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ThePowerofCampStudy2019CamperSurvey

DataReport

PreparedbySacredPlaygroundsLLCDecember2019

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Introduction:Thisreportcontainsdatafromathree-partsurveyofsummercampersfromtwelvecampsaffiliatedwithChristianCampandConferenceAssociation(CCCA).Campersweresurveyedonthefirstdayofcampandthelastdayofcamp.Athirdsurveywassentviaelectronicmailtwomonthsaftertheircampexperience.Thisseriesofsurveyswasdesignedtogathercamperimpressionsofthecampexperienceandalsomeasuregrowthovertime.Thesurveysmeasuredvariouscamperoutcomes,includingenjoyment,happiness,andself-confidence,thoughthestrongestemphasiswasongrowthinfaithcommitment.Allcamperswhoparticipatedhadparentalpermission,gatheredbytheindividualcamps.MeasurementsarebasedonthefindingsoftheEffectiveCampResearchProject,whichoriginallystudiedagroupofsixLutherancampsinWisconsinduringthesummersof2015and2016.Thefindingsofthisinitialstudycanbefoundatwww.effectivecamp.com.ThisstudydemonstratedthattheChristiansummercampmodelhas5fundamentalcharacteristics:faith-centered,relational,participatory,safespace,andunpluggedfromhome.ThesecharacteristicsinteractdynamicallytogiverisetotheChristiansummercampexperience.Whenall5characteristicsarepresent,theexperiencehaspositiveandrecognizableimpactsthatextendbeyondtheweekofcamp,impactingfamilydevotionalpractices,churchparticipation,personalwell-being,andfaithcommitment.

Thestudyisongoing.In2018,nineCCCAparticipatedinwhatbecameknownasthePowerofCampStudy.In2019,elevencampsparticipatedinthePowerofCampStudy.Atwelfthcamp,HoneyRock(WI),administeredthesurveyontheirownandprovidedtherawdataforinclusionintheanalysis.Forthisreason,thereare12campsrepresentedinthisreport.

Whatisinthisreport?Page3ofthisreporthasabriefoverviewofthehighlightsyouwillfindinthepagesthatfollow.Readthisfirst.Weworkedtofindthingstocelebrate,alongwithareasforimprovement.Wealsotriedtoexplainsomeofthethingsthatmaybeconfusing.Pages4-8containdatatablesandchartswiththemajorityofthedatafromthecampersurveys.Pages9-12comparecamperdataovertime,particularlyfocusingon18surveyitemsthatwereincludedonall3surveys.Thesepagesdelvedeeplyintothequestionofcampergrowthandwhetherthatgrowthlastedinthemonthsfollowingcamp.Thesepagesalsocontainstatisticalinformationaboutwhetherfindingswerestatisticallysignificant.Onpages13-15,youwillfindanalysisaccordingtothe5fundamentalcharacteristicsidentifiedintheEffectiveCampProject,includingevidenceforwhathappenswhentherearebreakdownsinthecampmodel.Page16assessesthestrengthofsupportcampersreceiveathomeandintheircongregation.Page17addressesdifferencesamongcampsandwaysinwhichtwocampsparticipatinginthe2018POCstudyusedthefindingstoimpacttheircampersin2019.Page18takesacloserlookatasub-groupofcampersthatdidnothavesupportivehome/schoolenvironments.

Page19containsawordcloudandsimplewordanalysisfromanopen-endedquestiononthefollow-upcampersurvey.Allchartsandtablesarereferencedaccordingtopagenumber.Forexample,Figure5Aisfoundonpage5.

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ReportHighlightsandFindings

GeneralReflections:• Theresponsegoalwas150campersfromeachcampparticipatinginboththefirstandlastday

surveys.Severalcampsfellshortofthisgoal(Figure4A)foravarietyofreasons.The3campswithfewerthan100totalmatchedsurveyshaveindividuallyunreliabledata.Additionally,manyofthefollow-upsurveyshadnomatchingon-campsurveys,limitingtheuseofthisportionofthedataset.Fortunately,thedatasetislargeenoughtoofferareliablelookatmultipleaspectsofthecampexperience,particularlywhencombinedwiththe2018POCdata.

• Thecamperpopulationsurveyedin2019wasnearlyidentical,intermsofdemographics,totheparticipantsfrom2018.Thetwodatasetshadstatisticallyequivalentbreakdownsingender,age,race,campertype,andfrequencyofreligiouspractices(pages4-5).

StrengthsandCelebrations:

• Mostcampershadoverwhelminglypositiveexperiencesatcamp.Theyreportedhighlevelsofenjoyment(Figure6B).Thevastmajority(atleast90%)alsoagreedthattheyhadfun,learnedmoreaboutGod,andtriedsomethingnewatcamp(Figure7A).

• Campersshowedsignificantgrowthin17of18itemsmeasuredinthesurvey(9A).Formanysurveyitems,thisgrowthpersistedatleast2-3monthsaftercamp(10A).Thisconfirmsthefindingthatthecampexperiencehassignificant,lastingoutcomes.Campersalsoexhibitedgrowthinfaithpractices(11B),andtheythemselvesrecognizedtheimpactofcampmonthslater(9B).

• Mostcampersexperiencedcampasasafespace.Campersreportedbeingpickedon,leftout,orhavingtohidetheirtrueselvessignificantlylessfrequentlyatcampthanintheirhomeandschoolenvironments(Figure6A).Itwasconfirmedthatcampcanbeapositivelearningandfaithformationenvironmentforcamperswhocomefromchallenginghomelives(page18).

• Perhapsmostsignificantlythisyear,thedatademonstratethatspecificprograminterventionsresultinpositivecamperoutcomes.Twocampsthatparticipatedinthe2018studyimplementedtargetedinterventionsintheircampprograms,andtheydrasticallyimpactedveryspecificcamperoutcomes(page17).

