Summer Camp Research Articles

Where Was Sarai, the “Capital” of the Jochid Ulus? Some Perspectives for Research on Sarai

Abstract Regarding Sarai – the “capital” of the Jochid ulus (Golden Horde) and the “metropolis of the Qipchaq Steppe” – it is the established theory that Old Sarai was located at the Selitrennoe site, and New Sarai at the Tsarevskoe site, both on the Akhtuba River. However, new theories that disagree with this have emerged: these theories claim that there was only one Sarai, or that Sarai was located at different places. First, I examine these new theories, and show that, indeed, there may have been two Sarais, old and new. Next, I argue the following possibilities: the lower Volga valley between Sarai–Hajji Tarkhan as winter camp and Ukek–Bulgar as summer camp was the “capital region” of the early Jochid ulus; Saraijuq has been discussed as being the khans’ burial grounds (qoruq), however, from archaeological surveys and the “[dynasty] table” (jadwal) in the Paris manuscript of Muntakhab al-Tawārīkh-i Muʿīnī, Sarai (and its suburbs) also assumed that role.

How Constructivist Learning Impacts Secondary Girls’ STEM Career Interests

This is a quantitative study that examines how constructivist learning in a summer camp impacted middle school and high school girls’ STEM knowledge, self-efficacy, and ultimately, their interests in future STEM learning and growth. An online survey was used to collect information from thirty-one girls at the end of a five-week summer camp. The results are mostly confirmative of past studies that used student-centered project-based authentic STEM learning with significant gains in students’ understanding of STEM, self-efficacy, and interests in STEM for future development. The unique contribution of the study, though, is the finding that, when given the opportunity to engage in active learning and problem-solving, girls’ interest in STEM subjects could be substantially boosted; the constructivist learning environment along with their gains in STEM knowledge can compensate any insufficiency in self-efficacy in this regard. This study provides insight about the importance of instructional approach in STEM education.

People Designing for People: A One-Week Human-Centered Design Engineering Summer Camp for Pre-College Students

People Designing for People: A One-Week Human-Centered Design Engineering Summer Camp for Pre-College Students

Preparing for (Dance) Camp: 30-Day Challenge

Most high school and collegiate athletic teams attend some type of camp to prepare for their upcoming season. This article provides a 30-day challenge to help high school and college dance teams to improve their overall physical fitness while they prepare for summer camp. The ideas can also be modified to meet the needs of other athletic teams.

Do Great Minds Think Alike? Gifted Male and Female Students’ Perceptions of Mathematics

Many researchers have debated potential differences between male and female students’ mathematical performance. One important factor that can impact performance is perception of the content. The purpose of the study is to investigate factors that impact high-ability male and female students’ perspectives of mathematics. Participants ( n = 12; n f = 5, n m = 7) attended a 10-day residential summer camp during which the researchers conducted individual, semistructured interviews with each participant. Using a thematic analysis, the researchers examined the interview transcripts for themes by gender. Six common themes emerged between male and female students: perseverance, performance, self-efficacy, enjoyment of content, social component, and life relevance. Female students reported that adult influence was also a factor. Further examination showed that female students are more likely to report enjoyment of content as a factor, whereas males are more likely to report perseverance and performance.

The Development of Specific Training Programs to Improve the Speed, Agility, Quickness, and Pass-Receiving Performance of Soccer Players

