Sustainability and Social Justice

Date of Award

5-2017

Degree Type

Research Paper

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning (CDP)

Department

International Development, Community and Environment

Chief Instructor

Laurie Ross

Second Reader

Dr. Robert Zarges

Keywords

Summer, Camp, Counselor, Retention, Boys & Girls Clubs

Abstract

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver’s Gates Camp is a residential summer camp in Ward, Colorado. There has been an observed and verified trend of a lack of returning staff, despite staff members’ expressed positive experiences as a camp counselor. Returning staff improve the quality of programming for youth, by building upon their skills gained the previous summer and sharing their knowledge of the camp environment, culture and traditions with new staff. Through the use of a survey, completed by counselors who worked at Gates Camp between the summers of 2011 and 2016, trends as to why individuals choose to not return to camp emerged. Recommendations were made in accordance with such themes, and included: the addition of leadership activities for returning staff members, increasing the number of new hires in the 19 to 20 year old age bracket, and continuing to implement and expand upon staff culture building activities so as to capitalize on the positive, strong community that exists.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.