Summer Camp Research Articles

Children’s memory “in the wild”: examining the temporal organization of free recall from a week-long camp at a local zoo

Free-recall paradigms have greatly influenced our understanding of memory. The majority of this research involves laboratory-based events (e.g., word lists) that are studied and tested within minutes. This literature shows that adults recall events in a temporally organized way, with successive responses often coming from neighboring list positions (i.e., temporal clustering) and with enhanced memorability of items from the end of a list (i.e., recency). Temporal clustering effects are so robust that temporal organization is described as a fundamental memory property. Yet relatively little is known about the development of this temporal structure across childhood, and even less about children’s memory search for real-world events occurring over an extended period. In the present work, children (N = 144; 3 age groups: 4–5-year-olds, 6–7-year-olds, 8–10-year-olds) took part in a 5-day summer camp at a local zoo. The camp involved various dynamic events, including daily animal exhibit visits. On day 5, children were asked to recall all the animals they visited. We found that overall recall performance, in terms of number of animals recalled, improved steadily across childhood. Temporal organization and recency effects showed different developmental patterns. Temporal clustering was evident in the response sequences for all age groups and became progressively stronger across childhood. In contrast, the recency advantage, when characterized as a proportion of total responses, was stable across age groups. Thus, recall dynamics in early childhood parallel that seen in adulthood, with continued development of temporal organization across middle to late childhood.

Serving the Underserved Amid COVID-19: The Case of a Virtual, Culturally Responsive Summer Engineering Camp

The societal disruptions due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are well noted, especially in the context of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Absent a concerted effort to sustain hands-on learning opportunities in STEM amid the crisis, the consequences of COVID-19 may exacerbate existing inequities and racial disparities among youth of color further stratifying the STEM fields. In the current study, we applied a mixed-method descriptive case study design, using online learning theory and culturally responsive pedagogy as our conceptual framework, to describe how participants experienced this camp, held online due to disruptions of COVID-19, in the southeastern region of the USA. We also share findings from the implementation of a justice bots project, which enabled participants to connect social justice and engineering. Participants included middle school youth, undergraduate engineering students, and in-service math and science teachers. Data sources entailed focus groups, pre-post surveys, observations, and artifacts. Our results indicated that participants experienced gains in their communication skills, positive changes in attitudes toward STEM for middle school youth, established meaningful connections, and enhanced their technical knowledge. Middle school youth reported enjoying the online summer camp environment, though they had experienced more than a year of education online. Undergraduate engineering students asserted that it was challenging to communicate coding and other technical knowledge virtually but having to do so strengthened their capacity to teach others while honing their own competencies. Lastly, in-service math and science teachers reported a better understanding of the connection between engineering and social justice based on their experiences in the camp. We conclude this article with implications for engineering education.

Effects of a One-Week Intensive Wellness Camp on Dietary Behaviors among Southwest American Indian Youth

American Indians (AI) suffer the highest rates of diabetes in the United States (US); a chronic disease that is increasingly prevalent among AI children and is associated with increased risk of cancer. A summer camp was developed to improve disease risk-reducing behaviors, including diet, among AI youth in Arizona. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of a one-week intensive summer health camp conducted from 2016 to 2019 on change in dietary behaviors and compliance for Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) among AI youth. AI children aged 10 to 15 years from several Arizona tribes participated in one-week intensive residential camps. Participants engaged in a week of experiential learning focused on healthy eating and physical activity. Twenty-four hour dietary recalls were collected from AI youth by trained staff six weeks before and six weeks after camp. T-tests were conducted to analyze differences in mean intake pre-and post-camp. Diet recalls for 45 children (boys = 19, girls = 26) were included in the current analysis. Results showed a statistically significant reduction in median intake of total fat by 19.5% (P-value = 0.01), and saturated fat by 14.9% (P-value = 0.01). Further, a statistically significant decrease in median energy intake of 18.7% (P-value = 0.002), a 22.9% decrease in total fat (P-value = 0.01), and 22.3% reduction in saturated fat was observed among boys only. However, post-camp, a higher percentage of girls met guidelines for fruit intake (54% vs 26%), percent saturated fat (23% vs 16%), calcium (7% vs 0%) and whole grains (15% vs 0%), while a higher percentage of boys met guidelines for vegetables (63% vs 50%) and sodium (25% vs 23%). The AI health camp was effective at reducing energy intake (kcals/day), total fat (g/day) and saturated fat (g/day) among participants aged 10 to 15 years. The camp was observed to be more effective at decreasing energy, total fat, and saturated fat intake among boys.