ChallengesandOtheritemsofnote:

• Campsdifferintheiroveralleffectivenessandadherencetothefivefundamentalcharacteristicsofthecampmodel.Thedifferenceswerestarkin2019,with5ofthe12participatingcampsshowingnoelevatedbreakdownsinthefivefundamentalsand4othersshowingelevatedbreakdownsinall5characteristics(pages13-15).Thesebreakdownsareassociatedwithlowercamperoutcomesrelatedtofaith,self-confidence,anddesiretoreturntocamp(14Cand15A).

• Whilebreakdownsweremorecommonatsomecampsthanothers,themajorityofcampersstillreportedpositiveexperiences.Moreinfluentialthantheindividualcamptoabreakdowninthecampmodelwasthecamper’shomelifeandfaithbackground.Thosethatcamefromlesssupportivehomesweremorevulnerabletobreakdownsinthecampmodel.Forexample,thosewhowereunsureoftheirsupportinhomeandschoolwere11timesmorelikelytoexperienceabreakdownthantheirpeerswhohadsupportivehomeandschoolenvironments(page14).

• Campersthatcamefromchallenginghomeliveshadmorepositiveoutcomeswhentheyattendedcampsinwhichthemajorityoftheirfellowcamperscamefromsupportivehomes.Incomparison,campersattendingcampsthatservedamajorityofcampersfromchallengingorunsupportivehomeenvironmentshadlesspositiveexperiencesoverall(page18)

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Figure4A:RespondentSummary,byCamp

Camp Firstdayresponses

Lastdayresponses

MATCHEDFirst+Last

Follow-upresponses

Berea(NH) 200 200 200 66BethanyBirches 128 124 120 29CampJudson 228 146 115 44ClydehurstChristianRanch 146 145 144 52EagleSkyoftheOzarks 41 41 41 51MiracleCampandRetreatCenter 152 152 152 27MountGilead(CA) 191 191 187 36MountHermon 244 215 201 76SalvationArmyCampHappyland 33 21 11 7SalvationArmyRedwoodGlen 270 259 254 47WildwoodHillsRanch 98 151 65 49HoneyRock 173 184 163 53

Total 1904 1823 1653 537

4B:%Returning/firsttimecampersFirsttimeatthiscamp 28%Secondtimeatthiscamp 14%2+previoustimes 58%

4C:CamperType

Regulars:Beentocampmultipletimesbeforeandplantoreturnagain

Returners:Beentocamponceortwicebefore,maynotbesureaboutreturning

First-timers:Firsttimeatcamp,andnotforcedtocomeForced:Feltforced/compelledtocome

4D:Gender:Male 44%Female 55%Otheranswer 1%

4E:Age:

10andunder 10%11 14%12 18%13 18%14 17%15 11%16 7%17+ 5%

4F:ChristianTradition:

JustChristian 55%Nondenominational 15%Baptist 6%Catholic 4%Otherdenomination 13%NotChristian 7%

4G:Race:

White 72%Mixedrace 12%Hispanic/Latino 7%Black/African-American 4%Asian 3%Other 2%

Regulars50%

Returners14%

First-timers21%

Forced15%

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5A:Motivationforattendingcamp(FirstDay)

5B:TimeSpentonTechnologicalDeviceandOutsideonAverageDayOff(FirstDay)

5C:FrequencyofReligiousPracticesintheMonthsBEFORECAMP(FirstDay)

*13%ofrespondentshadnotbeentochurchatallin2019

4

4

8%

35%

40%

57%

72%

5%

5%

12%

23%

33%

22%

21%

Ifitwasuptome,IwouldNOThavecome

Myfamilyforcedme

Mypastor/churchyouthworkerencouragedme

Myfriendswerecomingaswell

Wanttomeetpeople/makefriends

WanttolearnaboutGod/growinfaith

Ithinkitwillbefun

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

21%32% 37%

10%

12%18%

13%

16%13%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

11andunder Age12to14 15andup

DailyTechUse3-4hours 5-6hours Over6hrs

30% 36% 31%

15% 11% 16%

13% 9% 9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

11andunder Age12to14 15andup

DailyTimeOutside3-4hours 5-6hours Over6hrs

20%

37%31%

20%20%

44%

24%31%

60%

19%

45% 49%

Attendchurchinpast2months*

ReadtheBibleeachweek Praywithfamilyeachweek Prayaloneeachweek

None 1-3times 4+times

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6A:ImpressionsofHome(FirstDay)ComparedwithImpressionsATCAMP(LastDay)

6B:WhatCampersEnjoyedaboutCamp(LastDay)

69%48%

68%68%

35%21%

24

24

23%25%

23%18%

31%25%

24

24

6%15%

6%9%

20%28%

6%13%

10%18%

212%

35%

14%26%

90%79%

86%74%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

IfeltincludedinworshipservicesATCAMPIfeelincludedinworshipservicesatchurch

IfeltsupportedandhappyATCAMPIfeelsupportedandhappyathome

ConversationsWITHCABINMATESaboutGod/faithIhaveconversationswithmyfamilyaboutGod/faith

IwaspickedonorleftoutATCAMPPeopleatschoolpickonmeorleavemeout

IfeltlikeIhadtohidemytrueselfATCAMPIfeellikeIhavetohidemytrueselfathome/school

Almostalways Often Sometimes RarelyorNotatall

51%

54%

56%

62%

65%

65%

78%

85%

32%

30%

32%

24%

21%

23%

16%

11%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

TheBiblestudiesandlessons

Thelargegroupgames/activities

Theothercampersinmygroup

Theworshipservices

Themusic,songs,andsinging

Spendingtimeinnature

Thewholecampexperience

Mycabincounselor/groupleader

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

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7A:LastDayImpressionsoftheCampExperience(LastDay)

7B:OtherImpressionsatCamp(LastDay)

AdultVisitors:Intotal,14%ofcampersreportedthatanadultfromtheircongregationvisitedthemwhiletheywereatcamp.Thisvariedfromcamptocamp.Adultvisitorsweresomewhatcommon(between20%-30%ofcampers)atEagleSky,MountGilead,MountHermon,CampHappyland,andRedwoodGlen.Thiswasuncommon(10%orfewercampes)atBerea,BethanyBirches,CampJudson,Clydehurst,MiracleCamp,WildwoodHills,andHoneyrock.

