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by M. Deborah Bileschki, Karla A. Henderson, and
Kate Dahowski
Thousands of young adults work in organized camps each
year. Often directors focus on the good that camp does kids, but a significant
component may also be the good that camp does staff. Young people choose
this summer opportunity for a variety of reasons related to their personal
and professional interests. Although these young people are often idealistic
and altruistic, they also expect to gain benefits from these camp jobs.
If directors better understand the positive outcomes sought by young people,
they may be able to recruit more qualified and committed staff for these
work experiences.
With these issues in mind, the Association of Independent
Camps (AIC) funded systematic research to analyze the perceived benefits
associated with summer camp staff experiences. The concept of benefit
was not used in an economic sense in this study. Rather, a benefit was
defined as "a change that is viewed to be advantageous — an improvement
in condition or gain to an individual" (Driver, Brown, and Peterson,
1991). The purpose of this study was to see how camp staff, themselves,
perceived their camp experiences.
The Study
The goal of the study was to understand counselors’ perceptions
about the camp staff experience as expressed in their own words. Therefore,
data for this project were obtained from focus groups. This group technique
allowed for group interaction and greater insight into why certain opinions
were held. The technique is particularly appropriate to use when the goal
is to explain how people regard an experience, idea, or event. The result
is information that can improve the planning and design of new programs,
evaluate existing programs, and provide insights into the development
of marketing strategies (Krueger, 1988).
The focus groups for this study were conducted primarily
on college campuses. The only criterion for inclusion in the study was
that the individual had worked at camp as a staff person (but not as an
intern) for at least one season. A total of fifty-two individuals were
involved in the interview process in ten separate focus groups. All but
six of the participants were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two
years old, and no one was older than twenty-seven or younger than eighteen
years. The participants had been staff members at day and resident agency
camps, religiously affiliated camps, and independent camps located in
eight different states. Their positions ranged from first-year counselors
to administrative program staff.
The general procedure followed in the interview process
was to introduce the question and then let the group members discuss their
opinions until they had expressed all their views. If points were vague,
the interviewer probed further to clarify the statement or to gain further
explanations and discussion of related points.
Positive Outcomes
Analysis of the group interviews revealed a number of
positive personal and professional outcomes. These outcomes focused on
relationships with other staff and campers, appreciation of diversity,
interpersonal skills, group cohesion, leadership and responsibilities,
role modeling/mentoring, technical skill development, personal growth,
administrative skills, and teamwork.
Relationships
Relationships between the individual and other staff and campers was one
of the most prominent themes to emerge from the data. Every participant
in the study mentioned the importance of the friendships formed at camp.
When analyzing the staff relationships, one staff member said, "I
just love camp experiences. Those are probably the best memories of my
life and one of them is because of the friendships." Another counselor
summed up these relationships best by saying, "Knowing someone at
camp for a week is like knowing them for a lifetime."
These bonds of friendship extended to the campers with
whom the staff worked. The staff interviewed often talked about the importance
of the interaction with the campers and having an opportunity to observe
and influence the positive development of a child. Several staff commented
on the challenge of finding a balance between being a friend and being
the responsible adult who needed to set and enforce rules and boundaries.
One statement made was "I had to be the mom and the disciplinarian
and the boo-boo fixer."
For many staff this relationship raised their awareness
of social issues that influenced the lives of their campers. A staff member
said the value of camp was "giving the kids a week of just fun and
something to keep them going because a lot of things in society today
bring them down." Counselors commented on the difficult lives led
by some of their campers and their desire to make a difference in the
children’s lives, even if only for a brief time. One staff member said,
"If you give them a half hour, they will remember you the rest of
their lives."
Appreciation of diversity
Another theme that was prevalent among the staff members was the value
they placed on working with diverse people. Many of the staff viewed the
exposure to different backgrounds of campers and staff as a benefit to
them now and in their future job settings.
Some of the staff talked about the benefits of having
a "large socioeconomic draw" among their staff and campers.
Others commented on the value of just being exposed to people different
from themselves. One staff member said, "I got a chance to work with
all these different people that I would have never met outside of camp."
Working with international staff was also an opportunity that gave some
young adults the opportunity "to see a new aspect of different parts
of the world."
Teamwork
Many of the staff commented on the importance of learning to work together
as a team and recognized the resulting benefits of trust and respect within
the team. Comments were made such as:
- "I think anyone in any profession would really benefit from
being in that type of team environment."
- "On my counselor team, we learned to respect each other so
much."
- "No one member of the staff can do it on their own, so you
have to work as a team."
