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Copyright of Society & Leisure / Loisir & Société is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Journal of Positivity & Well-Being (IJPW) is the property of International Journal of Positivity & Well-Being (IJPW) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of educational and recreational camping programs for children with epilepsy. Method: A retrospective review of data collected from all children attending annual epilepsy camps organized by the Croatian Epilepsy Association and the Zagreb City Office for Health during 8 years was performed. Children included were between 6 and 18 years of age. The staff of the camp includes child neurologists, a psychologist, neurology nurses and trained volunteers. Educational activities are designed to improve children's knowledge of epilepsy, importance of taking medication, academic choices, suggested employment, and regulations regarding driving laws. These issues were discussed in groups or in single sessions, depending on the case. Other activities included supervised swimming, team sports, fun activities and games, arts and crafts and entertainment such as disco or movie night. Each of the participants filled out three questionnaires 1. General data questionnaire and pre-camp knowledge test; 2. Camp satisfaction questionnaire and post-camp knowledge test; 3. Questionnaire on adaptation to epilepsy in young people. Results: The analyses of surveys and tests showed that only 75% of children in camp knew that they had epilepsy. In 10% of children, friends and distant family members did not know about epilepsy. Comparing the knowledge test before and after the camp, the average percentage of correctly solved tasks on the first test is 65%, and on the second 87%. The answers in the questionnaire on adaptation to life with epilepsy are indicators of strong stigma in children with epilepsy. Conclusions: The main accomplishment of the camp was for children to gain confidence that they can reach their full potential in life and to feel equal to their peers in every aspect of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important problem in single-player video game design is how to sequence game elements within a level (or "chunk") of the game. Each element has two critical features: a reward (e.g., earning an item or being able to watch a cinematic) and a degree of difficulty (e.g., how much energy or focus is needed to interact with the game element). The latter property is a distinctive feature in video games. Unlike passive services (like a trip to the spa) or passive entertainment (like watching sports or movies), video games often require concerted effort to consume. We study how to sequence game elements to maximize overall experienced utility subject to the dynamics of adaptation to rewards and difficulty and memory decay. We find that the optimal design depends on the relationship between rewards and difficulty, leading to qualitatively different designs. For example, when the proportion of reward-to-difficulty is high, the optimal design mimics that of more passive experiences. By contrast, the optimal design of games with low reward-to-difficulty ratios resembles work-out routines with "warm-ups" and "cool-downs." Intermediate cases may follow the classical "mini-boss, end-boss" design where difficulty has two peaks. Numerical results reveal optimal designs with "waves" of reward and difficulty with multiple peaks. Level designs with multiple peaks of difficulty are ubiquitous in video games. In summary, this paper provides practical guidance to game designers on how to match the design of single-player games to the relationship between reward and difficulty inherent in their game's mechanics. Our model also has implications for other interactive services that share similarities with games, such as summer camps for children. This paper was accepted by Jeannette Song, operations management. Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Project 72201210] and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [Grant RGPIN-2020-06488]. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4665. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mesure et Évaluation en Éducation is the property of ADMEE-Canada and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the last 50 years, the study of brain development has brought major discoveries to education and medicine, changing the lives of millions of children and families. However, collecting behavioral and neurophysiological data from children has specific challenges, such as high rates of data loss and participant dropout. We have developed a science camp method to collect data from children using the benefits of positive peer interactions and interactive and engaging activities, to allow researchers to better collect data repeatedly and reliably from groups of children. A key advantage of this approach is that by increasing participant engagement, attention is also increased, thereby increasing data quality, reducing data loss, and lowering attrition rates. This protocol describes the step-by-step procedure for facilitation of a science camp, including behavioral, electrophysiological, and participatory engagement activities. As this method is robust but also flexible, we anticipate that it can also be applied to different demographics and research needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study sought to (a) identify the factors most salient to parents when sending their child to summer camp, (b) examine family members' roles in the camp decision‐making process, and (c) compare both by income and other family contextual factors in a sample of parents with a child who enrolled and participated in a summer camp experience. Methods: Survey data were collected from a total of 354 families that included families from high, middle, and lower incomes. Surveys collected data on parental developmental goals for their child, factors related to camp–child and camp–family fit, and the level of involvement of family members in the camp decision‐making process. Results: The study identified three core parental goals for sending their child to camp: interactive learning, intrapersonal development, and fun/belonging. The analysis also identified five essential considerations parents use to consider camp fit: logistics/cost, program quality, child fit, institutional ties, and social connections. One parent, primarily the mother, drives the decision to send a child to camp. Family income was significant predictor of all three developmental goals with parents from higher income families reporting lower levels of developmental goals than parents from lower income families. Income also predicted camp fit considerations related to logistics/cost, institutional ties, and social connections. Parents in the high‐income group reported lower levels of consideration for logistics/cost and institutional ties than parents in the low‐income group. Parents in the high‐income group reported higher levels of consideration for social connections. Conclusion and Implications: Parents, regardless of income, want the best for their children when they go to summer camp. They want their kids to have fun, build social skills, and develop independence and other intrapersonal skills. However, parental decisions of where to send their child to camp and parental evaluations of camp–child and camp–family fit are more nuanced. Unsurprisingly, logistics and cost are major considerations for families with low incomes, and camps need to continue to find ways to reduce barriers for kids from low‐income homes to attend camp through outreach and scholarship programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is conducted to understand the reality of the education of children in refugee camps by considering the importance of education and its impact on the upbringing of the generation. For this reason, I touch on the concept of "asylum/refugee" and the impact of war on children's education. In order to understand all aspects of this study, mutual interviews were conducted with some mothers in the el-Vefa camp, which served as an example for the study. As a result of the examination, it is seen that the children in the camp could not continue their education due to the lack of financial resources and the interruption of the benefits provided by the scholarship givers. These reasons have led to the fact that qualified teachers/educators have stopped teaching. All of them has had a negative impact on the education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with a higher level of self-esteem show a low level of neuroticism and a high level of friendliness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness to experience, which could be ideal preconditions for the position of an educator at a children's camp. This work aims to find out whether there is a difference in self-esteem and personality traits between educators and the general population. 1,153 respondents (18–40 years) participated in this research, where 563 were educators and 590 were respondents from the general population. Data were obtained using an online questionnaire, which consisted of demographic questions, RSES and BFI-44. Data were analyzed by basic descriptive statistics and T-test for independent selections. Educators show a higher value of self-esteem and of all other factors except for neuroticism, where lower values were recorded. Former participants in children's camps became educators more often. The results can be applied in the selection of suitable leaders for the positions of educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is known that the circadian rhythm phase in adults can be advanced in a natural light-dark cycle without electrical lighting. However, the effect of advanced sleep-wake timing according to the natural light-dark cycle on children's circadian phase is unclear. We investigated the effects of approximately 2 weeks of camping life with little access to artificial lighting on children's circadian phases. We also conducted an exploratory examination on the effects of wake time according to natural sunrise time on the manner of the advance of their circadian phases. Methods: Twenty-one healthy children (mean ± SD age, 10.6 ± 1.4 years) participated in a camping program with wake time (4:00) being earlier than sunrise time (EW condition), and 21 healthy children (10.4 ± 1.1 years) participated in a camping program with wake time (5:00) being almost matched to sunrise time (SW condition). Salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) before the camping program and that after approximately 2 weeks of camping were compared. Results: DLMO was advanced by approximately 2 h after the camping program compared with the circadian phase in daily life in both conditions. In addition, the advances in DLMO were significantly correlated with mid-sleep points before the camp in both conditions (EW: r = 0.72, p < 0.01, SW: r = 0.70, p < 0.01). These correlations mean that the phase advance was greater for the children with delayed sleep habits in daily life. Furthermore, in the EW condition, mean DLMO after the camp (18:09 ± 0:33 h) was earlier than natural sunset time and there was no significant decrease in interindividual variability in DLMO. On the other hand, in the SW condition, mean DLMO after the camp (18:43 ± 0:20 h) matched natural sunset time and interindividual variability in DLMO was significantly lower than that before the camp. Conclusions: Camping with advanced sleep and wake timing under natural sunlight advances children's circadian phases. However, DLMO earlier than sunset in an early waking condition may lead to large interindividual variability in the circadian rhythm phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood victimization can negatively affect children's self-perception, a multifaceted developmental asset that can be delineated into Global Self-Worth, Social Competence, and Behavioral Conduct. Despite the importance of self-perception, few studies have examined how strengths-based interventions impact self-perception among youth experiencing victimization. Using a familial case study design, the current study evaluated how a camp-based intervention, known as Camp HOPE, affected self-perception among siblings who experienced childhood victimization. Participants included three siblings and their mother who all identify as Black/African American and reside in the Midsouth, United States. The siblings participated in a week-long, overnight camp with other children exposed to victimization. The family was evaluated across three timepoints: pre-camp, 1 month post-camp, and 4 months post-camp. Participating in Camp HOPE appeared to have differential effects on the siblings' self-perception. Specifically, all three children endorsed small to medium improvements in perceived Behavioral Conduct, but the camp differentially impacted their Global Self-Worth and Social Competence. Findings suggest that Camp HOPE may enhance self-perception among Black/African American children who have experienced victimization. This intervention may also be more accessible and acceptable, compared to traditional treatment formats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This quasi-experimental research explores the relationship between participation in two-week summer camps and changes in children's altruism and self-esteem. Data were collected from 256 children aged 6 to 16 years. A self-reported altruism scale, a self-evaluation questionnaire and a temperament measure (EAS) were administered on two occasions either two weeks apart during the summer holidays or in class before and after the autumn holidays. The responses of 145 children attending summer camps were compared with those of 111 pupils. A significant increase in the altruism score was found between the pre-test and post-test in the camp condition, but no change in the children's self-esteem was found with the entire sample. Exploratory analyses suggest variables that may be associated with more favourable participation in summer camps; certain dimensions of temperament are among them, as well as factors related to the camps themselves. Differences in the increase of altruism and self-esteem scores in summer camp were observed according to the identified child profiles. The limitations of this work are highlighted before proposing perspectives for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many refugee children face challenges accessing education, but refugee children with disabilities are especially vulnerable to exclusion from school environments as well as social settings. Mainstreaming is considered a best practice but may not always be feasible given the limited resources available in refugee camps. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which school setting (i.e., special needs vs. mainstream classrooms) is associated with changes in children's prosocial behaviors (i.e., social skills and ability to get along well with peers) and behavioral difficulties, accounting for disability status. In Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, researchers collected two waves of data (approximately 2.5 years apart) for students enrolled in special needs schools (n = 78) and students who had transitioned from special needs schools into mainstream classrooms (n = 51). Children's average prosocial scores decreased between wave 1 and wave 2, but scores from children in special needs schools decreased at a lower rate indicating potential protective factors in these settings. While children's average total difficulties decreased over time, children's difficulties in special needs schools decreased at a faster rate, also indicating potential protective factors. Neither severity of disability nor gender significantly predicted change in prosocial or difficulties scores. In the context of a refugee camp, mainstreaming alone may not fully address the needs of children with disabilities. Specific factors seen in special education settings, such as individualized services, accessible accommodations, and infrastructure supports, must be considered as a means of creating inclusive educational environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enthusiastic embrace of virtual reality films as 'the ultimate empathy machine' by humanitarian