings from the pre-camp responses indicate positive evaluations in these three areas. We will be gathering post-camp responses from youth and caregivers / parents to assess change over the camp experience and return to home and school.ConclusionsBurn camps are a vital part of the burn rehabilitation and aftercare experience for young burn survivors and their families. Documenting the change we all believe happens at burn camp (and hear about anecdotally from our campers and families) remains an important task. The Camper Growth Index utilized by the broader ACA study allows us to assess the camper and caregiver/parent experience of this change.

Development and initial validation of a camper-counselor relationship scale

Residential summer camps, one of the most popular organized programs for children in the United States, may promote several aspects of positive youth development. These positive outcomes may stem in part from camp counselors, who often forge close relationships with youth, but few studies have examined these relationships. To facilitate this research, we developed a camper-reported camper-counselor relationship quality scale. In Study 1, scale items were created and/or adapted and evaluated through expert ratings and cognitive interviews. Exploratory factor analyses using data from 318 campers (ages 7–15) from Jewish overnight camps supported the hypothesized three-factor structure. In Study 2, confirmatory factory analyses of data from a second group of 324 campers from similar camps confirmed the three-factor structure and showed preliminary evidence of concurrent validity; camper Jewish identity scores and age were positively associated with camper-counselor relationship quality. Implications for practice and continued research and validation are discussed.

A Group Contingency to Increase Walking Speed At a Residential Summer Camp

Groups of children often transition between activity spaces in both academic and recreational settings. In schools, children may be asked to walk as a group between the classroom and spaces such as a cafeteria and playground whereas summer camps similarly use different spaces for separate activities throughout a scheduled day. Interdependent group contingencies have previously addressed school-based transitions (e.g., timely transitions game); however, limited research has applied similar interventions to recreational settings such as summer camps. An ABAB design was used to evaluate an interdependent group contingency with visual feedback to increase walking speed between activities across one group of seven 10- to 11-year-old boys at a residential summer camp. The results showed that the intervention was effective to increase the average speed walking, in feet per second, for the group of boys. Further, there were high rates of intervention fidelity, and acceptability among camp counselors.

Psychological State of Camp Counselors with Type 1 Diabetes who Have Attended Diabetes Camp.

IntroductionBy 2050, more than 580,000 children in the United States will be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Management of T1D requires careful and continuous intervention, and children with T1D experience unique challenges in disease management compared to their adult counterparts. Diabetes camps are designed to help those with T1D learn diabetes management skills while experiencing summer camp. Psychological aspects are not addressed explicitly in diabetes camps located in Kansas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychological state of past campers and camp counselors from one diabetes camp in Kansas.MethodsCampers and counselors, all of whom had T1D, and attended diabetes camp from 2015 to 2019 in Kansas were recruited to complete a survey about diabetes-related stress, diabetes management self-efficacy, and symptoms of depression. A link to the online survey was distributed to previous campers and counselors by email and through Facebook.ResultsA total of 24 camp counselors and 10 campers were surveyed, 100% of whom reported having T1D and attending camp at least once. One-third of respondents (n = 8) reported having severe diabetes-related stress, and 100% (n = 34) reported high levels of diabetes management self-efficacy. Most participants reported moderate levels of depression, and 9% (n = 3) reported a past suicide attempt. These results suggested a relatively high prevalence in signs of psychological distress from former campers and camp counselors with T1D.ConclusionsThis study suggested that campers and counselors with T1D have high levels of diabetes-related stress, high diabetes management self-efficacy, and many signs of depression.

The effects of an exposure therapy training program for pre-professionals in an intensive exposure-based summer camp

Abstract Although exposure therapy (ET) is an effective treatment for anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, many clinicians report not utilizing it. The present study targeted common utilization barriers by evaluating an intensive ET training experience in a relatively inexperienced sample of pre-professionals. Thirty-two individuals at the undergraduate or college graduate level without formal clinical experience participated as camp counsellors in a 5day exposure-based therapeutic summer camp for youth with anxiety disorders and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Participants were trained in ET through a progressive cascading model and answered questionnaires before and after camp. Repeated measure MANOVA revealed significantly increased feelings of self-efficacy conducting exposures, and significantly decreased feelings of disgust sensitivity and contamination-related disgust from pre-camp to post-camp. A subset of individuals providing data 1 month after the camp maintained a significant gain in ET self-efficacy. Regression analyses revealed that contamination-related disgust, but not disgust sensitivity, significantly predicted post-camp ET self-efficacy. These findings suggest that individuals early into their post-secondary education can learn ET, and the progressive cascading model holds promise in its utility across experience levels and warrants further investigation. Disgust may also play a role in feelings of competency conducting ET. Implications on dissemination and implementation efforts are also discussed. Key learning aims (1) How can training of CBT techniques such as exposure occur prior to graduate education? (2) Can self-efficacy in conducting exposures meaningfully increase in an experiential training of pre-professionals? (3) How does an individual’s tolerance of disgust impact feelings of competence conducting exposures?

The PLAYground: An Online Summer Camp for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

The PLAYground summer camp was developed by the Playful Learning Lab (PLL) at the University of St. Thomas, an undergraduate research group with a focus on learning through play. Through a partnership with a local school serving deaf and hard of hearing students, the PLAYground was designed to provide content to the deaf and hard of hearing community. Over the course of 8 weeks, 84 students were provided with materials that correspond with activities on the website. Each activity is accompanied with a lesson plan and video, both of which are available in English, American Sign Language, Spanish, and Arabic. Students participating in the PLAYground also had the option to meet with camp counselors via Zoom weekly to build community and create together.

Using participatory culture-specific consultation to support the mental health needs of summer camp staff.

Nearly 30% of all U.S. youth attend summer camp each year, making it one of the broadest reaching out-of-school-time interventions in the country. Camp provides a space for seasonal employees, who are often emerging adults, to explore work values and identity, engage in mentoring and support opportunities, and stay connected to a community larger than themselves. However, research on camp experiences also suggests camp settings and expectations around emotional and physical care can cause counselors to experience burnout, compassion fatigue, and reduced job satisfaction. Using participatory culture-specific consultation, the current study addressed a gap in the literature about systemic interventions to manage camp counselor mental health by designing, implementing, and evaluating a mental health consultation model at one of the largest YMCA summer camps in the country. Results suggest the intervention effectively addressed certain administrator and staff needs; results also suggest the model could be refined to more effectively respond to the particular contextual challenges of summer camps. Implications and recommendations for other summer camps are discussed.