Group cohesion
Closely related to teamwork was the theme of group cohesion. Camp staff
talked of the bonds established and the feeling that they were developing
their own sense of community and family. They felt this emphasis on group
cohesion had personal benefits but also had professional implications
when learning to find common ground with co-workers.
Personal growth
Personal growth was another positive outcome. This included personal character
("You get to meet people who know you for who you are because you
are not wearing a facade that you might have in another situation"),
self-esteem ("When you’re up there you feel important to everybody"),
confidence ("I think it gives you serious confidence"), and
spiritual growth ("For me, I get bogged down with organized religion,
and camp was a place where religion was fun yet I felt real growth spiritually").
The staff often framed these benefits as important aspects of their identity
that would be helpful in future life pursuits.
Leadership and responsibilities
For many of the staff members, leadership and responsibilities were a
critical benefit to their camp experiences. One comment was "Having
to be responsible for, you know, ten to twelve people and not being able
to run away from any problems was real, real valuable."
Many of the staff talked about the sense of responsibility
relative to the lives of their campers and their own development of judgment.
One staff member said, "It is very important that you are good at
what you do because these kids’ lives are in your hands." Staff saw
these benefits as having important carryover into other aspects of their
personal and professional development.
Role modeling/mentoring
Since camp staff perceived themselves to be in positions of responsibility
and leadership and were involved in meaningful personal relationships,
they were viewed as role models or mentors for the campers or other staff.
Many of the staff commented on their perceptions and the value they attached
to this role. One counselor summed it best when he said, "Every action
you have, they see as a model for them."
Technical skill development
For some of the staff members, the chance to acquire technical skills,
particularly related to their careers was perceived as a benefit. Some
staff interested in careers in the outdoors commented on the value of
learning these activities and gaining expertise while at camp. For several
of the inter-viewees, the skill development extended to their perceptions
of leadership. A counselor stated, "I think the most important thing
is that you learn how to incorporate all of your skills."
In addition, the camp experience also provided a way
to enhance recreation skills that staff perceived they could draw on throughout
their lives. One staff member said, "It’s experiencing things that
I have never experienced before, like camp outs, water rafting, rock climbing.
You can be a counselor and still be learning these things."
Interpersonal skills
Counselors in the study emphasized communication and innovative thinking.
For example, one staff member talked about communication as it related
to parents: "The parents see you when they drop their kids off, and
you have half an hour to impress them one way or another. What you say
and how you present yourself makes a big difference in how they go home."
Almost all of the staff commented on the positive carryover
of interpersonal skills to future job possibilities. Related to problem
solving and innovative thinking, statements were made such as:
- "You have to be quick and solve unexpected problems and learn
how not to overreact."
- "Problem solving is not going to be just with the children;
it will apply to all areas of your life."
Administrative skills
The last positive outcome centered on acquiring administrative skills.
Some of the staff felt that they had opportunities to learn about issues
such as risk management, safety issues, and medications. One counselor
said, "Without really understanding and without having the proper
gear, there were a lot of safety issues that were involved."
Negative External Forces
During the course of the focus groups, staff identified
seven external forces that impinged upon the potential benefits of working
as a camp staff member. These negative influences centered on: dealing
with diversity, low wages, lack of time for self, negative perceptions
of influential others, frustration with campers, cliques, and lack of
director support.
Diversity
Issues of diversity related to not being able to work well with some individuals.
This problem was often due to a lack of understanding of what being a
camp counselor meant. One illustrative comment was "I think the concept
of being a camp counselor never really set in."
Low wages
Wages are an issue for many young people. One staff member said, "The
pay was not so good though . . . I think we figured it was like 7 cents
an hour." Part of the concern also related to being acknowledged
for the hard work done as illustrated in this comment "[The director]
didn’t understand the $140 a week for what, 117 hours?"
Time alone
Lack of time for the self was also a drawback for individuals who were
not prepared for the demands of camp. One staff member said, "I would
say the toughest thing for me is there’s not time to be by yourself."
Another counselor illustrated the problem by saying, "It seems the
only way you can be alone is to lock yourself in your car."
Parents' perceptions
Perceptions of influential others regarding the status of working at camp
was an external factor. One staff member said, "I had to defend [to
my father] for a couple of summers why I was going to camp." Another
staff member responded: "It was weird, all my friends were like,
‘Why would you want to leave for the whole summer?’ and I was like, ‘Why
would I want to sit at home and watch TV all summer?’ "
Camper difficulties
Although working with campers was perceived as a benefit, it was also
a frustration. One staff member said, "Camps certainly aren’t the
cure-all for some kids." Another stated, "You are dealing with
people that parents couldn’t deal with so they sent them to you."