organisations and technology companies can be positioned as an attempt to change attitudes towards refugees through a strategy of 'humanisation'. This article offers a critique of humanising approaches to displacement as they manifest in the United Nations' first-ever virtual reality film Clouds Over Sidra (2015), targeted at policy makers, donors, and the general public in the Global North. Through an experiential and textual analysis of the film, I analyse two strategies of humanisation in Clouds Over Sidra : reproduction of 'ideal' figures of the refugee through the depiction of daily life in Za'atari camp and overrepresentation of children, and depoliticisation of displacement via technological disembodiment in the film. The former results in a never-ending search for purity, and the latter depoliticises displacement through an erasure of differential exposure to colonial and racial regimes of im/mobility. I argue that humanising approaches based on a logic of inclusion ultimately affirm the colonial and racial hierarchy of humanity as they leave unquestioned the already colonial and racial nature of 'the human'. This article provides an original contribution to debates about VR technology, empathy, and displacement by going beyond a generalised critique of VR films to foreground a critique of humanising approaches to displacement. I conclude by asking what it might mean to think about displacement relationally, an approach that is grounded in a politics of location and global relations of power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The Spanish National Pedagogic Museum (Museo Pedagógico Nacional, MPN), founded by La Institución Libre de Enseñanza, organized the first summer school camps in Spain and their initiative was followed by other institutions in this country. MPN prepared anthropological forms for those sojourns, which included information about both metric and physiological measurements of the schoolchildren. The aim of the current work is to analyze hand grip strength data and to compare them with recent values. Methods: The initial sample included 2418 schoolchildren from 6 to 16 years old (1467 males, 951 females) attending the camps, but after preliminary analyses, the study was restricted to 1073 boys and 818 girls in the 1900–1925 interval. Three time periods were established and 13 categories of height at camp entry, every 5 cm. Normality tests were run as well as contrasts of means, and both average values and percentiles were calculated for hand grip strength in both hands, as a function of age and height categories. Results: The 1900–1925 interval was chosen since there were no significant differences among hand grip data within that period. Results show that children attending the camps had dynamometry values in both hands well below the current ones, both with reference to their height and to their age. Conclusions: Camp attendees displayed very low values of height and hand grip strength in both hands. Both are significantly lower than contemporary values, manifesting a secular effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the authorities made a change in the classification of malnutrition and concomitant service delivery protocol among the Rohingya children, residing in world's largest refugee camp, located in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. In this paper, we discussed the potential implications of this updated protocol on the malnutrition status among children residing in the Rohingya camps.Design: This paper reviewed relevant literature and authors' own experience to provide a perspective of the updated protocol for the classification of malnutrition among the children in the Rohingya camps and its implication from a broader perspective.Setting: Rohingya refugee camps, Bangladesh.Participants: Children aged less than five years residing in the Rohingya camps.Results: Major adaptation during this COVID-19 was the discontinuation of using weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) and the use of only mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) and presence of oedema for admission, follow-up and discharge of malnourished children in the camps. However, evidence suggests that use of MUAC only can underestimate the prevalence of malnutrition among the children in Rohingya camps. These apparently non-malnourished children are devoid of the rations that they would otherwise receive if classified as malnourished, making them susceptible to more severe malnutrition.Conclusions: Our analysis suggests that policymakers should consider using the original protocol of using both MUAC and WHZ to classify malnutrition and retain the guided ration size. We also believe that it would not take an extra effort to adopt the original guideline as even with MUAC only guideline, certain health measures needed to adopt during this pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After World War II, Jewish survivors emigrated throughout the world. Their children have been recognized as the Second Generation. Many of them stand out as preservers and disseminators of Holocaust history and awareness. This article is based on the testimonies of Aron Gilbert and Orly Beigel, children of concentration camp survivors who were born and raised in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) has a significant psychosocial impact on affected children. Summer camp has been shown to improve psychological and physical states