Developing Noncognitive College Readiness Skills at Camp: Long-Term Outcomes

Authors

  • Anja Whittington Radford University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18666/JOREL-2023-11330

Keywords:

College-readiness skills, camp, women

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether attending camp supported girls’ college readiness skills and whether those outcomes persisted after the girls’ first semester of college. This study was a multi-year project conducted over three different time periods (first and last day of camp, and after the first semester of college). One hundred and twenty-seven girls participated in Time One and Time Two data collection periods, and 42 women participated in Time Three of the study. In-person surveys were collected at Time One and Time Two and an online survey was collected at Time Three. Quantitative results revealed an increase in the following 12 variables: resilience, teamwork, independence, confidence, problem solving, being responsible, leadership, perseverance, communication, critical thinking, decision making, and time management. Qualitative results supported these findings but also revealed that relationship building, work ethic, and dealing with stress were other important skills gained at camp that supported women at college. Results suggest that camp participation can serve as a venue to support college readiness in young adult women.

Author Biography

Anja Whittington, Radford University

Recreation, Parks and Tourism Department

Professor

Published

2023-03-13

Issue

Section

Regular Papers