• Thosewhohadanadultfromtheircongregationvisitweresignificantlymorelikelytoagreethattheywerestrengthenedintheirfaith,feltliketheycouldexpresstheirdoubtsaboutGodandreligion,enjoyedtheBiblestudies/lessons,andenjoyedtheworshipservices.

• ThosewhohadanadultvisitreportedsignificantlymorefrequentconversationswiththeircabinmatesaboutGodandfaith.

• Thosewhohadanadultvisitwerealsosignificantlymorelikelytoagreethattheycametocamp,inpart,becausetheirpastororchurchyouthworkerencouragedthemtocomeandthattheycamebecausetheywantedtolearnmoreaboutGodandgrowintheirfaith.

62%

71%

75%

71%

75%

81%

85%

20%

18%

15%

21%

15%

9%

11%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

IfeltlikeIcouldexpressmydoubtsaboutGodandreligion

Iwasstrengthenedinmyfaith

Itriedsomethingnewatcamp

IlearnedmoreaboutGod

Myquestionsconcerningfaithweretakenseriously

Iplantoattendthiscampinthefuture

Ihadalotoffun

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

4

5

67%

5

4

23%

16%

11%

7%

76%

80%

3

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Iwashomesick

Itwasdifficulttobeawayfromtechnology

Igotalongwithmycabingroupandcounselor

Almostalways Often Sometimes RarelyorNotatall

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8A:FirstDayResponsesto18MeasurementItems(FirstDay)

7%

10%

11%

31%

31%

36%

39%

43%

43%

36%

50%

50%

61%

62%

70%

77%

77%

78%

16%

19%

21%

33%

39%

33%

27%

24%

24%

33%

22%

25%

23%

26%

16%

10%

11%

10%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Worshipservicesareusuallyboring

Ihavetroubleputtingtheneedsofothersbeforemyown

Whensomethingbadorfrustratinghappens,Ihavetroublebouncingback

Ilikegoingoutofmycomfortzoneandtryingnewthings

Iamgoodatsolvingproblemswithateamofpeople

Ifeelconfidentinmyabilitytobealeader

BeinginnaturehelpsmefeelclosertoGod

WhenIgrowup,Iplantoparticipateinthelifeofachurch/congregation

Regularworshipattendanceisimportantformyfaith

Ihaveimportantthingstoofferthechurchandtheworld

IhaveChristianfriendsIcanturntointimesofneed

FaithinGodhelpsmeinmydailylife

IamhappyaboutmylifeandwhoIam

IknowthatIcanmakefriends

IbelievetheHolySpiritisactiveintheworld

IbelievethatJesusrosefromthedead

TheBibleisthewordofGod

Godcreatedtheworld

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

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9A:MeasuringGrowthDuringtheCampExperienceThefollowingtableliststhe18itemsthatwereincludedinallthreequestionnaires.Thenumbersrepresenttheaveragelevelofagreementfromstronglydisagree(1)tostronglyagree(5).Theright-handcolumnindicateswhetherornottheobservedchangewasstatisticallysignificant.Forthestatisticiansintheroom,theindicatorsareYES(p<.001),Yes(p<.01),andSome(p<.05).Nonesignifiesthattheobservedchangewasnotstatisticallysignificant.Arrowsindicatewhethercampersgrew(é)ordeclined(ê)inthemeasurement.

Question # First Day Agreement

Last Day Agreement

Significant Change?

God created the world. 1527 4.64 4.70 YES é I know that I can make friends. 1553 4.47 4.62 YES é Worship services are usually boring. 1375 2.43 2.11 YES ê I am good at solving problems with a team of people. 1509 3.86 3.95 Yes é I believe that the Holy Spirit is active in the world. 1501 4.52 4.67 YES é Regular worship attendance is important for my faith. 1437 3.93 4.07 YES é I have important things to offer the church and the world. 1382 3.96 4.18 YES é Faith in God helps me in my daily life. 1440 4.14 4.35 YES é I like going out of my comfort zone and trying new things. 1532 3.72 3.94 YES é I feel confident in my ability to be a leader. 1517 3.87 4.05 YES é When something bad or frustrating happens, I have trouble bouncing back 1469 2.80 2.64 YES ê I believe that Jesus rose from the dead. 1459 4.60 4.68 YES é Being in nature helps me feel closer to God. 1453 3.90 4.09 YES é The Bible is the word of God 1471 4.64 4.71 YES é I have Christian friends I can turn to in times of need. 1461 4.02 4.06 none When I grow up, I plan to participate in the life of a church/congregation. 1362 3.96 4.12 YES é I am happy about my life and who I am. 1495 4.40 4.47 Yes é I have trouble putting the needs and wants of others before my own 1434 2.65 2.55 Yes ê

9B:Follow-UpImpressionsoftheCampExperience(Follow-up,519campers)

46%

49%

47%

61%

60%

63%

64%

69%

78%

86%

89%

27%

30%

35%

23%

30%

25%

27%

23%

13%

7%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Iwanttospendmoretimeinnaturesincereturning