Optimal Sequencing in Single-Player Games

An important problem in single-player video game design is how to sequence game elements within a level (or “chunk”) of the game. Each element has two critical features: a reward (e.g., earning an item or being able to watch a cinematic) and a degree of difficulty (e.g., how much energy or focus is needed to interact with the game element). The latter property is a distinctive feature in video games. Unlike passive services (like a trip to the spa) or passive entertainment (like watching sports or movies), video games often require concerted effort to consume. We study how to sequence game elements to maximize overall experienced utility subject to the dynamics of adaptation to rewards and difficulty and memory decay. We find that the optimal design depends on the relationship between rewards and difficulty, leading to qualitatively different designs. For example, when the proportion of reward-to-difficulty is high, the optimal design mimics that of more passive experiences. By contrast, the optimal design of games with low reward-to-difficulty ratios resembles work-out routines with “warm-ups” and “cool-downs.” Intermediate cases may follow the classical “mini-boss, end-boss” design where difficulty has two peaks. Numerical results reveal optimal designs with “waves” of reward and difficulty with multiple peaks. Level designs with multiple peaks of difficulty are ubiquitous in video games. In summary, this paper provides practical guidance to game designers on how to match the design of single-player games to the relationship between reward and difficulty inherent in their game’s mechanics. Our model also has implications for other interactive services that share similarities with games, such as summer camps for children. This paper was accepted by Jeannette Song, operations management. Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Project 72201210] and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [Grant RGPIN-2020-06488]. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4665 .

Feasibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen self-testing in school and summer camp attendees.

SARS-CoV-2 screening is one of the pillars of non-pharmaceutical preventive strategies to early identify and isolate infected individuals and therefore decrease community incidence. We assessed the feasibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 self-testing with antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests in attendees of educational settings. A total of 305 students (88.15%) and 41 staff (11.85%) from 9 to 56 years old participated in the self-testing procedure and answered the survey at the end of the study. 91.3% (n = 313) did not need help, 96.1% of participants reported the same outcome as the healthcare workers. 94.5% strongly or slightly agree with the statement "I would repeat the experience". The study demonstrates that self-testing is acceptable and usable in children, adolescents and adults when the epidemiological situation may require a systematic screening of these populations, although supervision by health care or previously trained personnel is recommended for younger age groups.

Anxiety, COVID-19 risk, and LGBTQ+ youth’s participation in an affirming summer camp

Rising levels of generalized anxiety among LGBTQ+ youth during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic suggest a need for understanding effective interventions for reducing anxiety, as well as factors influencing youth’s risk perceptions and trust pertaining to mental health-focused programming. The current survey-based study captures generalized anxiety, COVID-19 risk perceptions, and trust in a camp organization among 181 youth ages 12 to 18 who participated in an overnight camp for young LGBTQ+ people. Results show that youths’ perceived risk pertaining to COVID-19 at camp was negatively associated with trust in the camp organization and positively associated with generalized anxiety. Participants’ anxiety decreased during camp, and changes in anxiety were influenced by trust in the camp. Findings suggest the importance of trust in engaging LGBTQ+ youth with supportive group programming in the pandemic context, but they also indicate the potential limits of trust in fostering anxiety reduction over time.

Špecifiká prípravy detského tábora pre deti so zdravotným znevýhodnením

Summer camp is one of the occasional leisure activities that are very popular with children. It has a long history and many forms. At the present time, we can meet with the organization of summer camps focusing on various areas of activity, but also on a specific group of children. One of the specific groups of children is also children with disabilities. This is a group of children who may have various limitations in the performance of their leisure activities, resulting from their disability. Here, in this contribution, we focused on identifying the specific requirements that arise in the preparation of a summer residential camp for children with disabilities, specifically for children with cardiovascular diseases. Based on interviews with ten respondents who have long-time been organizing of the camp for this specific group, we found that the organization of summer camps need to take into account the health of children, their higher fatigue, safe and barrier-free environment, as well as constant presence of the doctors and paramedics throughout the children's stay in the camp. The theme of the camp also seems to be significant.

Developing a wearable, skin-based triboelectric nanogenerator

The widespread adoption of alternative energy sources is increasingly important as we try to create a more sustainable future. The wearable electronics field is growing at a rapid rate. In addition to smart devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers, biosensors are becoming progressively more popular to track critical health data. Summer temperatures in Texas regularly rise over 100°F, often coinciding with summer activities and camps. Left unchecked, this can lead to serious consequences, including heatstroke. A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) embedded in one’s shirt can be used to sustainably power a temperature sensor to prevent heat emergencies. We hypothesized that the triboelectricity generated from the friction between one’s skin and a negatively charged material placed on the inside of a shirt would produce enough voltage to power these biosensors. We tested numerous negatively charged materials and conductors to determine the optimal design of the generator. Our results revealed that silicone was the superior negatively charged material, producing nearly twice as much voltage as Teflon and five times more than cellophane. We tested the conductors and found that copper produced over 50% more voltage than aluminum. The wearable triboelectric nanogenerator (W-TENG) utilized silicone and copper, the superior negatively charged material and conductor, respectively. The W-TENG produced an average of 3.6 volts while running, enough to power the temperature sensor. Our project is novel due to its usage of skin as the positively charged material in a hybrid contact-separation/sliding mode TENG. The W-TENG created and tested in this experiment shows promise for tracking body temperature and preventing impending heat emergencies.

