The American Camp Association (ACA) is a community of over 3,100 camps and camp professionals that vary from day camps to multi-week summer camps. They've just finished a 5-year long research project looking into the effects of camp on their campers and how summer camps prepare youth for college, careers, and adulthood. The findings have been extraordinarily positive, so much so that this year, we would like to suggest switching up the usual gear plugs for holiday gift guides and give the gift of camp!
Long story short, the ACA's research suggests that experiences made at Camp can impact young people’s lives for the better - particularly in assisting the transition into adulthood. Some key takeaways from the study were how going to camp decreases stress, improves social skills, highlights fun, and develops social emotional learning. All amazing characteristics to give to someone for the holidays! And way more memorable than yet another pair of socks.
Want a bit more background? Read on:
1) POSITIVE EFFECTS OF MINDFULNESS: An appreciation for being present in the moment is something attendees identify as an outcome of camp years after their camp experience. Mindfulness is shown to promote academic and social skill development as well as overall healthy psychological functioning.
2) STRESS REDUCTION: There is a distinct stress reduction element that can potentially change how campers grow as individuals. “I feel that every kid should get the chance to go to camp because it’s so different from school. At school, there are so many rules, expectations, homework, and stresses. Being able to have those eight weeks of fun and calm and no worries was beneficial. Otherwise, I would be a completely different and more serious person today."
3) FOCUS ON FUN: Being present in the moment is not just about the absence of stress; the data suggest that fun plays an important role in helping campers feel free from worry and connected to the moment. (Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow. Flow is an optimal psychological state in which a person is completely absorbed in an activity, time passes quickly, and the person feels enjoyment and success.)
4) TECHNOLOGY: Interestingly, a handful of participants discussed the separation from technology as something that helped them feel present in the moment, but this was not a strong theme in and of itself. Screens and their effects on learning are well documented in the research, which means we can be pretty confident that technology-free experiences at camp have an impact on the extent to which campers develop important Social Emotional Learning skills.
And for the full study: https://www.acacamps.
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