Background and Aim: In the field of college-level soccer, the quality of training mode is directly related to the overall competitive level of the team and the individual performance of the athletes. However, although soccer training at the college level is often aimed at specialization and systematism, research has shown that several common problems prevent the optimal results of training. These problems may involve a lack of personalized, targeted, or scientifically based training programs that limit overall improvement in speed, agility, quickness, and pass-receiving performance. Some college-level soccer training programs may fail to adequately account for individual athlete differences and fail to accurately locate and address bottlenecks in specific skills and abilities. This can lead to erratic training results, making it difficult for some athletes to perform at their best in competition. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth analysis of the problems existing in the current college-level soccer training and propose a specific training program to promote the athletes in the key skills and abilities more targeted. To address these issues, this study aims to develop a specific soccer training program to improve the speed, agility, quickness, and pass-receiving performance of college-level soccer players. A specific training program is a training method that combines different training methods and principles, which can make full use of the advantages of various training methods and avoid the disadvantages of various training methods, to achieve the best training effect. The main purposes of this study are as follows: 1) To explore the training elements and mechanisms related to speed, agility, quickness, and pass-receiving performance and to provide a theoretical basis and guiding principles for specific training programs. 2) Design and implement a specific training program to provide college-level soccer players with a novel and effective way of training to improve their skill level and competitiveness. 3) To evaluate and compare the effect and improvement of the specific training program, to provide empirical evidence and suggestions for the optimization and innovation of soccer training. Materials and Methods: This study’s main objective is to develop of specific training program to improve speed, agility, quickness, and pass-receiving performance for soccer players. In this experiment, 32 school soccer players from Jiying University were selected as experimental subjects by simple random sampling. The experimental group (N=16) underwent specific training intervention, while the control group (N=16) underwent regular training. The test indicators were selected from the "2021 National Youth Campus Soccer Summer Camp Best Team Selection Test Measures" jointly issued by the Ministry of Education and the Department of Physical Health and Art in April 2021. There are 5 test indicators in total: the 10-meter sprint test (sec), Agility test (sec), Pass-receiving Performance (sec), quickness test (sec), and Pass performance (sec), which mainly examined the comprehensive test plan of various special physical qualities such as athletes' speed, agility of dribbling change direction, quickness, pass-receiving performance. The experimental group then followed a specific training program for 8 weeks, 3 days, and 1.30 hours per day. Result: The results showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups of athletes before the experiment (p > 0.05), which provided a basis for the experiment. After 8 weeks of experimental, the experimental group 5 test indicators had significant differences compared with the control group and also within the experimental group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This specific training program can improve the pass-receiving performance of soccer players.

Authentic braille literacy development through interdisciplinary instruction and learning

Incorporating braille across disciplines and into authentic settings may increase motivation and acquisition. This paper explores the merging of science content instruction with authentic braille literacy development using drama strategies during a summer camp for elementary students with visual impairments and the co-occurring teacher preparation for authentic braille instruction. This study measured braille proficiency in reading and writing and science content knowledge of student participants before and after the weeklong interdisciplinary summer camp. Pre-service teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) that were co-teaching with in-service TSVIs also completed the braille proficiency measures in reading and writing. The interdisciplinary camp experience and culminating museum event described in the present study provides a potential model for how to design interdisciplinary learning experiences for students with visual impairments to develop braille literacy and science content understanding.

Teaching and Learning Visual and Arts-Based Inquiry: Collaborative Visions and Possibilities in Graduate Education

This paper describes a doctoral seminar in visual and arts-based inquiry (V/ABR) to champion the generativity of such approaches for advancing doctoral research. We first describe the social and institutional context of the course and its design to situate the projects and the need for creating institutional spaces to amplify creative inquiry approaches in doctoral education. Then, five researchers reflect on their research approaches, including comics, collaging, critical visual analysis, a virtual walkography, and photo-elicitation. The projects focused on contemporary issues including researcher identity, racial justice, mothering crises, and Christian summer camps, collectively underscoring the productivity of V/ABR inquiry for amplifying researchers’ imaginaries and processes of becoming. We underscore the necessity of exploring qualitative diversity in doctoral education to unsettle fixed inquiry approaches that Bailey (2018) calls “methodological taxidermy.” Collectively, we demonstrate the vitality of advancing doctoral research using creative methods in relational, socially responsive, and critical, visionary ways (Finley, 2003).

Exploring Careers in Education and Leadership (ExCEL): Outcomes from year one of a high school education camp

PurposeThe paper aims to address the increasing issue of teacher shortages and the lack of diversity in America’s educators. Highly diverse communities need ways to support community members interested in careers as teachers. This article explores one promising approach to reach and inspire high school students considering the teaching profession. Camp ExCEL (Exploring Careers in Education and Leadership) provided a pathway allowing rising high school seniors an opportunity to explore the teaching profession. This pathway utilized the Grow Your Own framework, recruiting students from a diverse community and providing them resources and information that would further efforts to become an educator within their community.Design/methodology/approachThe current study examined outcomes from an education summer camp, using qualitative thematic analysis to reflexively interpret participants’ (n = 29) feelings and beliefs about effective teaching, culturally responsive teaching (CRT), project-based learning (PBL) and their camp experience. Data were collected using Google documents and surveys. The four connected themes that emerged were obstacles and barriers to teaching, qualities of an effective teacher, the impact of culturally responsive teaching and project-based learning on classrooms, and the importance of mentorships within education.FindingsThe paper provides insight about how an education camp can support high school students as they explore a career in education. Results suggest that focus on high-quality pedagogy can support student understanding of the career. Students also suggested their perception of effective teaching that includes acknowledging the needs of the whole student, modeling high-quality teaching practices and displaying positive professional dispositions.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to conduct and examine education camps further.Practical implicationsThe paper includes implications for the development of other education camps, especially in areas with highly diverse populations.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills an identified need to increase the number of persons pursuing a career in education. The focus on a highly diverse community is also an area of need in education. This article details the description of an education camp and the curriculum used, along with findings from data collected during the first year.