ИСТОРИЯ ВТОРОГО ПЕРИОДА ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ СОДРУЖЕСТВА СВЯТОГО АЛБАНИЯ И ПРЕПОДОБНОГО СЕРГИЯ В АНГЛИИ

The purpose of the article is to study the history of the second period of activity of the Orthodox-Anglican Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius. The special historical methods are used. The re-search period of this Christian public society work is be-tween 1939 and 1945. The article describes the work of the Fellowship in the conditions of the Second World War. The author notes that the previously held confer-ences of a theological nature with the participation of Orthodox and Anglicans were canceled. Instead, they were replaced by annual summer camps, where the participants of the Fellowship discussed issues of the relationship between the Orthodox and Anglican Churches. The article shows that in this period of history the dialogue of the Russian Orthodox Church with the Angli-can Church is weakening. The idea of a possible unification of the two churches continued to develop thanks to the activities of the Orthodox members of the Fellowship of St. Alban and St. Sergius. As a result, the author comes to the conclusion that the activities of this organization have positively affected the resumption of dialogue between the Russian Ortho-dox and Anglican Churches. The two church organizations returned to communion in the autumn of 1943 after the Anglican Church leaders visited Moscow.

Living, Caring, Learning – Early education, active lives and tailored treatment in haemophilia care

Abstract Josipa, a haemophilia nurse in Croatia, describes how meeting 18-year-old twins with severe haemophilia A changed her views around joint health and activity in people with haemophilia. The twins had started prophylaxis at a young age, learning to self-infuse at a haemophilia summer camp, and were both sporty and active. Neither had experienced joint damage and, 20 years later, they continue to live active lives. Josipa reflects on her own experience of volunteering at a haemophilia summer camp and teaching young people with haemophilia to selfinfuse. She highlights the importance of talking with patients about their lives and understanding their lifestyle and circumstances to provide a treatment regimen tailored to the needs of the individual. Reflecting on the benefit of activity and exercise to joint health in people with haemophilia, Josipa describes how this has also inspired her to become a Nordic walking coach. She notes that access to more effective treatments has enabled a focus on quality of life in haemophilia care, and the importance of maintaining good physical health in an ageing haemophilia population.

Üsküdar University hosted Science Olympics Summer Camp

Üsküdar University hosted Science Olympics Summer Camp.

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

Communist Armenian Women’s History

A most fascinating chapter of Armenian women’s history unfolded in France during and immediately after WWII. In 1942, led by the novelist and poet LAS (Louise Aslanian), Armenian women participants of the French Resistance founded the Fransahay Ganants Miutyun (“Union des femmes arméniennes”) in Paris. In the first two years of its existence the Union was an underground organization. While LAS was arrested a month before the liberation of Paris and died in the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp soon afterwards, her comrades decided to continue the fight though on a different platform. In November 1944 they came out of the underground and openly organized their first Central Committee. They began working on various “national” (azkayin) agendas such as the preservation of the Armenian language and culture, organization of summer camps for the children of the Armenian poor, financially assisting the families of the fallen resistance fighters, and commemorating the life of LAS, in particular by publishing her unpublished pieces. From early on the Union kept correspondence with Soviet Armenia but its ties became much firmer after Soviet Armenia’s repatriation (hayrenatartsutyun) calls in 1946. In March 1947 the Union began publishing a journal titled Hai Guine (“Armenian Woman”) which continued until 1949 and worked somewhat like a propaganda tool for what they usually called nerkaght (“in-migration”) or azkahavak (“in-gathering of the nation”). Yet dismissing this women’s journal as the mouthpiece of Stalin’s calls would not do justice to its feminist aim and content. This paper analyzes Hai Guine as a socialist feminist journal that was trans-historical and trans-national in its content and in terms of the background of its contributors.