for children with diabetes and cancer. However, opportunities to attend camp for children with SCD are limited, as many are from low-income families, and many camps are not equipped to care for children with medical complexities. To our knowledge, no literature evaluates how camp can positively affect emotional functioning, social functioning, self-esteem, and physical activity levels in children with SCD. Methods: Children with SCD attending a residential summer camp during 2019 were identified. Participants completed a modified version of the Pediatric Camp Outcome Measure, a validated 29-item questionnaire that evaluates self-esteem, emotional function, social function, and physical activity. Four additional questions related to SCD were included. Results: Nine campers enrolled in the study. Questionnaire results showed a total score of 113.7 (maximum score 135, range 84-129), with a self-esteem subscale score of 22.1 (maximum score 25, range 20-25), an emotional subscale score of 32.1 (maximum score 40, range 25-39), a social subscale score of 38.9 (maximum score 45, range 24-45), and a physical activity subscale score of 20.6 (maximum score 25, range 19-25). All campers indicated that they would return to camp. Conclusion: Attending summer camp has a beneficial impact on emotional function, social function, self-esteem, and physical activity. Mean questionnaire scores from children with cardiac disease and cancer are similar to those of children with SCD. Increased funding should be awarded to sickle cell camps to allow for more children to have this beneficial experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the impact of a virtual educational camp (vEC) on glucose control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes using a closed‐loop control (CLC) system. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective multicentre study of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes using the Tandem Basal‐IQ system. Insulin pumps were upgraded to Control‐IQ, and children and their parents participated in a 3‐day multidisciplinary vEC. Clinical data, glucose metrics and HbA1c were evaluated over the 12 weeks prior to the Control‐IQ update and over the 12 weeks after the vEC. Results: Forty‐three children and adolescents (aged 7‐16 years) with type 1 diabetes and their families participated in the vEC. The median percentage of time in target range (70‐180 mg/dL; TIR) increased from 64% (interquartile range [IQR] 56%‐73%) with Basal‐IQ to 76% (IQR 71%‐81%) with Control‐IQ (P <.001). After the vEC, more than 75% of participants achieved a TIR of more than 70%. The percentage of time between 180 and 250 mg/dL and above 250 mg/dL decreased by 5% (P <.01) and 6% (P <.01), respectively, while the time between 70 and 54 mg/dL and below 54 mg/dL remained low and unaltered. HbA1c decreased by 0.5% (P <.01). There were no episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis or severe hypoglycaemia. Conclusions: In this study of children managing their diabetes in a real‐world setting, more than 75% of children who participated in a vEC after starting a CLC system could obtain and maintain a TIR of more than 70%. The vEC was feasible and resulted in a significant and persistent improvement in TIR in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to use photovoice—a participatory action research methodology that allows participants to leverage the creative medium of photography to capture their 'lived experience'—among Syrian refugees living in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. The study found that participants (children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 18 years) demonstrated a remarkable number of resilience strategies (88 per cent) at multiple levels (individual, family, school and community). Resilience was demonstrated through their interactions with nature to seek solitude and solace, family connections, school, friends, accomplishments and their broader community. A smaller number of participants spoke of topics related to trauma and loss (12 per cent). The study demonstrates the usefulness and viability of photovoice in capturing the fears, wants and wishes of vulnerable populations as well as strategies employed by them in the face of adversity. As such, it is a potentially powerful tool for empowerment, raising awareness and promoting social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI) is associated with long-term negative sequelae, and families must continually adapt to meet the needs of the child with ABI and family members. Condition-specific camps may support families in this process. This study explored the experience of camps for children with ABI and their families from the perspective of children and young people with ABI and their siblings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 people with ABI (Mage = 23.93, SD = 16.52 years) and 19 siblings of people with ABI (Mage = 14.53, SD = 5.73 years). Using reflexive thematic analysis, the central theme identified was "My safe space," supported by three further themes: "Having fun and relaxing," "Making friends," and "Enjoying choices." Camp was a space where the shared understanding and acceptance of ABI created a sense of safety. This was facilitated by enjoying activities, developing friendships with peers who shared the experience of ABI, and having a sense of control through choice availability. Thus, camps appear to offer opportunities to