Camphelpedmegrowinindependence

Ifeelmoreconfidentinmyselfsincereturning

Thecampexperiencehadasignificantimpactonmylife

IlearnedmoreaboutGod

Iwasstrengthenedinmyfaith

Ibondedwellwithmycabingroupandcounselor

Itriedsomethingnewatcamp

Myquestionsconcerningfaithweretakenseriously

Iplantoattendthiscampinthefuture

Ihadalotoffun

StronglyAgree Somewhatagree

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10A:PowerofCamp18MeasurementsAnalysis,includingcaseswithall3surveysmatchedQuestion n T1 T2 T3

God created the world. 290 4.76 4.83** 4.83** I know that I can make friends. 288 4.54 4.68** 4.73*** Worship services are usually boring. 265 2.25 1.83*** 2.00** I AM GOOD AT SOLVING PROBLEMS WITH A TEAM OF PEOPLE. 283 3.99 4.00 4.23*** I believe that the Holy Spirit is active in the world. 280 4.70 4.80* 4.83** REGULAR WORSHIP ATTENDANCE IS IMPORTANT FOR MY FAITH. 273 4.22 4.26 4.39**

I HAVE IMPORTANT THINGS TO OFFER THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD. 261 4.21 4.35* 4.44***

FAITH IN GOD HELPS ME IN MY DAILY LIFE 274 4.35 4.57*** 4.64*** I like going out of my comfort zone and trying new things. 287 3.77 4.01*** 4.01*** I FEEL CONFIDENT IN MY ABILITY TO BE A LEADER. 280 3.94 4.14*** 4.21*** When something bad or frustrating happens I have trouble bouncing back 279 2.78 2.54** 2.80 I believe that Jesus rose from the dead. 278 4.81 4.86 4.86 Being in nature helps me feel closer to God. 269 4.07 4.28*** 4.29*** The Bible is the word of God 276 4.84 4.88 4.86 I HAVE CHRISTIAN FRIENDS I CAN TURN TO IN TIMES OF NEED 280 4.18 4.25 4.36** WHEN I GROW UP, I PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LIFE OF A CHURCH/CONGREGATION 251 4.29 4.39 4.47**

I am happy about my life and who I am. 279 4.46 4.54* 4.50 I HAVE TROUBLE PUTTING THE NEEDS AND WANTS OF OTHERS BEFORE MY OWN 273 2.52 2.45 2.35*

*Asterisks indicate that the T2 or T3 value was significantly different from T1 at p<.05 (*), p<.01 (**), or p<.001(***).

• Only two of the above 18 variables showed no change through the duration of the study. These were “I believe that Jesus rose from the dead” and “The Bible is the word of God.” It is notable that these items began in T1 higher than any other variable, leaving almost no room for growth, so the lack of statistical change may not indicate a lack of growth but rather the limitations of a 5-point scale. Numerically, the average increased, though not significantly.

• Five of the variables showed significant growth from the first day to the last day of camp that was maintained through the follow-up survey (T3). These are indicated in bold.

• Only three of the variables showed evidence of a sort of camp high, growing significantly from the first day to the last day but then showing significant post-camp decline in the months following camp. These are indicted in italics.

• The remaining eight variables showed evidence of POST-CAMP GROWTH following the camp experience. These are indicated in all capital letters. With the exception of “I have Christian friends I can turn to in times of need,” all of these showed significant growth from the first day to the last day of camp (see table 9A). They showed continued growth through the follow-up survey. It is possible that camp served as a sort of catalyst for ongoing growth in these measurements. However, the data suggest that this perceived post-camp growth is actually related to breakdowns in the camp model. Some campers that experienced a breakdown in the camp model actually regressed in certain measurements from the first day to the last day, rebounding to pre-camp levels by the follow-up. The inclusion of these individuals in the data set make the average growth from the first day to the last day appear small, though campers with positive camp experiences exhibited the typical pattern of growth that was maintained through the follow-up.

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DoesitLast?Inordertogetamoresuccinctpictureoftheiroverallgrowth,severalitemsthatwereansweredinallthreesurveyswerecombinedtoformthreeindices:

1. Verticalfaith(orcognitivebelief):“IbelievethatJesusrosefromthedead,”“IbelievetheHolySpiritisactiveintheworld,”“Godcreatedtheworld,”and“TheBibleistheWordofGod.”

2. Horizontalfaith(orfaithrelevance):“FaithinGodhelpsmeinmydailylife,”“Ihaveimportantthingstoofferthechurchandtheworld,”“WhenIgrowup,Iplantoparticipateinthelifeofachurch/congregation,”and“IhaveChristianfriendsIcouldturntointimesofneed.”

3. Self-confidence:“IknowthatIcanmakefriends,”“Iamgoodatsolvingproblemswithateamofpeople,”“IamhappyaboutmylifeandwhoIam,”and“Ilikegoingoutofmycomfortzoneandtryingnewthings.”

11A:CamperOutcomeIndices,includingonlythosewhocompletedall3surveys(n=290)

Thegrowthpatternatparticipatingcampsshowsconsistencyacrossallthreeindices.Therewassignificantpositivegrowthfromthefirstdayofcamptothelastdayofcamp,andthisgrowthwasentirelyretainedthroughthefollow-upsurvey2-3monthsfollowingcamp.ItisnotablethattheVerticalFaithmeasurementbeganextremelyhigh(4.75ona5-pointscale),butitstillshowedsignificantpositivegrowth.Horizontalfaithandself-confidenceshowirregularsteppatternsduetonegativeexperiencesofasizeablenumberofcampersthatkeptthelastdayaverageslowerthannormal.11B:PercentageofCampersParticipatinginChristianPractices2MonthsBeforeandAfterCamp

ParticipationinChristianpracticesincreasedfollowingcamp.Theincreasewasstatisticallysignificantforallfouroftheabovepractices.Thegrowthwasleastapparentforfamilyprayer.

