Youth Camp Research Articles

Model of Transnational Online Serial Sociocultural Lectures for Overseas Chinese Children and Its Evaluation

Abstract Previous lectures targeted at overseas Chinese children have mostly been offline in the form of youth camps sponsored by the Chinese governments before the COVID-19 pandemic and are now usually administered online in a single-topic format transnationally post-pandemic. This form of “one-to-many” singular online lectures comes along with discontinuity, mass audiences, chaos, and being less tailored to the individual needs and context, failing to meet the evaluation metrics in different evaluation levels. This paper proposes a model of transnational online livestreaming serial socio-cultural lectures for overseas Chinese children, which puts forward the synergy of lecturing staff from higher educational institutions (HEIs) in China and students at Chinese language schools (CLSs) worldwide as participants. Lecturing staff from needs and context HEIs can guarantee sufficient keynote speakers for “one-on-one” mode and cope with the above-mentioned problems. After the implementation of five sessions of these serial lectures, evaluation of this model shows that the pre-lecture, during-lecture, and post-lecture stages have are applicable. Furthermore, for sociocultural lectures, the audience may be more interested in literature classics than folk arts from a specific region. Correlation analysis reveals that younger children have a better evaluation of this model and an improved inclination to attend lectures, which sheds light on the improvement of sociocultural lectures as online lectures are preferred among overseas Chinese children.

The Lasting Benefits of Multiyear Camp Programming for Youth from Low-Income Backgrounds

Summer camps are a common youth development setting in North America; however, youth from lowincome backgrounds often cannot attend because of financial barriers. Subsequently, although a robust camp literature exists, little is known about the lasting benefits for youth from low-income backgrounds. Even less is known about how these outcomes may differ based on the number of years youth attend a multi-year camp. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term outcomes camp alumni reported as attributable to camp and that remain important in their life today. Eighteen outcomes examined via a cross-sectional retrospective survey completed by 449 camp alumni between the ages of 18 and 40 (mage = 22.1, SD = 5.17) were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance to examine the within-subject and between-subject associations between years attended camp and alumni reported outcomes. Alumni of multi-year camps for youth from low-income backgrounds reported that camp was important to the development of many outcomes that are useful to their lives today. The more years that alumni attended a multi-year camp program, the greater the impact they reported that camp had on outcomes important to them today and the more likely they were to have completed post-secondary education. The results of this study provide evidence that practitioners and policy makers may use to advocate for funding to make camp programs more accessible and supportive for youth from low-income backgrounds, and to support youth year-round to stay engaged with camp programs.

Youth eco-consciousness and environmentalist identity development at a summer camp

Developing youth eco-consciousness is a crucial step to resolving the climate crisis. Existing literature supports that immersive experiences like camps can change participants’ understanding and connection to nature (Khanaposhtani et al., 2010). In the first author’s work as an environmental educator at a youth camp in California, she collected qualitative data on how environmentally engaged learning affects eco-consciousness in youth. Through pre- and post-camp session surveys, interviews with participants, and field note observations, three major findings emerged. First, environmentally engaged learning has significant positive impacts on youth eco-consciousness, including shifts in attitudinal responses and behavior. Second, there is an inequitable distribution of environmental education in traditional K-12 schooling. Finally, youth today are increasingly aware of the severity of climate change, experiencing severe bouts of climate anxiety. These findings demonstrate the value of environmentally engaged education and how these experiences can create more eco-conscious citizens.

Reconciliation Through Co-Learning: A Dietetic Intern’s Journey With the Two-Eyed Seeing Program

The Two-Eyed Seeing Program is a Mount Saint Vincent University-based program that partners with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and programs to promote, decolonize, and indigenize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through summer camps for Indigenous youth. In the summer of 2022, Megan Churchill, a settler, was the dietetic intern with the Two-Eyed Seeing Program. The commentary shares her experiences throughout the dietetic internship placement, including meeting with Elder Dr. Albert Marshall. Throughout Megan’s dietetic internship placement, she noticed that Indigenous Knowledge and values are rarely incorporated into university STEM education; therefore, this commentary advocates for Indigenous studies and knowledge to be made mandatory in university settings.

