Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Agricultural and Extension Education and Evaluation
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
One of the most innovative ways that 4-H has fostered agricultural innovation and hands-on, experiential education has been through the development of youth outdoor education programs, more commonly known as 4-H Camp. State 4-H Camps and national camping events, including the inaugural National 4-H Conference, emerged following the establishment of localized county club camps. Three years after establishing the first 4-H Camp, more than 1,700 had emerged across the U.S., with early attendance exceeding 100,000 youth participants.
As a direct result of these early successes, the 4-H Camping movement has become celebrated as a novel technique to motivate youth to engage in agrarian concepts. Twenty first century demands, combined with the modernization of 4-H, has now evolved the outdoor education learning model to incorporate many additional concepts including a focus on STEM education, fostering creative arts among participants, and often integrating a robust environmental educational component. Although the 4-H camping program is now over 100 years old, little evidence has been documented regarding the educational value of learning experiences in the unique residential summer camp context. Therefore, a need emerged to describe the unique factors that contribute to the learning outcomes of participating youth campers.
The primary purpose of this ex post-facto quasi-experimental study was to examine the outcomes experienced by Louisiana 4-H youth, grades four to six, regarding their experience after attending a four-day residential summer camp program. Through our analysis of post-program survey data, this study supported previous findings that campers attending an overnight youth summer camp program experience significant social and personal developmental outcomes, with female campers reporting significantly higher scores on the American Camp Association’s Camper Learning Scale (CLS) than male campers. Additionally, campers participating in an environmental education (EE) based youth outdoor education program during camp reported significant pro-environmental orientations following their camp experience, with male campers reporting significantly higher scores on the post-program Children’s Environmental Perceptions Scale (CEPS) when compared to female campers participating in the same program.
A key implication from this investigation was the need for intentionally designed socialization, reflection, and team-building activities during camp to improve camp-related youth outcomes. Future research should focus on further analyzing factors influencing camp-related social, personal, and environmental outcomes among youth participants, especially in terms of seeking a deeper understanding of gender-based differences explored in this study.
Date
1-3-2025
Recommended Citation
O'Malley, Adam M., "The Impact of Outdoor Youth Education: An Examination of the Social, Personal, and Environmental Developmental Outcomes Experienced by Youth at a Residential 4-H Summer Camp" (2025). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6658.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6658
Committee Chair
Richie Roberts