Camp as Connection: How Teens Make Meaning of Long-Term Participation in Summer Science Camp

• In Event: Teachers' Narratives Exploring Changing Landscapes

Abstract

This study evolved from a nine year experience of leading a summer science camp intended to be a laboratory for innovative science teaching practice. In investigating why the majority of children returned voluntarily for every year of camp, from age 6/7 until age 14/15, the researcher found that her goals did not at all match those of the youth, who had used the camp to create a space of connection, stability, and "chill" as they navigated their teenage years. The narratives of three of the long-term returners give voice to the ways in which youth claim and use learning spaces and informs how we might better co-design formal and informal learning environments to support them.

Author

• Stephanie L. Sisk-Hilton, San Francisco State University