Pro-Government Political Youth Associations in Russia: Modern History

The object of scientific research is political youth associations associated with pro-government political parties of the Russian Federation during the specified period. The subject of scientific research is the activity of domestic political youth associations in the political, public, cultural and spiritual life of the Russian Federation in the modern period. The purpose of the study is a comprehensive analysis of the activities of political youth associations and determining their place in the socio-political life of the Russian Federation in the 1990s - at the beginning of the XXI century. General scientific and special historical research methods were used. Among the general scientific research methods, the method of formal logic, the method of analysis, the method of synthesis, and the statistical method were used. Among the special historical methods were used: historical-comparative, historical-typological, problem-chronological, structural-functional method, historical-genetic, method of expert assessments. The article reveals the main pages of the history of political youth associations in the modern conditions of rapid rotation of youth movements. Youth associations associated with pro-government political parties of the Russian Federation are considered. Various forms of their activity are revealed. The characteristic of the political activity of organizations having a close connection with political parties is given. The ideological foundations of these associations are described. The study concluded that the key feature of pro-government youth associations in Russia is the presence of a developed idea about the possibility of broad representation of youth in power. In their activities, youth party associations, as a rule, focus on methods that may be of interest to young people – youth camps, public contests, forums, discussion platforms, pickets, rallies. At the moment, the main pro-government youth force in the country is the All-Russian public Organization "Young Guard of United Russia".

Research on the Construction of Outdoor Camps for Youth in Central Cities of Four Border Provinces under the Strategy of Promoting Science, Education and National Development

Research on the Construction of Outdoor Camps for Youth in Central Cities of Four Border Provinces under the Strategy of Promoting Science, Education and National Development

Rewriting History: Allocating the Ganmukhuri Patriot Youth Camp in the Memory Politics of the Post-Rose Revolution Regime

The article allocates the opening of the Ganmukhuri Patriot Youth Camp (GPYC) near the border of the conflict region of Abkhazia to a timeline of other historical processes unfolding in the same region. By doing so, the broader historical context is rebuilt and the chronological sequence of the events is reconstructed. The orderly investigation of the historical processes that led to the erection of the Ganmukhuri patriot camp only a kilometer from the administrative Abkhazian border and its demolition by Russian military forces reveals the motives standing behind the initiative to build the youth patriot camp in the conflict area. The United National Movement (UNM) government built the camp in 2007 as a part of an extension of the state-sponsored programme, planning to set up youth patriot camps across Georgia. The GPYC was sheltering approximately six hundred youngsters during the summer vacation. By reconstructing a chronological sequence of the events, the article addresses whether or not the Ganmukhuri camp was part of the revanchism of the UNM government and if these spaces, like other patriot camps, were used to reinforce the official memory politics of the ruling party. In the process of analysis, we are to disclose whether participants of the camp were used as a human shield against Russian military aggression and if the building of the camp was a well-planned provocation of the UNM to justify their aggressive campaign of reclaiming the territories lost in the near past. For this, the paper examines the historical context and looks closely at the environment, disposition, and inner structure of the camps.

'It's like a never-ending diabetes youth camp': Co-designing a digital social network for young people with type 1 diabetes.

Living with a chronic condition such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects everyday life and support from others experiencing a similar situation can be helpful. A way to receive such support is to use an online network where people can connect and share experiences. Research has described the benefits of using such tools for connecting patients. The aim of this study was to describe the co-design of a social network for young people with T1D and to describe their experiences when using this network. A co-design approach was used, following three steps adapted from Sanders and Stappers (2008). In all, 36 adolescents with T1D participated. Data in the form of recordings and notes from telephone interviews, workshops and focus groups were collected and then analysed using content analysis. Numerical data from the digital platform were also used. For the interpersonal values, supporting, learning and relating to emerge, the framework of the network must be appealing and user-friendly. The limits of time and place are eliminated, and there is a possibility for many more to join in. Co-design ensures that what stakeholders think is important forms the basis for the design. The interpersonal values that are promoted are ones that only the exchange of lived knowledge and experience can generate. It is complementary to the support that healthcare professionals can offer; thus, this kind of social network is important for improved, coproduced care. The participants in the present study were persons living with T1D. They were active co-creators from the start to the end. An adult person with experience of living with T1D was involved as an advisor in the research team when drafting the manuscript.

Sense of mastery and attitude towards illness: Examining longitudinal benefits of a medical specialty camp for youth with sickle cell disease.

Medical specialty camps can play an important role in the positive development of psychosocial outcomes for children and youth with sickle cell disease (SCD). This study examined how sense of mastery and attitude towards illness outcomes changed over 6months for 100 campers aged 8-16years with SCD. The outcomes were measured twice before and twice after camp. Latent growth curve modeling was used to analyze data. Results showed no changes in the outcomes for this study population. Implications for future research designs, populations, and outcomes are discussed, as are implications for communications about camp, and policy and practice.

