This document presents a review of recent research literature on eight components in a system of care for children with serious emotional disturbances. It is intended to be a guide and source of information to communities for building systems of care. Components include: residential services (psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Camp Invention, a hands-on creativity and science day camp run in partnership with about 400 schools nationwide. A survey of 17,526 campers, parents, and staff supported the positive impact of Camp Invention for both boys and girls, in urban and suburban settings, and on attitudes towards creativity,…

During the summer vacation children who are economically disadvantaged experience declines in reading achievement, while middle- and high-income children improve. Previous research has demonstrated that the most widely implemented intervention -- sending economically disadvantaged students to summer school -- has not led to increases in reading…

Summer day camps for learning disabled elementary school students can help children to maintain and improve academic and social skills that may otherwise regress during summer vacation. Two such New Brunswick programs are described in terms of rationale, camp structure and organization, funding, student selection, staff selection, training,…

This study examined effects of a summer reading instruction program as part of an 8-week summer day camp experience for 61 disadvantaged first grade children. Two hours of direct explicit reading instruction daily were supplemented with a literacy-rich camping experience. Post-tests indicated the experimental group not only obviated usual summer…

In the past decade, human service professions such as recreation, public health, and education have been asked to increase their services and document their contribution to the people and communities they serve. The recreation profession specifically has been looked upon as a unique contributor to the positive development of youths, with emphasis…

This article examines the unfolding of experiences in youth programs that differed in the degree of youth and adult influence over program activities. In-depth qualitative data were obtained over a three- to four-month cycle of activities in two "youth-driven" and two "adult-driven" programs for high-school-aged youth. All had been identified as…

This article addresses the need for therapeutic camps to support the disproportionate number of African-American children in out of home foster care and group home placements. A brief review of literature on camp interventions and their failure to adequately address the influence of ethnicity and culture is provided. A pilot of a small culturally…

A project was undertaken to create a program of training to prepare physically handicapped but mentally alert clients of United Cerebral Palsy of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Inc. in New Jersey for employment in various child care situations. Training was provided at the adult program site, Camp Oakhurst. During the project, 10 clients of the…

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES OBSERVED AT SIX SUMMER DAY CAMPS (REPRESENTATIVE OF 26 SUCH CAMPS SPONSORED BY THE KENNEDY FOUNDATION) ARE REPORTED. EACH CAMP WAS VISITED AND THE FIRST 25 ACTIVITIES PRESENTED WERE ANALYZED BY ONE OF TWO THEORETICAL MODELS. THE MODEL FOR MEANINGFUL (COGNITIVE) ACTIVITIES WAS USED TO RATE ACTIVITIES IN TERMS OF…

The extent and quality of school-to-work (STW) programs in the state of Washington were evaluated through a survey of all school districts receiving state STW funds and case studies of programs in four school districts (Bethel, Methow, Sumner, and Wapato), one consortium (Columbia River School-to-Work Consortium in Clark County), and two…

Two methods were used to identify important operational constraints and their potential impact on special education camps: a review of current literature and programs using content analysis and the development of day and resident camping experiences. In the content analysis, a process of evolution through trial and error was seen as leading to…