69%

47% 50%56%

78%

63%

53%

64%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Attendchurch2+times/month*

ReadBible2+times/week*

Praywithfamily4+times/week*

Prayalone4+times/week*

BeforeCamp AfterCamp

Low

High

1

2

3

4

5

VerticalFaith* HorizontalFaith* Self-Confidence*

FirstDay LastDay Follow-up

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FactorsthatContributedtoCamperGrowth

Noteverycampershowedevidenceforgrowthinbelief,faithrelevance,andself-confidence.Themajority,infact,showednogrowth.However,therearelimitationstogrowthindices,soweshouldtakecampersattheirwordwhentheysaythattheywerestrengthenedintheirfaith,learnedmoreaboutGod(Figure7A),orclaimedthatcamphadasignificantimpactontheirlives(Figure9B).Specifically,therewerecamperswholiterallyhadnoroomforgrowthinourindices.Thatis,theystronglyagreedwitheachmeasurementonaspecificindexonthefirstdayofcamp.Thiswasthecasefor56%ofthecampersonthebeliefindex,16%onthefaithrelevanceindex,and12%ontheself-confidenceindex.Ifweremovethesecampersthathadnopossibilityforgrowthaccordingtoourmeasurements,thefollowingpercentagesofcampersshowedgrowthineachindex:Figure12A:%CampersShowingGrowth

Index #campers %

Cognitivebelief 650 65%Faithrelevance 1277 57%Self-confidence 1395 54%Thefiguresin12Arepresentsomedifferencesfromthesamefiguresfromthe2018dataset.Growthinself-confidencewasidenticalin2019and2018.Growthinfaithrelevancewasslightlyhigherin2018(60%).However,growthincognitivebeliefwassignificantlyhigherin2018,when74%ofcampersexhibitedgrowthinthisoutcome.

In2018,thestudyisolated3keyfactorsthatcontributedtocampersshowinggrowthineachindex.Whilethesefactorsprovedimportantamong2019campers,theeffectswerenotassignificantasin2018.The3factorsidentifiedin2018were:

1. Increasedagreementwith:“Iliked/enjoyedmycabincounselor/groupleader.”

2. Increasedfrequencyof:“Igotalongreallywellwithmycabingroupandcounselor.”

3. Increasedfrequencyof:“IhadconversationswithmycabinmatesaboutGodandfaith.”In2019,theimpactsofthese3keyfactorswerepartiallydilutedinthedatasetbecausethe5fundamentalcharacteristicswereunevenacrossthecamps.Additionally,therewereotherkeyfactorsfortheindividualgrowthindices.Forboththeself-confidenceandfaithrelevanceindices,themostimportantsinglefactoridentifiedwasincreasedfrequencyof:“IfeltlikeIhadasayinmycampexperienceandmyinputmattered.”Thisitemisakeyindicatoroftheparticipatorycharacteristicofcamp.Forcamptobemosteffective,campersmusthaveagencyintheirexperience.

Forthebeliefindex,thetwomostimportantfactorsidentifiedwereincreasedenjoymentwith“TheBiblestudiesandlessons”and“worshipservices.”Theseareindicatorsofthefaith-centeredcharacteristicofcamp.Campersthatdidnotenjoythefaith-formingaspectsofcampwerelesslikelytogrowinfaithorbelief.

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TheChristianCampModelTheEffectiveCampResearchProject(ECRP)hasdemonstratedthatthereare5fundamentalcharacteristicsthat,whenpresent,giverisetoaChristiancampexperiencethatisdemonstrablyimpactfulintheweeksimmediatelyfollowingcamp.Thefindingsalsoshowthatwhenonecharacteristicbreaksdown,theentiremodelbreaksdown.Thishasrealconsequencesforthequalityoftheexperience,thetypesofimpacts,andthedesiretoreturntocamp.

FrequencyofpotentialbreakdownsatPowerofCampcampsin2019:

Breakdownsinthecampmodelarenotsimpleorcut-and-dry,sothepercentagesbelowareindicatorsonly.Thecampersurveyusesspecificmetricstodeterminewhichcampersmayhaveexperiencedamodelbreakdownduringtheirtimeatcamp.Eachofthe5fundamentalcharacteristicsismeasuredaccordingtoacombinationofseveralvariablesonthelastdaycampersurvey.Thepercentagesindicatethecampersthatshowedapotentialbreakdowninthischaracteristic.Thenumbersfrom2019arecomparedwith2018.

13A:RELATIONALGoal:<5%

Thesebreakdownswereuncommon.Theyweredeterminedbycampers’responsestoenjoymentofcounselor,enjoymentoffellowcampers,andreportsofgettingalongwiththecabingroup.

13D:PARTICIPATORYGoal:<8%

Participatorybreakdownsweredeterminedbyresponsestofeelingliketheyhadasayintheircampexperience,feelingincludedinworship,andenjoymentofgamesornaturetime.

13B:SAFESPACEGoal:<8%

SafeSpacewasacommoncharacteristictoshowbreakdowns.Theyweredeterminedbyresponsestofeelingpickedon/leftout,feelingsupported/happyatcamp,andhavingtohidetrueself.

13E:FAITHCENTEREDGoal:<10%

Thefaithcenteredcharacteristicwasinconsistentacrossthecampsstudied.BreakdownsdeterminedbyenjoymentofBiblestudy,freq.offaithconversations,andfaithquestionsbeingtakenseriously.

13C:UNPLUGGEDFROMHOMEGoal:<6%

Thischaracteristicisdifficulttomeasure.Breakdownsweredeterminedbyfeelingsofhomesicknessanddifficultyofbeingawayfromtechnology,alongwithresponsestotryingsomethingnew.

13F:MODELBREAKDOWNGoal:<10%

Thismeasurementcombinesall5characteristicsandshowsthepercentageofcampersthatexperiencedpotentialbreakdownsin2ormoreofthefundamentalcharacteristics.