Sacred Encampment

Each year in the summer months in the United Kingdom, some Orthodox young people gather to live together for a time. They live, work, eat, play, worship and sing together, in a community that mimics a small village or even a monastery. For many, this may be their first exposure to some of the Church services, to the rhythms of prayer and hymnography. It may be the first time they have heard these prayers and hymns in a language they understand. Organisers understand that teaching young people about the faith as a lived reality is a vital part of helping young people who may not see other Orthodox people in their daily lives outside the home. In this paper, I reflect on interviews with attendees and organisers of some of the Orthodox youth camps in the UK, past and present. I will consider the importance of a shared musical tradition amongst young people and seek to identify lessons for the wider engagement of young people through music.

Healthcare utilization after mass trauma: a register-based study of consultations with primary care and mental health services in survivors of terrorism

BackgroundKnowledge on healthcare utilization after mass trauma is needed to strengthen the public health preparedness to such incidents. Using register-based data, this study had a unique opportunity to investigate how young survivors’ use of primary care physicians (PCP) and mental health services (MHS) changed after a terrorist attack.MethodsWe examined register-based data on PCP and MHS consultations among 255 survivors (52% male) of the 2011 Utøya youth camp attack in Norway 3 years before and after the attack, and their reason for encounter with the PCP according to the International Classification for Primary Care (ICPC− 2).ResultsThe PCP and MHS consultation rates (CR) were higher in female than male survivors both acutely and at long-term. The mean yearly CRs increased from 2.25 to 4.41 for PCP and 1.77 to 13.59 for MHS the year before and after the attack in female survivors, and from 1.45 to 3.65 for PCP and 1.02 to 11.77 for MHS in male survivors. The third year post-attack CRs for PCP were 3.55 and 2.00; and CRs for MHS were 5.24 and 2.30 in female and male survivors, respectively. Among female survivors, 76% consulted PCP and 12% MHS the year preceding the attack; post-attack 93% consulted PCP and 73% MHS the first year; decreasing to 87 and 40% the third year. Among male survivors, 61% consulted PCP and 7% MHS the year preceding the attack; post-attack 86% consulted PCP and 61% MHS the first year, and 67 and 31% the third year. As for PCP consultations, there was a particular increase in psychological reasons for encounter following the attack.ConclusionsThis study indicates that it is important to anticipate an increased healthcare utilization several years following mass trauma, particularly of MHS. Both PCP and MHS practitioners played important roles in providing healthcare for psychological problems in young survivors of terrorism in a country with universal and largely publicly financed healthcare and a gatekeeping system. The healthcare utilization could be different in countries with other health systems or psychosocial care responses to mass trauma.

Examination of Green Consumption Profile of the Youth Who Attended the Youth Camp Related to Awareness Attitudes and Behaviour

Bu çalışmanın amacı gençlik kamplarına katılan gençlerin yeşil tüketime yönelik tutumları, subjektif normları, algıladıkları davranışsal kontrolleri, algılanan tüketici etkililikleri, çevresel bilgi ve kaygıları, davranışa yönelik niyetleri ve gerçek satın alma davranışlarını tespit etmek ve bu değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir. Araştırmada, nicel paradigma kapsamında betimsel model ve korelasyonel model kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın verileri Gençlik ve Spor Bakanlığına bağlı Çamkoru Gençlik Kampı (Ankara), Yol Konak Gençlik Kampı (Kastamonu) ve Ondokuz Mayıs Gençlik Kampına (Samsun) katılan ve tesadüfi örneklem yoluyla seçilen gençlerden oluşan gönüllü 100 katılımcıdan elde edilmiştir. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak “Kişisel Bilgi Formu” ve “Yeşil Tüketim Davranış Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde, ilk olarak normallik sınaması yapılmış ve yeşil tüketim davranışına yönelik tutum, subjektif normlar, niyet, algılanan davranışsal kontrol, algılanan tüketici etkililiği, yeşil satın alma davranışı, çevresel bilgi ve çevresel kaygı boyutlarının gençlik kamplarına katılan gençlerin kişisel özelliklerine göre farklılıklarını belirleyebilmek için uygun testler kullanılmıştır. Yapılan analizler sonucunda yeşil tüketim davranışı ölçeği alt boyutlarından tutum, niyet, algılanan tüketici etkililiği ve çevresel kaygı ile cinsiyet değişkeni arasında, çevresel kaygı ile yaş değişkeni arasında, algılanan davranışsal kontrol ile gençlik merkezine üye olma, eğitim ve anne eğitim durumu arasında, tutum ile baba eğitim durumu arasında farklılık belirlenirken diğer değişkenler arasında bir farklılaşma belirlenmemiştir. Son olarak gençlik kamplarına katılan gençlerin Yeşil Tüketim Davranışı Ölçeği alt boyutlarının hem yeşil satın alma davranışı ile hem de genel yeşil tüketim davranışı ile arasında pozitif ve doğrusal anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu belirlenmiştir.