enjoy typical childhood experiences while restoring a sense of security, increasing understanding of ABI and validating attendees' experiences. Camps may, therefore, offer low-cost interventions to support children with ABI and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Syrian crisis has resulted in a devastating impact on refugees' oral health and data on their oral health is lacking. To explore oral health and dental needs of Syrian refugee children, a cross-sectional study of 484 children was conducted. Caries prevalence, DMFT, SiC, and oral hygiene indices were recorded. Caries prevalence was 96.1%, with mean dmft/DMFT scores of 3.65/1.15, SiC scores were 6.64/2.56, and Hygiene Index was 1.13. Decay was the main component of dmft/DMFT (89%-88%). Most common complaint was pain (98.3%) with 88% of the children do not brush/brush occasionally. Pearson's correlation displayed a strong association between dental caries and age (P ≤ 0.01), where caries in permanent dentition increases and in deciduous dentition decreases. Syrian refugees showed poor oral health, high caries prevalence, high unmet dental needs, and poor oral hygiene practices, which indicates lack of dental care services, and warranting urgent prevention to reduce the burden of oral disease of this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) often (<87 %) experience postural control problems, impacting all levels of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) including their daily participation, self-esteem and mental health. Due to the multisystemic nature of postural control, comprehensive therapy should target all systems which is currently not the case. Highly intensive therapy is effective and commonly used in pediatric populations, but has not been explored yet to train postural control in children with DCD. To investigate the effects of a highly intensive functional balance therapy camp at all ICF levels in children with DCD. The effects on postural control, muscle activity, brain alterations, self-perceived competence, self-identified goals, gross motor activities and participation are evaluated. Participants are assessed pre- and post-intervention, including a 3 months follow-up. Forty-eight children with DCD, aged 6–12 years old, receive 40 h of comprehensive balance training. This intervention is fun, individually tailored, targets all postural control systems, implements different motor learning strategies and includes both individual and group activities. Novel insights into the effects of a highly intensive comprehensive balance therapy camp designed for children with DCD will be gained at all levels of the ICF. • Children with DCD often experience postural control problems. • A highly intensive therapy camp can offer comprehensive postural control training. • The proposed therapy is functional, individually tailored and motor learning based. • Effects are measured on functioning, participation, personal & environmental level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of hand camp by investigating camp participation and outcomes on self-esteem, physical function, activity participation, and peer relationships. Forty patients with a congenital hand difference seen in hand clinic between the ages of 10 and 13 were eligible to attend hand camp. Participation involved completion of questionnaires at 3-time points: before camp (Pre-Camp Questionnaires), immediately following camp (Immediate Follow-Up Questionnaires) and 6-months after camp (Final Follow-Up Questionnaires). The questionnaires administered included: Demographic Form, Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Camp Expectation Questionnaire. Thirty-six patients were included (22 females, 14 males), average age of 11.17 years. Diagnoses included: central deficiency, transverse deficiency, radial longitudinal deficiency, ulnar longitudinal deficiency, and overgrowth conditions. PROMIS Upper Extremity Function significantly improved from pre-camp to immediate follow-up (46.24 to 48.95; p = 0.016), as well as at pre-camp and final follow-up (46.24 to 49.44; p = 0.008). PROMIS Peer Relation scores significantly improved from pre-camp to immediate follow-up (52.26 to 57.91; p = 0.002). RSES results indicated significant improvements in self-esteem between pre-camp and immediate follow-up (23.92 to 26.81; p < 0.001), and between pre-camp and final follow-up (23.92 to 25.72; p < 0.001). Peer relationships, upper extremity function, and self-esteem improved immediately following hand camp. Upper extremity function and self-esteem scores continued to improve significantly throughout the 6-month follow-up period. The study authors believe that research related to therapeutic camping experiences is integral when identifying best-practice interventions to increase quality of life outcomes for children with congenital hand differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Summer day camps (SDC) represent one of the largest settings, outside the academic school year, where children can engage in safe, enjoyable physical activity (PA). Yet, little is known about this setting and how active children are while attending. Methods: System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth was used to categorize PA of boys/girls as Sedentary/Walking/Vigorous across multiple days (8 AM to 6 PM) in 4 large-scale community-based SDCs. Contextual characteristics of type of activity, activity management, equipment, and in/outdoors were collected simultaneously; Mixed-model regression analyses examined associations between PA categories and contextual characteristics. Results: A total of 4649 scans of 2462 children were made across 27 days in the SDCs. Physical activity opportunities represented 38% of the daily schedule. Overall, 74%-79%, 13%-16%, and 7%-9% of children were observed Sedentary, Walking, or Vigorous during the SDC, and this changed to 62%-67%, 18%-19%, and 15%-18% observed Sedentary, Walking, or Vigorous during PA opportunities. Water-based PA, equipment, and free-play were related to increased PA. Children waiting-in-line for turns, staff instructing, and organized PA were related to increased sedentary. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence of modifiable characteristics of SDCs associated with PA. Improving staff skills related to facilitating active environments is a viable avenue to increase PA accumulated within SDCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the rather unusual establishment, by the French army of occupation in the French Zone of Occupation in south-west Germany, of holiday camps for French children, from 1945 to 1949. The camps catered for tens of thousands of French children who were brought from France to devastated Germany. The article argues that the army's major investment of time, personnel and material resources in these holiday camps, starting in the summer of 1945 immediately after the liberation of Nazi Germany, stemmed not only from concern for children's welfare, but from several ideological concerns that played out in occupied Germany and back in metropolitan France. It is based on extensive archival research in both France and Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Counselling & Psychotherapy / Revue Canadienne de Counseling et de Psychothérapie is the property of Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a marked height difference between Palestinian children living in the refugee camps and children of the remaining population in Jordan. Children living in refugee camps are significantly shorter than the rest of the children in the hosting population. We explore the drivers of the height gap, measured by the height for age z-score, among children residing in refugee camps and the non-camp residents. A Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition is used to quantify the sources of the inequalities between the two groups into two components; one that is explained by regional differences in the level of the determinants, and another part that is explained by differences in the effect of the determinants of the child nutritional status. Our results suggest that the endowment effect dominates the coefficients effect. More specifically, the height gap is mainly driven by wealth disparities between the two groups. Poverty alleviation programs such as conditional cash transfers programs and microfinance to camps' residents would help to reduce the spatial nutrition inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces readers to a collaborative community of practice that implemented the Sanford Harmony curriculum, a curriculum that was implemented at a social skills camp for children who were typical developing, as well as children on the autism spectrum. Even though a small number of families enrolled in the camp, several positive results and benefits emerged after a two-week implementation period. In addition, several potential directions for using the Sanford Harmony curriculum emerged for this type of experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Heads Together organisation provides a weekend camping programme for children with an acquired brain injury (ABI) and their families. Utilising a qualitative approach, this study explored family experiences of the Heads Together Camp (HTC) from the perspective of parents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 parents who had attended the camp. Thematic analysis identified six themes: ABI and the family; Apprehension and discomfort; Connections and community; Hope and perspective; Fun, relaxation and respite; and Family functioning. Families experienced initial feelings of apprehension at camp, which attenuated as connections developed between camp attendees. These connections were grounded in shared experiences of ABI and enabled families to become part of an accepting community, feel less alone and share information. The camp environment also facilitated fun and relaxation, provided families with hope and perspective, and led to improvements in family relationships. Overall, recreational camps may mitigate some stressors experienced by families affected by ABI. Camps could be used to support families by providing them with connections, fun and relaxation, a sense of normality and hope for the future. Thus, recreational camps may represent an effective allied support service for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training and self-confidence of the instructor are important components in the success of any inclusive physical education (PE) or recreation program. The purpose of this study was to determine if the self-efficacy toward teaching students with intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities or visual impairment in PE would increase in PE pre-service teachers working at a one-week intensive sports camp for youth with visual impairments. PE pre-service teachers (n=18) filled out the Self-Efficacy Scale for