by Jake Sorenson | Mar 1, 2019 | Camp Research, Outdoors and Wilderness
We now have a data set from more than 5,000 summer campers at 30 different camps over 3 summers. We have been very intentional about casting a broad vision for what summer camp is, based on what the Effective Camp Project has identified as 5 fundamental...
by Jake Sorenson | Apr 24, 2018 | