Tag: COVID19

Barry A. Garst, Ph.D. and Ali Dubin

Camp is a principal positive youth development setting providing critical supports and opportunities for children and adolescents during summertime and across the calendar year (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019). After two years of programmatic and operational disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the camp community is once again providing camp experiences to millions of youth across the U.S. While the summer of 2020 relied heavily on virtual engagement and significant reductions in the overall number of youth served, the summer of 2021 was successful due to camps’ effective application of a host of COVID-19 mitigation strategies (called “non-pharmaceutical interventions” or NPIs) including screening, masking, cohorting, hand hygiene, sanitizing practices, ventilation, and social/physical distancing (Garst et al., 2022; Suh et al., 2022). In fact, cohorting (i.e., organizing camp participants in small groups for camp activities) was the most common NPI camps used in 2021.

The summer of 2022 finds camps combining recommended camp health care practices, lessons learned from 2020 and 2021, and innovations and adaptations in response to COVID-19, to ensure the health and well-being of camp participants and to facilitate a return to a more “normal” program delivery model. Organizations such as the Alliance for Camp Health and the American Camp Association have collaborated closely with the Centers for Disease Control and other health organizations to translate health care guidance related to communicable disease prevention and management into recommended practices for the camp community. Camp NPI utilization in many camps is being strengthened by innovations including drive-thru camper check-in, which allows for COVID-19 testing and screening before anyone steps onto camp property. Another impactful adaptation includes transitioning camp health care services like medication administration and triage to an outdoor location, which allows for increased ventilation and distancing to reduce the possible spread of COVID-19. Notably, preparation for the summer of 2022 has required camp administrators and camp health care providers to evaluate important trade-offs. These tradeoffs (e.g., staff time off and possible community spread of COVID-19, use of cohorts, use of masking, and vaccination requirements) are described in this infographic.

Youth development practitioners, educators, and researchers interested in learning more about how the camp community is responding to the pandemic, as well as the emerging mental, emotional, and social health (MESH) needs of youth and staff, are encouraged to visit the Alliance for Camp Health, the American Camp Association, and the Healthy Camp Toolbox.

• Dubin, A., & Garst, B. (2022). Camp programs and health care trade-offs within the context of COVID-19. CompassPoint, 32(1), 19.
• Garst, B., Dubin, A., & Gaslin, T. (2022). Application of non-pharmaceutical interventions in camps following the onset of COVID-19. Child: Care, Health, and Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12957
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2019). Shaping summertime experiences: Opportunities to promote healthy development and well-being for children and youth. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25546
• Suh, H. H., Meehan, J., Blaisdell, L., Browne, L. (2022). Non pharmaceutical interventions and COVID-19 cases in US summer camps: Results from an American Camp Association survey. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 76. 327-334.http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2021-216711

* Reprinted with permission from the Alliance for Camp Health (Dubin & Garst, 2022)

Clemson’s Outdoor Lab counsellors have taken their camp activities online to help campers continue to experience the joy of camp while also following the state’s social distancing requirements.

The lab offers several camp programs, including the Jaycee Camp Hope which serves people between ages eight to more than 60 years of age, with many of their campers having cognitive disabilities. Typically, the camp provides a series of daily activities that help campers develop independence as they learn to do things for themselves, including swimming, canoeing, fishing, drama, archery, crafts, pontoon boat rides, nature activities and overnight campouts.

Lab Intern Abreigh Youngblood, who is also a genetics major at Clemson, has been coordinating many of the camp’s virtual activities with her fellow counsellors while also leading some sessions herself. She says that the closure of the Clemson University campus, including the Outdoor Lab, has led them to find creative new ways to deliver camp programming during an unprecedented time when it’s most needed.

“We wanted to give our campers, who we love dearly, a taste of camp at a time when most of their normal activities are cancelled,” Youngblood said. “This gives them something to look forward to throughout the week and is a huge benefit to those of us who miss our campers. It’s awesome to see everyone’s smiles while we do something we enjoy together.”

The lab arranges several different activities once or twice a week. One of their camp counselors will volunteer to lead a specific activity and set up a Zoom meeting. They then send their campers the link and instructions about what they may need to in order to participate, such as an ingredient list for baking or supplies for a craft project.

