More Than Camp

Middle school is one of the most pivotal times for anyone, especially young girls: school is harder, friendships get rockier and self-esteem is at an all-time low. The pressure is high for girls to look and act a certain way from a young age. The Finding Your Voice Camp Creative Inquiry project is mentored by Dr. Denise Anderson, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Faculty Affairs and Inclusive Excellence in the College of Behavioral, Health and Social Sciences. This project assesses the impact of participating in a women-led outdoor recreation camp on middle school girls’ self-efficacy, or self-confidence in their ability to complete goals, and body image.

The camp was established in 2012 when Anderson discovered that middle school girls dropped out of sports because of peer pressure, body-image issues, fear and lack of self-confidence. The Finding Your Voice Camp’s purpose was to introduce girls to non-traditional outdoor activities such as kayaking, rock climbing, yoga and self-defense to help build intrapersonal skills. The campers also participate in counselor-led activities that further build their self-confidence and support a healthy body image. Girls at past camps watched a video of models’ photos undergoing photo editing to show them how these body types are unrealistic and created with a computer.

Although the camp is in the spring, the Creative Inquiry students begin to plan in the fall. “What’s kind of challenging is that [the camp] is a next semester thing so all our ideas are a little bit more abstract,” Mary Callie Turner, a sophomore nursing major, said. To prepare for the camp, the Creative Inquiry team analyzes previous camps’ pre- and post-surveys, focus groups and a Youth Experience Survey, which examines youth’s developmental experiences in extracurricular activities and programs. They spend time considering what changes and enhancements should be made for the next camp based on the results of their analysis.

For the Creative Inquiry students, it is rewarding to see how data informed planning impacts the camp experience. “We work for two semesters leading up to camp, and so it’s so fulfilling to see everything that you’ve been doing for the past two semesters, and how it’s playing into effect,” Clara Dendtler, a junior nursing major, said.

Participating in this camp increases the middle school girls’ confidence, ability to try new things and desire to step outside their comfort zone. One of the best outcomes of this camp is the lasting impact on both the campers and counselors. “My favorite part is . . . seeing the students work together to work with the middle schoolers and just get such joy out of it,” Anderson said. The camp is mutually beneficial because the counselors internalize the messages about body positivity that they are teaching to the girls.

Though the camp is only a weekend long, the lessons taught will stay with the campers and counselors forever.