Reflections:Theaboveaveragesofbreakdownsineachofthe5characteristicsbeliesthedifferencesamongthecampsstudiedin2019.Fiveofthecampsinvolvedinthestudyhadnoelevatedlevelsofbreakdownsinanyofthe5fundamentalcharacteristics.Incontrast,fourofthecampshadelevatedbreakdownsineverycharacteristic.Theremainingthreecampshadelevatedbreakdownsinsomecharacteristicsbutnotothers.

5% 6%

POC2019 POC2018

8% 6%

POC2019 POC2018

11% 11%

POC2019 POC2018

13% 12%

POC2019 POC2018

6% 6%

POC2019 POC2018

10% 10%

POC2019 POC2018

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EffectsofaBreakdownintheCampModel:Fourcampsinthestudyexhibitedelevatedlevelsofbreakdownsinall5fundamentalcharacteristicsofcamp.Fiveothercampsexhibitednobreakdownsinanyofthe5fundamentalcharacteristics.Thisdiscrepancyallowsustocomparethecamperresultsfromthesecamps.14A:CampswithmodelBREAKDOWN(n=51)

14B:CampswithoutBreakdown(n=1345)

Campersattendingthefourcampswithincreasedlevelsofbreakdownsinthecampmodel(14A)experiencedunevengrowth.Amajorityofcampersatthesecampsstillgrewinhorizontalfaithandself-confidence,thoughthegrowthwasirregularbecauseahighpercentageofcampersexperiencedbreakdownsinthecampmodelanddeclinedinthesemeasurements.Incontrast,thecampsthatdidnothaveelevatedlevelsofbreakdowns(14B)showedconsistentgrowthfromthefirstdaytothelastdayofcamp,withthegrowthpersistingthroughthefollow-upsurvey.Last-daysurveyresponsesindicatetheconsequencesofincreasedlevelsofbreakdowns.Forthecampswithelevatedlevelsofbreakdowns,81%ofcampersagreedtheygrewintheirfaithand89%plannedtoreturn.Incampswithoutelevatedbreakdowns,92%grewinfaithand94%plannedtoreturn.Thedifferenceinexperiencebecomesclearerwhencomparingtheindividualcamperswhoexperiencedacampmodelbreakdownwiththosewhodidnot.Campersexperiencingamodelbreakdown(14C)showednogrowthineitherfaithmeasurement,andtheydeclinedinself-confidence(thefollow-upindicatesthatmostreboundedtopre-camplevelsfollowingcamp).Incontrast,camperswithoutamodelbreakdown(14D)grewsignificantlyinallthreemeasurements.14C:CamperswithmodelBREAKDOWN(n=141)

14D:CamperswithoutBreakdown(n=1442)

Insummary,Figures14A-14Ddemonstratethatthecampexperienceishighlyindividualizedintermsofmodelbreakdownsandoutcomes.Evenatthecampswithhighlevelsofmodelbreakdowns,themajorityofcampershadpositiveexperiencesandexhibitedgrowthinoutcomes.However,somecampswereclearlybetterthanothersatfacilitatingeffectivecampexperiences.

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VerticalFaith HorizontalFaith* Self-Confidence*

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VerticalFaith* HorizontalFaith* Self-Confidence*

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15A:TheEffectsofcampmodelBreakdownonLastDayImpressions(%stronglyagreewithstatement)

Breakdownsinthecampmodelnegativelyaffectedperceptionsofeveryaspectofcamp.Thedifferenceinexperienceisevengreaterthanthatmeasuredinthe2018survey.

DemographicDifferencesRelatedtoModelBreakdowns:AGE:

YoungercampersweremorelikelytoexperienceabreakdownintheUnpluggedfromHomecharacteristic,sincetheyaremorelikelytobehomesick.OldercampersweremorelikelytoexperienceabreakdowninParticipatory,sincetheygenerallyplaceahighervalueonhavingasayintheircampexperience.Again,camperagencyiskey.

FAITHBACKGROUND:Thosewithlessfaithbackgroundweremorelikelytoexperiencebreakdownsinmostofthefundamentalcharacteristics,butthedifferencewasmostevidentintheFaith-Centeredcharacteristic.Camperscategorizedasdisengagedandapatheticaboutchurch(seeFigure16B)wereover7timesmorelikelytoexperienceabreakdowninFaith-Centeredcomparedwiththeirpeerswhowereactiveandengagedinahomecongregation.Additionally,thosecategorizedasunsupportedintheirfaithlivesathomewerenearly6timesmorelikelytoexperienceabreakdowninFaith-Centeredcomparedwiththeirpeerswhohadstrongandsupportedfaithathome(16C).HOMESUPPORT:

Camperswhoexperiencedunstablesupportatschoolandhomeweremuchmorelikelytoexperiencebreakdownsinall5fundamentalcharacteristics.ThedifferencewasmostpronouncedinSafeSpace,inwhichcamperswhowerecategorizedasunsureoftheirsupportinhomeandschoolweremorethan11timesmorelikelytoexperienceabreakdownthantheirpeerswhowerecategorizedassecureandsupportedathomeandschool(seeFigure16A).Thisgroupofcampersisexploredinmoredepthonpage18.