L’impegno della Provincia di Bologna per l’istituzione e lo sviluppo delle colonie estive

The article intends to reconstruct the history of the summer camps managed by the Province of Bologna, with particular reference to those set up to host illegitimate and poor children, assisted by the Provincial institute for childhood and motherhood (Ipim). Through the use of documents held in the Historical archive of Bologna Città metropolitana the essay highlights the changes that, from the 1950s to the 1970s, enabled these institutions to go beyond the charitable and health settings, still predominant in the early years of republican Italy, to become extra-school services characterised by increasing qualification on the educational level.

Summer Camps For Children In Greece

Summer Camps For Children In Greece

Online Robotics Activities During the Pandemic Period – Challenges and Experiences

The situation caused by the Covid-19 made it impossible to keep our traditional inperson summer camps and activities, so our university decided to hold the sessions online. Thus, enthusiastic students aged 13–16 were able to participate in robotics sessions that were fully implemented in the online space. In the article, we want to present the experiences and challenges of these sessions, as well as the way of implementation and the range of tools needed for it.

Nomadic camp as an innovative way to preserve national identity

The article considers the process of introducing new forms of temporary children's associations during summer vacation days for children from indigenous peoples of the north, the Even people, which implies an ecological expedition of children from the Moma ulus of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) to study the ecology of Moma National Park, the Even language, culture and traditional industries of small peoples of the north. The work experience from 2000 to 2021 showed that a similar model of a nomadic ethno-ecological camp can be applied by the Nomads of the North. The Ewens, by their lifestyle, eternal nomads living in extreme conditions, are very protective of the environment, they are suited like no other to nature conservation activities, namely to work in the Moma National Nature Park. Therefore, in addition to environmental education, methods and technologies of folk pedagogy were used during the work, through which children learned and mastered the Even language and culture, were immersed in authentic forms of life and traditional economic activities: domestic reindeer breeding, hunting and fishing, national sewing, as well as customs and rituals, folk dances and games. Today, the pupils of the nomadic camp work successfully in the sphere of protection of nature, as well as in the national economy, including teachers of their native language and national culture. The experience of the temporary youth association has attracted the interest of many specialists, for example scientists from the United States of America who developed the "Deer Trail" project; also, many regions of the Russian Federation have introduced summer camps into educational practise in accordance with their requirements and possibilities.

The development of the Czech concept of education in nature: A tribute to Jan Neuman

ABSTRACT In the Czech Republic there has been a growing interest in education in nature [výchova v přírodě] in connection with accreditation as a field of study. Outdoor experiential educator Jan Neuman, who died in April 2021, was instrumental in the development and formalisation of Czech education in nature programmes over the past 50 years. The aim of this review is to highlight the culturally unique, holistic and multi-disciplinary approaches of the concept of education in nature within the Czech environment, comparing this term with outdoor education internationally. Such cross-referencing of different cultural and indigenous variants aims to enhance outdoor physical activity opportunities in natural environments. We define education in nature in the Czech Republic and highlight the historical development of education in nature, with a focus on turistika activities, summer camps [tábory], and holistic dramaturgy approaches that elaborate on the cultural heritage and unique Czech approach to education in nature.

Sparking entrepreneurial tendencies in youth: Lessons from sport and life skills education in three African cities


 
 
 This practice-based article describes a program that aims to instil an interest in entrepreneurship among African youth by helping them make a connection between the skills they have developed through their participation in sport and the skills required of successful entrepreneurs. The program was developed in partnership between scholars at four universities (University of Botswana, University of Dar es Salaam, University of Ghana and Michigan State University), as well as schools at other community organisations in three African cities: Gaborone, Botswana; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Accra, Ghana. The program, which seeks to contribute to the well-established need for job creation in sub- Saharan Africa, integrated basic entrepreneurship and life-skills training activities into a sports camp for youth athletes. The program appears to have developed entrepreneurial tendencies among youth sport participants in these African cities, suggesting that job creation efforts could benefit from targeting youth sport participants and helping them to recognise the important skills they have developed through their participation in sport, and helping them to identify ways in which that skill development could positively impact their futures.
 
 

Considering the Importance of Attachment in Outcomes: The Case of Summer Camp

Youth programs are consistently described as settings that offer youth developmental experiences. Summer camps are one example of youth programs with empirical evidence suggesting positive outcomes of participation; however, researchers seldom address how youth’s social development, such as attachment, may shape outcomes. By not accounting for differences in attachment, researchers may be missing reasons why youth programs, like summer camps, function as developmental settings that foster outcomes for some youth, but not for others. Using summer camp as an example youth program, the purpose of this paper is to consider the role of attachment in youth outcomes. This article reviews and integrates positive youth development, summer camp, and attachment literature to arrive at a conceptual argument for the importance of including attachment when studying summer camps. Suggestions for how researchers can enhance their efforts by accounting for how attachment may shape youth outcomes are also offered.