The need for staff training was evident in the following statement: "We
would have children who had developmental or physical disabilities that
we were never apprised of the situation, and we were never given any training
on how to deal with these children."
Cliques
A big issue that was problematic for some staff was the existence of cliques
in camps. One counselor said, "Camp (name) is like the established,
been-there-forever counselors and kids, and I was the new guy. I was already
on the out." Other staff recognized the problem for new staff because
"they come in to this community where everybody is so close and they
feel like they are an outcast."
Critical Components
Some members of the focus groups believed their experiences
were shaped by the ways that the three critical components — camp philosophy,
staff training, and staff support — were enacted to provide a positive
or negative camp foundation. For example, when talking about the importance
of the camp philosophy, a staff member commented, "The philosophy
behind the camp is more important than the activities."
Staff also mentioned the importance of staff training
as evidenced by the following comments:
- "At staff training and prep week when
we got to camp together, that really started the teamwork and the
bonding."
- "I really wish there had been, from the
director’s perspective, more involvement of the camp counselors in
how to make camp a better place, and how
to teach you to be a better counselor."
- "[Staff training] was highly unstructured,
and I think a little more structure would have been more beneficial
as a counselor."
Director support was a critical component for staff to
have a successful experience. When it did not exist, it was a major external
factor. Two illustrative comments were:
- "Camp directors spend a lot of time at
camp directing, and not really understanding."
- "I don’t think that the directors gave
enough recognition to the counselors and all the work they put in."
These quotes showed the types of frustrations and challenges
faced by camp staff when working in a camp environment. These negative
aspects are red flags for camp administrators who are interested in providing
the optimal setting to promote the benefits of working at camp. The more
these negative forces can be minimized or eliminated, the more likely
the staff will perceive personal and professional benefits from their
camp job experiences.
Putting It All Together
This analysis describes the breadth of the benefits perceived
by the staff interviewed in the focus groups. Many of the themes were
connected and influenced by opinions and perceptions that overlapped.
As described in the interviews, the staff found the experience of working
at camp to be rewarding and beneficial in personal and professional ways.
Although critical components were central to the work
experience of the staff and they recognized the influence of external
factors, these staff were highly committed to their jobs in camp and were
able to articulate easily the benefits that they perceived from the experience.
Self-interest was a key reason why these individuals chose to work at
camp. In the process of doing good for campers, staff were also aware
that they were helping themselves in many ways.
Using This Information
Based on these findings, a number of recommendations
may be offered for camp directors in all types of camps. First, the positive
outcomes of being a summer camp staff employee must be reinforced by camp
directors in recruiting as well as in supervising staff. The transferability
of personal and professional skills gained at camp should be a part of
the debriefing of camp staff.
Have staff share their experience
with others
Second, camp staff are good ambassadors for describing the benefits of
camp jobs. These benefits might be articulated by them in written or verbal
form. They should be encouraged to share these benefits with other potential
staff, high school counselors, university career placement staff, and
especially with their future employers.
Determine what counselors hope
to gain from the experience
When hiring staff, spend time determining what young adults want from
the camp experience to ensure that their expectations are reasonable and
that the job for which they are hired meets those expectations. Job descriptions
should be designed to appeal to the personal and professional interests
of potential staff members.
Place emphasis on how camp is good for young adults.
Many of the benefits of other social programs may be similar to the camp
experience, and these connections should be emphasized.
Work with parents
Encouraging more young people to participate as summer camp staff may
require that parents understand the value of working at camp. Perhaps
directors could consider writing brief reports to staff members’ parents
describing how much their son or daughter contributed and gained from
the summer camp experience.
Finally, mitigating the negative perceptions of working
at a camp job is an ongoing task of the profession. The camp experience
may be more beneficial if camp directors consider improving some of the
working conditions by allowing more time off and trying to raise staff
salaries. In addition, the support given through training and daily contact
with staff may be invaluable as these young people work toward their own
personal and professional development. By giving staff a world of good
through camp employment, campers’ worlds may also be enhanced, as well
as the greater societal good.
References
Driver, Beverly L., and Perry J. Brown and George L. Peterson.
Benefits of Leisure. State College, PA: Venture Publishing, 1991.
Henderson, Karla A. "Better Positioning Those Camp
Jobs," Camping Magazine (March/April 1989): 34-37.
Krueger, Richard A. Focus Groups: A Practical Guide
for Applied Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 1988.
Napier, T.L., and E.G. Bryant. (1980) "Attitudes
toward Outdoor Recreation Development: An Application of Social Exchange
Theory," Leisure Sciences 3(2): 169-187.
Originally published in the 1998 July/August
issue of Camping Magazine. |