31%

28%

40%

44%

36%

51%

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75%

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78%

79%

84%

89%

IfeltIcouldexpressmydoubtsaboutGod/religion

Iwasstrengthenedinmyfaith

IlearnedmoreaboutGod

Itriedsomethingnewatcamp

Myquestionsconcerningfaithweretakenseriously

Iplantoattendthiscampinthefuture

Ihadalotoffun

Nobreakdown Campmodelbreakdown

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PartnershipsandFaithEcologyThefindingsoftheEffectiveCampProjectandthePowerofCampStudymakeclearthatcampdoesnotfunctiononitsown,butratheraspartofalargerecologyoffaithformation.Thisecologyisdifferentforeachindividualcamperandincludestheirhomelife,onlinepresence,school,extra-curriculargroups,andchurchcommunity.Strengtheningthesepartnershipsisofutmostimportanceforyourcampingministryandthelong-termimpactsassociatedwiththecampexperience.16A:FeelingsofSupportatHomeandSchool:

Feelingsecureandsupportedinthehomeandschoolenvironmentsisessentialforpositiveyouthdevelopment.Thisisalsothedimensionofthecampers’livesonwhichcampshavetheleastamountofdirectimpact.Forvariousreasons,youngpeoplemayfeelunhappyorunsupportedintheseenvironments.ThisdoesNOTindicatethattheyarephysicallyunsafeorareinimmediatedanger,sincequestionsassessingtheseconcernswerenotincludedinthecampersurvey.Thosewhowereunsureaboutsupport(17%ofPOCcampers)generallyhavemuchlowerlevelsofself-confidence(accordingtoourmeasurements),aremorelikelytofeelhomesickatcamp,lesslikelytogetalongwiththeircabingroupandenjoyfellowcampers,andmuchmorelikelytofeelpickedonorleftoutatcamp.Thesenumbersarestatisticallyequivalentwith2018.16B:ChurchEngagement:

Campsandcongregationsaretypicallyclosepartnersinministry.Thecampersurveyexaminesthispartnershipfromthecampers’perspectivesbymeasuringnotonlyhowfrequentlytheyattendworshipservicesbuthowengagedtheyfeelinthelifeoftheirhomecongregation.ThePowerofCampStudyhasdemonstratedthatcampexperienceshelpincreasethisengagement.Campexperiencesaremosteffectiveforfaithformationwhentheyarecombinedwithworshipattendanceandfeelingsofbelonginginahomecongregation.Camperswhoare“activeandengaged”attendchurchatleastmonthly,donotagreethatworshipservicesareusuallyboring,feelincludedinworshipservicesatleastsometimes,andagreethatregularchurchattendanceisimportantfortheirlifeoffaith.AbouthalfofPOCcamperswereactiveandhadrobustsupportintheirhomecongregations,while13%hadanalmostcompletelackofchurchconnection.16C:FaithintheHome:

Noothermeasurementbetterpredictscamperfaithmeasurementsthanfaithinthehome.Thisisalsotheexternalcharacteristiconwhichcampcanhavethegreatesteffect.Rememberthatsomecamperscometotheimmersivefaithexperienceofcampwithverylittlefaithsupportinthehome(30%of2019POCcampers).Theyreturntothesesamehomeenvironmentswiththepotentialtoinfluencethemthroughthingssuchasfamilyprayeratmealtimes,familydevotions,andconversationsaboutGodandfaith.JustoverathirdofPOCcampers(39%)camefromhomesinwhichtheirfaithwasstrongandsupported(frequentconversationsaboutGod/faith,familyprayermultipletimesperweek,andpersonalprayerorBiblestudyatleastseveraltimesperweek).Campsrangedwidelyinthismeasurement,fromahighof60%“strongandsupported”faithinthehometoalowofjust16%.

SecureandSupported,55% Mixedresults,28% Supportunsure17%

ActiveandEngaged,52% OccasionalorIndifferent,35% Disengaged13%

StrongandSupported,39% Inconsistent,31% Unsupported,30%

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DifferencesAmongCampsCampsvariedwidelyintheirclienteleandprograms.Asnotedabove,theyalsodifferedsharplyintheireffectiveuseofthecampmodel.Thisinconsistencyinthecampmodelispartiallyduetothedifferingcontextsofthesecampsandtheircampers.Thecampmodelisonlyeffectivetotheextentthatitisappliedtospecificcontextualrealities.Severaloftheparticipatingcampsservedahighpercentageofat-riskyoungpeople.Fivecampshadfewerthanhalfoftheircamperscategorizedashavinga“secureandsupported”homeenvironment(seeFigure16A),includingtwocamps(WildwoodHillsandCampHappyland)thatservedmorekidscategorizedas“supportunsure”thanthosecategorizedas“secureandsupported.”Thesecampshavedifferentchallengesinensuringcampisasafespacethancampsservingalowerpercentageofat-riskyouth.Twocamps(WildwoodHillsandBethanyBirches)servedmoreunchurchedorreligiouslydisengagedcampersthanthosewhowereactiveandengagedinacongregation.Thisalsogreatlyaffectsthecampenvironmentandpresentsnumerouschallengestothefaith-centeredcharacteristicofcamp.Ontheothersideofthespectrum,threecamps(HoneyRock,MiracleCamp,andEagleSkyoftheOzarks)servedcamperpopulationswithmorethantwo-thirdsactiveandengagedinahomecongregation.ThesecamperswerenaturallymorereceptivetoengaginginChristianpracticesatcampandgrowingintheirfaith.

Therewerealsocleardifferencesindiversity.Participatingcampshadasmanyas93%oftheircamperswhite/Caucasianandaslowas16%(CampHappyland).

