The mention of the term “summer camp” often brings to mind cabins nestled in the woods, cool lakes, warm campfires and children having fun as they swim, paddle and play. At traditional residential camps children are imagined to revel in their freedom, overcome challenges, make long lasting friendships and develop into skilled and competent young people. How much of this imagery, however, is based upon a societal discourse constructed by adult values? How often do the actual experiences match these ideals? This study explores the issue of adult driven discourses surrounding the experience of camp by comparing the perspective of camp directors with the description of one of the author’s own childhood experiences. Using narrative techniques, the author composed two distinct descriptions of the camp experience including programmatic, social and emotional elements. The comparison of these two narratives revealed the possibility for distinct differences between the adult perception of the experience and how it may actually be experienced by a child. The areas of difference centred around both social and programming elements of camp participation which, when considered together, suggest the need for children to adjust to a distinctly different social setting in order to achieve the positive experiences reflected in our cultural conceptualization of summer camp.

The mention of the term “summer camp” often brings to mind cabins nestled in the woods, cool lakes, warm campfires and children having fun as they swim, paddle and play. At traditional residential camps children are imagined to revel in their freedom, overcome challenges, make long lasting friendships and develop into skilled and competent young people. How much of this imagery, however, is based upon a societal discourse constructed by adult values? How often do the actual experiences match these ideals? This study explores the issue of adult driven discourses surrounding the experience of camp by comparing the perspective of camp directors with the description of one of the author’s own childhood experiences. Using narrative techniques, the author composed two distinct descriptions of the camp experience including programmatic, social and emotional elements. The comparison of these two narratives revealed the possibility for distinct differences between the adult perception of the experience and how it may actually be experienced by a child. The areas of difference centred around both social and programming elements of camp participation which, when considered together, suggest the need for children to adjust to a distinctly different social setting in order to achieve the positive experiences reflected in our cultural conceptualization of summer camp.

A quantitative research study was conducted with teenagers attending Bandina Christian Youth Camp for one week in the summer of 2008. Students were divided into two groups; a control group and an intervention group. All participants were given a Self- Reflective Survey immediately prior to and following the week of summer camp. In addition to the pre- and post- Self-Reflective Surveys, the intervention group was required to complete Gallup's StrengthsQuest assessment (to determine his/her five greatest strengths) and e-mail those findings to this researcher before the first camp session. Once at camp, the intervention group participated in a five day Faith Based Strengths Training class one hour a day. The intervention group recognized and identified all 34 strengths, learned the uniqueness of his/her top five strengths, identified and related to famous individuals and their strengths and explored optimal career fields that best correlated to the participants' top five strengths. Strengths Training proved to be an effective tool in changing the intervention group's self confidence, sense of direction and his or her personal desire to learn more about Strengths collectively with a .03 p at an alpha level of .05. Youth based national organizations such as Boys & Girls Club, Boys Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and others could greatly enhance their programs by incorporating Strengths Training into their curriculum, as Strengths Training builds on the development of core values, positive self image and character development that all of these national organizations strive to provide the youth of today. The summer camp experience offers a distinct opportunity for learning and exploration. This unique educational atmosphere sets up a positive cognitive environment where youth are typically more receptive to learning new concepts and ideas. The intervention group outcomes for this quantitative research study resulted in a positive outcome with only five hours of training. This infers a positive impact to not only the Y generation, but future generations to come and raises the need for more research in how these youth based national organizations can not only implement Strengths Training into their existing programs but network Strengths Training.

Youth require opportunities to master and demonstrate new skills, make independent choices, and form positive social relationships to encourage positive youth development. Camps provide a unique setting that fosters the development of new sources of social capital and social support. Current literature examining positive youth development in camps has been able to identify some demographic differences in camper experiences at camp, but has not yielded statistically significant relationships and no consensus as to the explanations for those relationships. Using a longitudinal dataset gathered in a camp setting, this study examined the relationships between gender and age and personal development. Social capital and social support were found to have significant roles as mediating variables in the development of personal development at camp. This study enhances the understanding of the benefits to children from attending camp, and why females and older children may benefit the most from these experiences.

