What happens to campers at camp?

Camping Magazine, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Gwynn M. Powell

Youth attend camp for a variety of reasons, and research suggests that camp participation impacts youth in multiple ways by enhancing affective (self-esteem and self-concept), cognitive (knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes), behavioral (self-reported behaviors and behavioral intentions), physical, social, and spiritual growth (Shepard & Speelman 1986; Gillett et al. 1991; Hopkins & Putnam 1993; Chenery 1994; Brannan & Fullerton 1999; Henderson 2001). Yet, there is still much to learn about the camp experience, especially from the camper perspective. The following studies were presented at the 2003 Camp Research Symposium held at the American Camping Association National Conference. The studies provide practical applications for camp directors and staff to consider for the current season and beyond.

Summer Camps for Children with Cancer and Their Siblings: Impact of Social Comparisons on Psychosocial Outcomes

Lisa J. Meltzer, Ph.D., (meltzerl@email.chop.edu) and Mary Rourke, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Intuitively, we know that camps are a good thing for children, especially those with chronic illnesses. But there is little research that has been able to demonstrate why these camps are good. For example, self-esteem, which has been most commonly studied, does not change in one week. Many people in both the camp and medical communities argue against disease-specific camps. They state that perhaps children should return to "normalcy" as soon as possible, including attending camp with "regular" kids. This study investigated one possible reason why disease-specific camps are important: social comparisons.

One hundred nine children (sixty-six with cancer and forty-three siblings) who attended the Ronald McDonald Camp (RMC) in the summer of 2002 participated in the study. Participants were 45 percent male and 83 percent Caucasian. Twenty-seven percent of campers were attending for the first time. Ages ranged from eight to eighteen years old. Participants completed questionnaires on the first and last days of camp. Questionnaires were administered in the cabins by volunteer counselors. Time was built into the camp schedule (thirty minutes each day) for the study, thus participants did not miss any camp activity time to participate. On the last day, participants were asked to complete the Harter self-concept measure twice, once comparing themselves to children at home and once comparing themselves to children at camp.

How Are These Findings Helpful to Camp Professionals?

We all know camp is an amazing place. These results suggest that disease-specific camps allow children a membership in a community of similar others, which in the long run will likely enhance self-esteem, self-concept, and social acceptance. The following are suggestions for camp planners, directors, organizers, and fundraisers.

1. Plan disease-specific camp experiences. Disease-specific camps are helpful. This doesn't mean you have to spend the week focusing on the child's illness or illness experience. By simply bringing together children who have had similar experiences, you can help decrease social isolation and improve self-concept.

2. Include siblings in your camps for populations with special needs. Siblings are often overlooked during a child's illness, but also face many challenges when a brother or sister is ill. In this study for example, siblings were able to spend time with others who have been through the "cancer experience," decreasing loneliness. Siblings should be invited to camps with the child who has the illness, or separate sibling camps/weekends should be established (e.g., siblings of children with cancer weekend).

3. Don't exclude adolescents because they are "too old" or they have been to camp too many times. This study demonstrated that adolescents benefit as much, if not more, than younger children from being with other similar campers. Adolescence is a difficult time for any child, with most teens relying on peers for emotional support, including discussing issues of dating, body image, and the future. These topics are complicated if you have or had a serious illness.

4. Take these findings to potential donors who say "show me the data." Money is what it all comes down to in the end. This study and others like it provide solid evidence that camp is a worthwhile investment. With camps competing for limited resources, you need to be armed with facts that demonstrate why your organization is the best.

5. Do Research! Although it is difficult to conduct large-scale research with a limited number of trained professionals, with enough preparation time and staff cooperation, it is possible to gather questionnaire data on more than one occasion during a camp session. This study demonstrated the ability of conducting research during camp, without taking away anything from the camp experience. For researchers who are not full-time camp staff members, it is important to partner with camp planners and leaders to create a team approach, resulting in staff buy-in, built in time during the camp schedule, improved data integrity, and increased camper participation.