Interplay Among Self-Regulation Processes Over Time for Adolescents in the Context of Chronic Stress

ABSTRACT Developmental changes in self-regulation are theorized to underlie adolescents’ engagement in risky behaviors, physical health, mental health, and transition to adulthood. Two central processes involved in self-regulation, self-management (i.e. planning, concentration, and problem-solving) and disinhibition (e.g. distractibility and impulsivity) appear to develop asynchronously and may be differentially activated based on contextual factors. Using a sample identified based on exposure to chronic stressors, we investigated how changes in self-management and disinhibition affect each other over time and whether these changes occur differently for boys and girls. Youth aged 8–16 (N = 708) who attended a U.S. summer camp self-reported on components of disinhibition and self-management. Cross-lagged structural equation modeling revealed a reciprocal relationship between self-management and disinhibition, with anger coping and distractibility emerging as critical factors in shaping this relationship. Changes in concentration, planning, and problem-solving were components of self-management that drove subsequent changes in boys’ disinhibition (for girls, however, planning did not). Autocorrelations for both broad processes remained strong from year to year, indicating a high degree of stability in rank order despite the myriad of physical, cognitive and socioemotional changes that occur during adolescence. We discuss implications of the reciprocal model with a focus on the relative pliability of components from each process and strategies for shaping them. Planning, concentration and distractibility are highlighted as potential targets for intervention.

Empowering young people-the impact of camp experiences on personal resources, well-being, and community building.

Personal resources and resources of the sociocultural environment help children and adolescents to successfully cope with challenges in everyday life, which is associated with better individual well-being. SCOUT, the 'Study on Competence development in OUT-of-school settings', investigated whether participation in a summer camp enhanced adolescents' personal resources, well-being, and readiness to contribute to the community. The research took place during the Swiss National Jamboree of the Swiss Guide and Scout Movement, a two-week event in the summer of 2022, with a paper-pencil pretest (beginning of the camp - T1) and posttest (end of the camp - T2) survey (N = 607, aged 14-17). Confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine whether personal resources, well-being, and readiness to contribute to the community changed over time, and structural equation models were applied to test the direct and indirect effects of caring support from group leaders on the development of these variables. In less than two weeks, camp participants demonstrated increased empathy, emotional self-control, optimism, and assertiveness. Furthermore, the adolescents reported more positive emotions, higher self-esteem, and stronger readiness to contribute to the community. Group leaders played a crucial role by influencing the positive development of well-being and readiness to contribute to the community both directly and indirectly through the promotion of personal resources. The findings indicate that young people benefit not only from participating in collaborative activities in a stimulating environment, but also from caring support provided by their group leaders.

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.

Assessing Camp Provider Needs Related to the Mental, Emotional, and Social Health of Youth and Staff: Implications for Parent Communication, Human Resources, and Transition of Care

Children, adolescents, and young adults are experiencing increases in mental, emotional, and social health (MESH) challenges including anxiety and depression. Out-of-school time (OST) program providers such as summer camps rely on effective communication with parents and other stakeholders to provide for these MESH needs, and the development of before and after program communication processes are viewed as a promising strategy for MESH response across youth program settings. In addition, OST program providers seek human and educational resources for meeting the MESH needs of program participants, and they also try to match available MESH resources to the work demands of their frontline staff who are tasked with responding to youth MESH needs when they arise. The importance of these topics is not reflected in available research informing recommended OST provider practices. Thus, this study examined program provider communications with parents about their youth’s MESH needs as well as program provider MESH resource utilization. Our three research questions were as follows: (1) What parent communication approaches do camp providers use to support youth MESH needs?; (2) What information is communicated to parents, teachers, or healthcare providers regarding youth MESH before and after camp?; and (3) What supports and resources do camp providers need to better manage MESH issues? Findings from this research highlight camp provider MESH-related parent communications and resource utilization. Notably, while respondents indicated requesting general MESH information on the health history form, further assessment and documentation of these identified MESH issues within- and across-camp seasons was lacking. Respondents also indicated camp nurses as the most prevalent human resource. Collectively, these results indicate that camp providers and out-of-camp stakeholders acknowledge the benefit of health history reporting and communication with regard to MESH challenges as well as providing MESH resources to meet employee job demands.

INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE (IBD) COMMUNITY PREFERENCES FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT: THE ROLE AND SCOPE OF PEER SUPPORT FOR YOUTH WITH IBD

Abstract INTRODUCTION Youth with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) experience psychosocial challenges which can negatively impact their body image, self-efficacy, IBD symptoms, and risk of disease recurrence. Peer support programs have high desirability amongst IBD patients and can improve disease management skills, self-efficacy, and mental health generally. Existing peer support programs vary, ranging from one-on-one peer coaching to professionally-led support groups to IBD summer camps. However, there is limited research identifying best practices for peer support in IBD. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a framework that centers patient voices in all phases of research, providing an opportunity to equitably represent patient preferences in the development of peer support programs. METHODS Our mixed-methods community survey was disseminated across the US to adults eighteen or older with IBD via patient organizations. This survey assessed patient preferences for a peer support program, including structure (e.g., support group, 1:1 mentor, group activities) and program topics (e.g., body image, social life, medical care). Participants ranked these on a 5-point Likert scale (from “Not at all important” to “Extremely important”) and also had an open-ended opportunity to provide other topic suggestions. Given our CBPR approach, we recruited a Patient Advisory Board (PAB), composed of adults diagnosed with IBD in childhood, and conducted one-on-one interviews to assess patient perspectives of the survey results. RESULTS Our sample included 77 participants (mean age 29, 39.5% with ulcerative colitis, 60.5% with Crohn’s disease). Participants ranked doing non-IBD activities (e.g., games, meals) as quite a bit important, while IBD activities (e.g., IBD comic book) were ranked moderately important. PAB members emphasized that the strength of a patient-led support program is the shared experience and “normalcy” of having IBD, and that limiting a program to IBD activities wouldn’t allow for spontaneous conversation and trust-building. The average ranking of all topics surveyed fell between “extremely important” to “quite a bit important.” In order of importance, topics included navigating social life and mental health, increasing independence while growing older, planning for the future, communicating with the healthcare team, disclosure to friends, navigating school, body image, medical management, and nutrition. Themes suggested by participants included sexual intimacy, fertility, and advocacy. PAB members emphasized the role of peer support interventions as complementary to medical care, and specifically, how peer mentorship can allow for ‘real world’ examples of navigating life with IBD, outside traditional topics discussed in medical appointments. We will use this mixed-methods data to inform our design of a novel IBD peer support program.

Lived Experiences of Head Campers in Summer Camp

Summer camps have proven effective in providing opportunities for social contact, personal development, and the improvement of the problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities of the students. However, significant findings about head campers’ lived experiences in the field are scarce, especially in the Philippine context. To provide a groundwork of the phenomenon, this study delved into the head campers' lived experiences in preparation and implementation phases using the descriptive phenomenology of Husserl. At the same time, Colaizzi’s seven-step method was used in thematic analysis. Individual guided interviews were utilized to gather participants’ responses. Nine head campers who were active participants from the beginning up to the end of the program served as the participants of the study. Based on the participants’ narratives, the following themes were generated: a) preparation phase: triumphs in camaraderie, teachers are willing to learn new subject matter, time constraints in preparing the resources, and no ample time to review new subject matter; b) implementation phase: develop students’ positive learning behavior, develop students’ thinking skills, Students unable to master the fundamental knowledge, and teachers are struggling to integrate higher order thinking skills. The findings implied that despite the sector and participants’ efforts to make the program successful, there were still untoward instances that are beyond the program’s expectations. Therefore, mentoring sessions and feed-backing activities all throughout the implementation must be strengthened and closely monitored by higher authorities so they can provide immediate and practical assistance for the head campers.

Narratives About Memorable Camp Experiences: Fostering Growth in Youth from Low-Income Backgrounds

Background Summer camp is an experiential learning setting that supports youth development. Due to high fees, youth from low-income backgrounds often have fewer opportunities to attend. Subsequently, there is little literature about these youth’s camp experiences. Purpose This research examined growth and the characteristics supporting growth in memorable camp experiences shared by youth more than one year after attending camps for youth from low-income backgrounds. Methodology We collected written narratives via an online survey distributed May 2022. A total of 352 youth ( Mage=16.06; SDage=0.88) provided narratives. About 56% of youth identified as female and about 23% of youth identified as a youth of color (36% identified as white; race/ethnicity data was not available for about 40% of youth). Considering the entire narrative as the unit of analysis, we inductively coded narratives for growth and characteristics supporting growth. Findings We identified growth in 33% of youth’s narratives (e.g., adopting new perspectives, discovering passions, value clarification, developing resilience). Growth occurred when youth had opportunities to try new activities, overcome challenges, or felt accepted and connected with peers or staff. Implications These findings provide useful information for practitioners and serve as a foundation for research about youth from low-income backgrounds’ camp experiences.