Social competence and positive self-concept are essential to future adaptive outcomes and overall well-being; but children and adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) frequently struggle in these domains. This dissertation examined changes in the social competence and self-concept of campers with learning disabilities (LD), within a specialized summer camp, with particular focus on friendship development. The dissertation is presented in two manuscripts, which will be submitted for publication. The objective of the first manuscript was to examine changes in campers’ social skills, social acceptance, self-worth, and self-esteem, within the context of summer camp, as reported by parents and campers. Parental reports indicated small gains in social skills, social acceptance, and self-worth from the beginning to the end of camp; with gains in social acceptance and self-worth maintained four to five months later. Campers did not report changes in any domains. Parents and campers reported declines in camper self-esteem at follow-up. In general, campers with LD+ADHD exhibited smaller gains in social competence and self-concept, than those with LD. Results are discussed in relation to theoretical frameworks and existing camp and LD research. The objective of the second manuscript was to investigate campers’ friendship development, within the summer camp context. Many campers reported having high-quality, reciprocal friendships at the beginning of camp. Campers reported more reciprocal friendships after camp, but these were not maintained at follow-up. Campers also reported having a best camp friend by the end of camp, and this relationship was maintained at follow-up. In terms of friendship quality, campers reported increased closeness by the end of camp and conflict ratings were low, overall. This study examined factors predicting changes in social competence. High-quality, reciprocal friendships predicted changes in campers’ social acceptance, according to parents. Similarly, reciprocal friendships predicted changes in camper reported social acceptance. These results highlight the inter-connections between friendship and aspects of social competence. Camp attendance was found to be a relevant factor in friendship development and quality. The concluding chapter discusses social competence, friendship, and self-concept outcomes for campers with LD within the context of a specialized summer camp. The implications of the findings for present theory and clinical practice are discussed, including specific recommendations for this camp’s structure and program evaluation procedures.

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The graduation theses were concered with analysis of management and marketing in specialization of tourism. The main aim was to propose certain improvement in managing process leading to improve the quality of production and to ensure competitive advantage.

Despite increased inclusion of individuals with special needs in educational and leisure settings, people with disabilities continue to experience social isolation. Research indicates that negative attitudes play an important role in contributing to this marginalization. This study examined the impact of an inclusion program at a residential summer camp on the attitudes of its typical participants. Participants in the treatment group (n = 30) experienced contact with peers with disabilities through structured, intentional programming while participants in the control group (n = 77) experienced less formal inclusive encounters. The Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes toward Children with Handicaps (CATCH) scale was administered to the treatment and control groups at the beginning and end of the summer session. Research questions were designed to examine the impact of consistent and formal contact through inclusion on the attitudes of participants in the treatment group and to explore whether or not there was a differential impact of different types of contact on attitudes of typically developing children. Results from 1-time repeated measures ANOVA indicated that attitudes of participants in the treatment group did not change significantly during the session but that attitudes among the treatment group did improve significantly more than did the attitudes among the control group, F(1, 105) = 11, p = .001. Influenced by these results, program directors in educational and leisure settings might prioritize creating formal opportunities for contact between people with and without special needs, thereby decreasing social marginalization, increasing genuine integration, and promoting positive social change.

Although careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics have expanded in the United States, science literacy skills for K-12 students have declined from 2001 to 2011. Limited research has been conducted on the impact of science enrichment programs on the science literacy skills of K-12 students, particularly in marine science. The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of a marine science summer enrichment camp located in the eastern region of the United States on the ocean literacy skills of middle school students who participated in this camp. Weimar's learner centered teaching approach and the definition and principles of ocean literacy formed the conceptual framework. The central research question focused on how a marine science summer enrichment camp impacted the ocean literacy skills of middle grade students. A single case study research design was used with ten participants including 3 camp teachers, four students, and 3 parents of Grade 6-8 students who participated this camp in 2016. Data were collected from multiple sources including individual interviews of camp teachers, students, and parents, as well as camp documents and archival records. A constant comparative method was used to construct categories, determine emergent themes and discrepant data. Results indicated that the marine science camp positively impacted the ocean literacy skills of middle school students through an emphasis on a learner centered instructional approach. The findings of this study may provide a positive social impact by demonstrating active science literacy instructional strategies for teachers which can motivate students to continue studies in science and science related fields.

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