So far, they’ve hosted sessions on everything from playing bingo to baking banana muffins. A typical session is attended by between 15 to 25 campers. Youngblood says the value of the online camp activities keeps revealing itself in different ways.

“These are tough times and it’s wonderful to see how our campers are responding to the sessions,” she said. “After a session we sometimes receive photos of the project we completed together – and we’ve all started to look forward to these sessions as much as they do.”

She added that it’s rewarding to see parents and caregivers get involved with the activities, knowing how much it means to their camper. Beth Allen’s daughter regularly attends the Zoom activities. Allen says that the e-camp gives her daughter something to look forward to while she’s safe at home, especially since all of her other activities have come to a halt. The camp sessions also provide a distraction for her daughter while she must be at her job in a hospital and her husband works from home.

“On one of her quiet days she had six Camp Hope Zoom meetings to look forward to and she is loving it,” Allen said. “She also feels very grown up that she has a Zoom meeting like her dad has. These simple activities are making a huge difference in her life right now.”

Leslie Conrad, director of the Clemson’s Outdoor Lab, said she’s been thrilled to see her counsellors’ creativity and ingenuity shine over the past few weeks, and is certain that the virtual camp activities are helping her and her staff just as much as they’re helping campers.

“Our campers are some of the most real and genuine people you will ever meet, so being able to ‘see’ them and interact with them during this time is very encouraging,” Conrad said. “We’re delighted to keep bringing a part of camp into their homes.”

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Visit the Clemson Outdoor Lab website for details about its summer programs, including opportunities for family-friendly getaways during the summer.

Clemson’s undergraduate and graduate students aren’t the only group shifting their learning online this spring. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Clemson University is also moving their classes to a virtual format in response to COVID-19.

OLLI at Clemson is a community of more than 1,400 people that provides member-driven, volunteer-led learning opportunities to its members, which come from a variety of backgrounds and education levels. Although its classes are open to everyone, its members are generally older adults.

Many of the institute’s program options were originally focused on in-person experiences that are difficult to replicate online, such as day-long hiking excursions and craft-making classes. Julie Vidotto, director of the institute, said that emphasis on outdoor experiences posed a challenge when planning virtual programming.

“There were a number of variables we needed to consider, such as which classes could most reasonably shift to an online delivery format and how our members could feel they were given an equal opportunity to participate in class discussions,” Vidotto said. “We started with training sessions and four test classes in early April to gauge how our members might adapt to interacting with us online, and we were blown away by the immediate, positive response.”

After the first classes, several members contacted OLLI staff to thank them for their efforts; one member even called the institute a “vital lifeline” that is keeping them occupied during the pandemic. Members also said they enjoyed seeing other people and that some would be open to other online learning opportunities when social distancing is no longer encouraged.

The test classes provided valuable insight into what resources are needed for OLLI to scale up their online learning, Vidotto said. OLLI is now offering a short, three-week spring mini-term of classes, which they plan to expand over the summer.

OLLI’s pivot to online learning is in line with many of the other OLLIs around the country. The move to online delivery keeps older adults engaged during self-quarantine while offsetting the revenue loss associated with isolation measures brought on by COVID-19.

Chip Stapleton, who serves as the Clemson institute’s board chairman, said the decision to pivot to online learning was an easy one to make.

“We had always considered our face-to-face learning community as part of the appeal to our members, however, we know we can create similar opportunities to connect online,” Stapleton said. “Our members need this programming now more than ever in a time of social distancing, so we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they’re supported.”

Shortly after the board advised OLLI staff to consider online instruction, they found themselves facing a steep learning curve, but they’re proud of how the OLLI community has risen to the challenge.

“Our challenge, like the university’s, has been to bring both OLLI members and volunteer instructors up to some level of comfort with Zoom technology as soon as possible, while still learning how to use it ourselves,” Vidotto said. “The Osher National Resource Center has been hosting continuous Zoom training, and really creating and modeling best practices, which has been a terrific help.”

Vidotto added that the OLLI board has also helped them to more quickly adopt online delivery than they would have otherwise.

“We always say that OLLI at Clemson is about community, and our board members have gone above and beyond in exemplifying that,” Vidotto said. “We’re so grateful for their – and our members’ – continued support.”

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To learn more about OLLI at Clemson, including class schedules and how to become a member, visit OLLIatClemson.org.