Changes in healthcare utilization after mass trauma: A register-based study of young survivors’ utilization of primary care and mental health services before and after the Utøya attack in Norway

Abstract Introduction Using register-based data, this study had a unique possibility to investigate how young survivors’ use of primary care and mental health services (MHS) changed after a terrorist attack. Methods We analyzed data on consultations with primary care physicians (PCP) and MHS among 255 survivors (48% female) of the 2011 Utøya youth camp attack in Norway three years before and after the attack, and their reason for encounter with the PCP according to the International Classification for Primary Care (ICPC-2). Results The majority of survivors consulted PCP both before and after the attack, with a marked increase in psychological reasons for encounter after the attack. Few consulted MHS before the attack, while most survivors did after the attack. In total, 93% of female survivors and 88% of male survivors consulted PCP in the three years before the attack, compared to respectively 98% and 96% in the three years after the attack. Moreover, 17% of female survivors and 11% of male survivors consulted MHS in the 3 years before the attack, compared to respectively 80% and 65% in the 3 years after the attack. From the year before to the year after the attack, the mean yearly consultation rates (CR) increased two-fold for PCP and nearly 8-fold for MHS in female survivors, and more than two-fold for PCP and nearly 12-fold for MHS in male survivors. Both before and after the attack, the consultations rates for PCP and MHS were higher for female than male survivors. The levels of posttraumatic stress, depression and anxiety symptoms and somatic symptoms were also higher in female survivors both early and at long-term after the attack. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that both PCP and MHS played important roles in providing healthcare for psychological problems in young survivors of terrorism in Norway. Potential implications for public health preparedness to mass trauma will be discussed in the presentation.

Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta Variant) in a Youth Camp Associated With Community Spread, Nebraska, June-July 2021.

Objectives:During June–July 2021, an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 occurred among attendees of a summer youth camp in Nebraska. We assessed the factors that contributed to onward transmission of disease.Methods:The Four Corners Health Department conducted an outbreak investigation and recorded both laboratory-confirmed and self-reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 and mitigation measures employed. We generated sequences on positive specimens, created an epidemic curve to assist with outbreak visualization, and examined epidemiologic, genomic, and laboratory outcomes.Results:Evaluation of 3 index cases led to the identification of 25 people with COVID-19 who interacted directly with the camp. Contact tracing revealed an additional 18 cases consistent with onward community transmission. Most (24 of 35, 68.5%) vaccine-eligible community cases were not vaccinated. We sequenced 8 positive specimens; all were identified as the Delta variant. Precamp planning incorporated local health officials who recommended wearing face masks, practicing social distancing, and using attendee cohorts to limit mixing of people involved in various activities.Conclusion:Low vaccination levels and poor face mask–wearing habits among attendees resulted in secondary and tertiary spread of SARS-CoV-2 and severe outcomes among young adults. This outbreak of COVID-19 at a youth camp highlights the importance of vaccination and use of other measures to interrupt opportunities for SARS-CoV-2 spread in the community and shows that vaccinated people remain vulnerable to infection when in an environment of high exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Proactive case identification and interruption of chains of transmission can help decrease the number of cases and avoid further severe outcomes.

Prince Csaba, Lead Your People Once More: Hungarian Nationalist Rock and Performance of Place in Szekler Land

EMI Tábor (Transylvanian Hungarian Youth Camp) took place in Szekler Land, a majority-Hungarian region in Transylvania that has been a part of Romania since 1920, and an object of nostalgic gaze from Hungary ever since. This nostalgia takes its most radical form in nemzeti (nationalist) rock bands, which are featured at the camp among other evening performances of rock music. This article underscores the importance of the Szekler Land and people in Hungarian nationalist projects, which often use Szeklers as an idealized representation of the nation. EMI Tábor is one place where a reification of Szekler Land takes place, based on historical and mythical connections. By applying a theoretical framework of nationalism and participatory music to performances by two nemzeti rock bands at the camp, I demonstrate how nationalist rock works as a vehicle for populist mobilization, and how Szekler Land is essential to a past that furthers the Hungarian state’s articulation of an identity positioned between East and West in the post-socialist landscape.

