Camping gives kids an endless world of good - Research: Update - American Camping Associations

Parks & Recreation, Nov, 2001 by Karla A. Henderson

How this information could be used

Camping for children is not inherently good unless the camp program is designed with particular goals and objectives in mind. In other words, deliberately programmed to address the benefits of camping.

Staff should carefully consider what the expected outcomes are for campers and then design activities and programs to address those outcomes. Further, if we want to know if particular outcomes have been reached, evaluation efforts should also focus on measuring the goals and objectives that were established.

For camping to produce outcomes, leaders must be trained to know what the intended outcomes of camping are, how to implement programs to address those outcomes, and how to measure expected outcomes. These concepts should be incorporated into staff training programs. All staff should be able to articulate the program goals, describe how they are implemented, and be involved in evaluating whether they have been reached.

Camp programs have the potential to address psychological, social, physical, and spiritual domains if those areas are the intended goals. Professionals working with camps should determine which area(s) they wish to address. In addition, they should determine what evaluation information is needed by stakeholders (e.g., City Councils, funders, community citizen groups) so that the domains can be measured appropriately.

Evaluating outcomes in camps, as well as in other informal educational and recreational activities, is a challenging process. Measuring some of the outcomes is difficult due to lack of good instruments and the short-term nature of camping. These challenges, however, should not prevent practitioners from trying to evaluate the outcomes and outputs of camp. As time goes on, better approaches will be developed as we learn more about how goals, programs, and evaluation connect to one another.

People with disabilities can experience the same outcomes of camps as other individuals. Inclusive camping programs should be developed that address the similar and distinct needs of a variety of individuals.

The American Camping Association (www.aca.org) is currently undertaking a major initiative to assess the outcomes of a variety of day and resident camps that represent the public, not-for-profit, and private independent sectors of camping. As this organization proceeds in their major national study, more information about outcomes will be available as well as tools that might be used in other camps to address outcome measurement.

Henderson is professor and chair in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has been on the Board of Directors of the American Camping Association and is currently a member of the ACA Research Committee.

Research Update is edited by Cheryl A. Estes, Ph.D., assistant professor in recreation and leisure studies at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.