InterventionThiswasthefirstyearthatcampsrepeatedthestudyfromaprevioussummer,allowingustobegincomparingresultsovertime.Twoofthesecamps(RedwoodGlenandCampJudson)reportedimplementingspecificinterventionsasaresultoftheir2018studyfindings.Inbothcases,theseinterventionsresultedinmeasurableresults.RedwoodGlenrespondedtotheirhighbreakdownrateinthesafespacemeasurementbyadoptinganewprogramstrategyforafternoonactivitytimein2019.Thiswasdesignedtomakeafternoonsfeellesslikeschoolrecess,whichisofteninterpretedasunsafeforchildrenaccustomedtobeingpickedonorleftout.Inthenewprogram,therewasmorestaffsupervisionanddirectionofcamperactivities.Asaresultofthisintervention,RedwoodGlenreducedthebreakdownrateinthesafespacemeasurementby5percentagepointsfrom2018to2019.CampJudsonleadershipstaffwassurprisedbyhowmanyoftheircamperscamefromhomeswherefaithwasnotpracticedregularly.Theyrespondedin2019byaddinganinstructionaltimefocusedonprayerbeforethefirstcampmealonSundayevening.Thesummerstaffwereintentionalthroughouttheweekaboutengagingthecampersinprayerandencouragingthecampersthemselvestopraybothaloudandsilently.Inthefollow-upsurvey,theresultswereclear.Thepercentageofcampersreportingthattheywereprayingwiththeirfamiliesfourormoretimesperweeknearlydoubled,fromjust38%reportingthisonthefirstdayofcampto67%inthemonthsfollowingcamp.

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DoesCampWorkforAt-RiskKids?318respondingcampers(17%)werecategorizedashavingunsuresupportathomeandschool.Thismeansthatatleasttwoofthefollowingthreethingsweretrueontheirfirstdaysurvey:

1. Theyindicatedfeelingsafeandhappyathomeonlysometimes,rarely,ornotatall.2. Indicatedfeelingliketheyhadtohidetheirtrueselfathomeorschoolsometimes,often,oralways.3. Indicatedthatpeopleatschoolpickonthemorleavethemoutsometimes,often,oralways.

Asagroup,thesecampersreportedverypositiveexperiences,including90%agreeingthattheylearnedmoreaboutGodand82%agreeingthattheywerestrengthenedintheirfaith.Whilethesefiguresarelowerthantheirpeers(seeFigure7A),theyarestillverypositive.Additionally,thesecampersshowedgrowthinthefaithrelevancemeasurement,whichcontinuedthroughthefollow-upsurvey.Growthinbelief(verticalfaith)wasnon-significantforthisgroup,andtheself-confidencemeasurementshowedunevengrowthbecauseofthenumberofindividualsexperiencingabreakdowninthesafespacecharacteristic.

18A:ImpressionsofHome(FirstDay)ComparedwithImpressionsATCAMP(LastDay)forCampersCategorizedasUnsureoftheirSupportatHome/School(n=255)

ItisclearfromFigure18Athat,whilecamperscomingfromunsupportivehomeandschoolenvironmentsexperiencedmorebreakdownsinsafespaceatcampthantheirpeers(seeFigure6A),theyexperiencedcampasmoresupportiveoverallthantheirhomeandschoolenvironments.Theyweremoresusceptibletofeelingpickedonorleftoutbecauseofpastexperiences,whichtheircabinmatesmaynotknowabout.Overthree-quartersofthesecampers(77%)feltsupportedandhappyatcampoftenoralways.Thisisapositivesignthatcampisahealthyplaceforalargemajorityofthem.Itisimportanttorememberthat93%oftheirpeers(notcategorizedasunsureofsupportathome)feltsupportedandhappyatcampoftenoralways.Theexperiencesofat-riskcampersdifferedaccordingtothemakeupofthecamptheyattended.Abouthalfattendedcampswherethemajorityofcampershadsecureandsupportedhomeandschoolenvironments.Thesecamperswerepickedonandfelttheyhadtohidetheirtrueselvesfarlessthantheirpeerswhoattendedoneofthe5campsinwhichonlyaminorityofcampershadasecureandsupportedhomeandschoolenvironment.Thedifferencewasespeciallyclearforcamperswhowerepickedonorleftout.Thosewhoindicatedtheywerepickedonorleftout“almostalways”athomeorschoolwerecomparedbasedonthemakeupoftheircamps.Ofthoseattendingcampsthatweremajoritysecureandsupported,only18%reportedbeingpickedonorleftoutsometimes,often,oralways.Incomparison,ofthoseattendingcampsinwhichthemajorityofcampersdidnotcomefromsecureandsupportedhomes,53%reportedthesame.Thesedatasuggestthatat-riskcampersmayhaveamorepositiveexperiencewhenamajorityoftheirfellowcamperscomefromsecureandsupportivehomes.However,itisimportanttonotethatthesefindingsarefarfromconclusive,asthestudydidnotassessthedifferentqualitiesofeachcamportherangeofexperiencesthatmightbeincludedinfeelingsofbeingpickedonorleftout.

59%30%

43%26%

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IfeltincludedinworshipservicesATCAMPIfeelincludedinworshipservicesatchurch

IfeltsupportedandhappyATCAMPIfeelsupportedandhappyathome

IwaspickedonorleftoutATCAMPPeopleatschoolpickonmeorleavemeout

IfeltlikeIhadtohidemytrueselfATCAMPIfeellikeIhavetohidemytrueselfathome/school

Almostalways Often Sometimes

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CamperWordCloudThebelowimageisawordcloudrepresentingcamperresponsesinthefollow-upsurveytoaquestionaskingthemwhat2-3wordsfirstcometomindwhenthinkingabouttheircampexperience.Thelargertheword,themorefrequentlycampersusedit.Onlywordsused2ormoretimesareincluded.Thewordcloudrepresents458camperresponsesfromthe12participatingcamps.

Top12WordsUsed:

1. Fun(59%ofallcampers)2. Amazing(11%)3. Friends/friendship(10%)4. Exciting(9%)5. God(7.4%ofallcampers)6. Awesome(7%)7. Loved(4%)8. Faithful(3.5%)9. Learning(2.8%)10. Nature(2.8%)11. Happy(2.6%)12. Life-changing(2.6%ofallcampers)

Only7campers(1.5%)usedexplicitlynegativewordstodescribecamp.5differentcampshadcampersdescribetheexperienceas“life-changing.”Twoofthese(Mt.HermonandHoneyRock)had4camperseachusethisword