A dual design thinking - universal design approach to catalyze neurodiversity advocacy through collaboration among high-schoolers.

Neurodiversity describes the fact that humans all have different brains with unique qualities that contribute to society. Though understanding of neurodiversity is gaining traction among the general public, there remains considerable stigma and prejudice toward neurodiverse people. One way to combat these issues is to teach individuals about neurodiversity and encourage them to develop advocacy skills. Development of such knowledge is especially important for adolescents, as they have the capacity to make small (e.g., interpersonal interactions) and large (e.g., school-wide) impacts. Eighty-nine high schoolers participated in a two-week virtual summer camp in 2022; research consent/assent was obtained from 19 (11 neurodiverse/neurodivergent). Campers learned about neurodiversity, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Design Thinking (DT) through lectures from researchers and neurodivergent people, as well as group activities and discussions. Campers worked in small groups to design a neurodiversity advocacy project based on the principles of UDL and DT. Each group was facilitated by camp counselors-some of whom were neurodiverse-who were all committed to neurodiversity advocacy. Participants completed questionnaires about autism, ADHD, and dyslexia pre- and post-camp. Some also completed optional post-camp interviews. Pre-camp stigma toward neurodiverse conditions was generally low. However, autism stigma was significantly higher than dyslexia stigma (Z = -2.24, p = 0.025). After camp, autism stigma decreased (Z = -2.98, p = 0.003;) and autism [t(13) = 3.17, p = 0.007] and ADHD [t(13) = 2.87, p = 0.013] knowledge improved. There were no significant changes in ADHD or dyslexia stigma or dyslexia knowledge. Participants reported enjoying collaborating with other campers and learning about UDL and DT. Thematic analysis of interviews generated four themes: Increased Understanding of Neurodiversity; Increasing Empathy and Becoming Less Judgmental; Creating a Neurodiverse Community; and More Awareness is Needed. This pilot investigation suggests that a virtual summer camp can be effective in improving attitudes toward and knowledge of neurodiversity. Qualitative analysis indicated participants became more accepting after the camp, both in terms of being less judgmental toward neurodiverse people and more self-accepting among neurodivergent campers. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of such a program, particularly with diverse samples of students.

Why Robotics for Children? A Case Study on Middle and High School Students Learning Robotics in Summer Camp

Why Robotics for Children? A Case Study on Middle and High School Students Learning Robotics in Summer Camp

Exploring Children’s Online Summer Camp Adventures through Creativity and Problem Solving

Summer camps can help children continue to learn beyond school, build knowledge, keep their learning skills sharp, and help them prepare for the following school year. This paper presents participants’, facilitators’, and researchers’ experiences in a “Problem Solvers Camp” held in the Maker Lab at an Ontario University. A total of 12 junior students participated in a one-week summer camp, during which the participants developed plausible solutions for mathematical and instant problems using their creativity while learning some mathematical concepts. The creative learning spiral (CLS) model was adopted while designing the learning activities. Throughout the camp, children had the opportunity to work with virtual tech tools to design, create, and play to complete their challenges. Afterward, they shared their work for feedback and generated new ideas to promote their creative learning. The data were collected through observations, participants’ work, and their portfolios to highlight the campers’ experiences throughout the camp. On the last day of the camp, the researchers also ran focus group interviews. Data analysis showed that CLS might offer engaging environments that enhance children’s creative and reflective thinking skills to solve real-life problems. This study enabled children to engage in all stages of the CLS during problem solving, encouraging the exchange of ideas and opinions. The implementation of the CLS model also has the potential to inspire creativity and enhance learners’ fluency and elaboration skills, especially when complemented by technological or coding tools.

Inclusion in summer camps: Attitudes and perceptions of camp stakeholders

This study is the result of a collaborative project with the YMCAs of Québec (Canada), whose tool “Maximize Participation of all Campers” (MPC) aims to support camp staff in implementing inclusive practices. The objectives were to examine the evolution of their camp staff’s attitudes towards inclusion and to compare their perceptions regarding the implementation of the strategies suggested in the MPC tool subsequent to its use. Data were collected from 32 participants (companions = 17; counsellors = 15) who completed two questionnaires (June and August 2021). Companions’ and counsellors’ attitudes were positive despite a small significant decrease in companions’ attitudes regarding outcomes of inclusion, and both camp stakeholders reported positive perceptions. In conclusion, to support the inclusion of children in summer camps, it is important to nurture the camp staff’s positive attitudes towards inclusion. Accordingly, the MPC tool appears effective, as the staff reported positive perceptions regarding its use.