Summer Camps

Abstract

Summer camps are youth development programs or organizations that strive to foster growth in children. They do so by providing fun, safe, educational experiences supervised by professional adults and older youth. Camps can vary in terms of the children they serve, activities they promote, as well as their place, time, and sponsorship. Summer camps have long been part of adolescents' experiences, in the United States and in many other countries. Summer camp experiences may have been lionized, but they have not been subjected to rigorous studies to confirm their alleged effects. Still, recent research does report a wide range of positive effects and now seeks to understand the mechanisms and nuances leading to those effects.