Addressing the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse among the youth in the Presbyterian churches in Kenya

This article sought to assess the reasons for the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse among the youth in the Presbyterian churches (PCEA) and to investigate the success rate of the strategies used by the PCEA in addressing alcohol and drug abuse among the youth. Three PCEA regions were selected using the multistage cluster sampling technique. A proportional sampling technique was used to get PCEA Presbytery moderators, church elders, Parish ministers and youth members. The youth who are abusing alcohol and drugs were identified through the snowball sampling technique. Purposive sampling was used to select the Youth Director. A descriptive survey research design was used to obtain qualitative data. Instruments for data collection were questionnaires, structured interview schedules and focus group discussions. Data were analyzed qualitatively and presented in summary form using frequency tables and discussions. The study established that the reasons for the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse among the youth in the PCEA are peer influence, curiosity and easy availability of alcohol and drugs. The strategies used by PCEA in addressing alcohol and drug abuse include seminars and workshops (56%), bible studies (31%), alcoholic forums (44%), youth camps and conferences (56%), rallies and crusades (43%), guidance and counselling programmes (45%), youth engagement in community work (71%) and having a drug education desk (30%). The study recommends that the Church should reassess the strategies with the aim of making them more effective. The youth should be involved in the management of the strategies.

Influence of Training on Staff Performance in Egyptian Youth Camps

Influence of Training on Staff Performance in Egyptian Youth Camps

Using Partnerships to Create a Medical Specialty Camp for Youth with Diabetes

Complications associated with a complex chronic illness, specifically, type 1 diabetes, negatively impact youth as they struggle to maintain healthy lifestyles. Type 1 diabetes is the second most common chronic illness affecting youth as well as one of the most psychologically and behaviorally demanding illnesses. Fortunately, organized camps have been shown to positively influence long-term outcomes for youth. Family Diabetes Camp, the only family medical program in the state where this study occurred, was created in collaboration with a local university, a diabetes center at a hospital, and a chapter of the Lions Club. This collaborative camp program aimed to test the effect of active participation in a Family Diabetes Camp upon youth outcomes for campers with type 1 diabetes. Specifically, the purpose was to evaluate the impact of a collaborative medical camp on campers’ resilience and youth developmental outcomes (e.g., independence). Family Diabetes Camp was designed using Outcome-Focused Programming (OFP) to promote positive youth development. The Family Diabetes Camp included 50 campers for the pre-test and post-test (n= 19 males and n= 31 females). While there were no statistically significant differences from pretest (M=4.97, SD= .53) to post-test scores (M=5.01, SD= .46), with t(50) = -.56, p= .57) researchers found a slight increase in resilience from pre to post-test. Using a retrospective measure, campers showed gains in the seven critical youth development outcomes identified by the American Camp Association. Finally, campers learned new knowledge about site injection, carbohydrate counting, and the use of exercise to help manage their diabetes. The impact associated with adapting activities and an environment to encourage, analyze, and challenge resilient behaviors is essential in encouraging independence, shared experiences, and effective disease management for youth living with type 1 diabetes. The camp, solely staffed by volunteers, included physicians, diabetes educators, certified therapeutic recreation specialists, dietitians, nurses, pump specialists, recreation professionals and students, and Lions Club Members. The camp program is unique not only in how it fills a void for youth with type 1 diabetes but how three large organizations work in concert to meet the needs of entire families. These types of data can be instrumental in establishing more camps and other out of school time programming that positively impacts quality of life, health care cost, and mortality among youth with type 1 diabetes.

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.

Christian summer camps for Indigenous youth in Canada: a settler colonial analysis

ABSTRACT The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Final Report and Calls to Action highlighted the need for the truth about Indian residential schools to be known and the responsibility of churches and religious groups to take action to enact reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Summer camps for Indigenous youth run by Christian organizations in Canada are sites that have not yet been given scholarly attention. Within this context, ‘What is happening in these spaces’ is a simple question, but one behind which is the heavy weight of residential school history and the TRC’s Calls to Action. In this paper, we share the results of our research, which was informed by a settler colonial studies lens, and internet-mediated document analysis of camp websites, as well as questionnaires and semi-structured interviews completed with those who operate and work at these camps. Our research addresses an important, but neglected, area of study and makes a timely and applied contribution to leisure studies.