Physical Education Teacher Education Majors towards Children with Disabilities (SE-PETE-D) pre- and post-camp. SE-PETE-D - - efficacy for teaching youth with a visual impairment scores significantly increased during camp, t(17) = 3.75, p = .002, d = 0.88. A similar pattern was observed in self-efficacy for teaching youth with an intellectual disability and physical disability, with scores also significantly increasing, t(17) = 5.32, p < .001, d = 1.25 and, t(17) = 3.83, p = .001, d = .90, respectively. Results from this study suggest teaching and learning experiences that are both practical and disability-orientated can be quite effective in increasing PE predisabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maltreatment during childhood is associated with difficult interpersonal relationships throughout the life course. The aim of the current study was to investigate differential pathways from child maltreatment to emerging adult relationship dysfunction. Specifically, we prospectively tested whether child maltreatment initiates a developmental cascade resulting in coercive negative romantic and friend interactions in emerging adulthood via childhood antisocial tendencies and via childhood relational aggression. Utilizing a longitudinal sample of emerging adult participants (N = 392; mean age = 20 years old) who took part in a summer research camp program as children (mean age = 11 years old), results supported pathways via both childhood antisocial behavior and childhood relational aggression. We found specificity within these pathways such that childhood antisocial behavior was a mediator of child maltreatment effects on emerging adult negative romantic interactions, whereas childhood relational aggression was a mediator of child maltreatment effects on emerging adult negative friend interactions. Taken together, results indicate that children exposed to maltreatment face significant interpersonal challenges in emerging adulthood, within both the friend and the romantic domains, and point to distinct childhood pathways to these negative interactions. Our findings are consistent with Dishion's (2016) theoretical framework for understanding the development of coercion in relationships and highlight the criticality of early intervention with maltreating families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of a summer camp-based science methods course on elementary pre-service teachers' self-efficacy in teaching science as inquiry. The science camp was offered to K-6 students as part of the 4-week, 3-credit science teaching methods course over the summer. The preservice teachers were asked to teach camp children for two weeks for their practicum requirement. This study utilized a mixed-methods design using both qualitative and quantitative data collected with 55 participants over four years. The TSI (Teaching Science as Inquiry) was administered at the beginning and end of the course to estimate participants' self-efficacy. We only measured PSTEB (Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Belief) using 34 items out of the TSI to reduce test fatigue. We also conducted semi-structured interviews at the end of the course to investigate sources for their self-efficacy. The paired samples t-test of the pre- and post-course survey indicates that preservice teachers' self-efficacy in teaching science as inquiry increased significantly as a result of participating in the course (p <.001). Analysis of the interview data revealed eight main sources of self-efficacy and each one's relative significance compared to other sources. The findings of this study imply that the camp-based course increased pre-service teachers' self-efficacy by providing not only various mastery experiences, but also unique experiences that afforded reflection and mentoring, and drew camp participants' positive reactions. This study highlights the potential of informal science education settings as field experience sites especially for elementary science methods courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the key concept of socialist realism as interpretational frame, the paper investigates the visual construction of the spaces of the 'happy Soviet childhood' in provincial contexts. Sources are photo albums of pioneer summer camps from the 1960s and 1970s situated in the southern Urals and in the Moscow region, interviews with former camp leaders, and instruction materials. The elaborate albums were conceived as internal reports for local authorities and submitted to a regional competition for the best camp. As adult narrations of a happy childhood, the albums are part of a cultural system that created and represented a specific topography of Soviet happy childhood. At the same time, the photographic reports are witnesses of the gaze upon this childhood. The paper explores not so much the single photographs, but the albums as artefacts. The emphasis is on the social practices surrounding the (reproduction of the images and narrations by making, choosing and arranging photographs with slogans and emblems in the albums. The visual approach is combined with a spatial one: The summer camps were part of a Soviet topography of childhood offering heterotopic spaces in the context of the Soviet cult of childhood. They also provided the opportunity, namely for women, to escape temporarily from the mind-numbing and controlled spaces of work and family chores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]