September Update: CCA and Jackman Research Initiative
In April we announced the Jackman Initiative, a new phase of Canadian camp research that will be instrumental to advocate for camp experiences for all Canadian youth.
Today, we’re happy to share an update for the project.
Summer is a busy time for all camp practitioners and the same was true for the Jackman Initiative team. Over the last few months we conducted the scoping review, identifying and analyzing nearly 130 studies of Canadian camp research since 1950. The review has been written into a scholarly paper and is being submitted for publication so that professionals in camp, outdoor education, parks and recreation, out-of-school-time fields, and beyond can access the information. Once it’s available, we’ll be sure to share the publication in this newsletter.
In the meantime, here are some interesting points about the studies included in the review:
Study participants included campers, parents/caregivers, families, and staff (such as counsellors, activity leads, section heads, nurses/medical staff, camp directors and administrators), and community members.
The number of participants in the studies ranged from 4 to over 120,00; however, 85% of the studies included 10 campers or fewer.
65% of the studies explored only one camp in their paper. It’s important to clarify that this was not the same camp in all 65% of the studies, but shows that many studies had a limited scope.
Many studies were of camps with a general focus (32.6%), while the remaining had a variety of focuses (i.e., culture, family-based, medical, nature, religious, special needs, sport, STEM/academic, and other).
Special populations included youth with medical conditions or special needs, young people from low-income backgrounds, and campers from specific religious and/or cultural backgrounds.
21% of studies used mixed-methods, meaning a combination of quantitative (e.g., surveys) and qualitative (e.g., interviews) approaches.
Only a few studies included data collected over multiple years.
The high level findings point to some clear next steps for the research project that will be developed through the Jackman Initiative. It should use mixed-methods, be multi-year, solicit perspectives from multiple stakeholders, include multiple camps of various types (e.g., day, overnight, for profit, not for profit, speciality focuses, general), and have a large participant sample.
We’re also in the midst of connecting with the three advisory groups who will provide their insights on what type of research and data are needed to move the industry forward. The project team has already had their first meetings with the professional, administrative, and research advisory groups and are learning a lot. These meetings will last the next few months and will result in a robust understanding of what the industry needs in terms of understanding how camp impacts young people.
Information from the review and the advisory group meetings will be used to create an official request for proposals (RFP). We hope to publish this by the end of the year and in 2027 take the next steps to launch this important research work.
We will keep you updated along the way - stay tuned!
Yours, in camping
Dr. Victoria Povilaitis - Project Lead
Dr. Madeleine Orr & Dr. Daniel Sailofsky - Academic Supports and Advisory Facilitators
Matt Wilfrid - CCA - Research Project Manager