As summer break approaches rapidly, it’s important for children to continue to engage in activities that enhance their learning. Out-of-school-time (OST) learning settings, including summer camp environments and other extracurricular activities, provide avenues for kids’ to continue this engagement by aiding their social and emotional learning development. A study conducted by the University of Utah the analyzes the relationship between OST settings, like summer camp participation, to understand the long-term effects on children’s personal growth in adult individuals that attended camp for at least three weeks in their youth.

Through a survey analysis of summer camp alumni, researchers evaluated the individuals’ responses to prompts pertaining to their summer camp importance and contribution to the development of their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. The results of this analysis demonstrated strong indications between the two: Summer camps were found to be effective at developing independence, responsibility, and fostering social interactions between peers in individuals’ reports. Camps’ focus on community and group-based activities tended also strengthened campers’ foundational communication and teamwork skills.

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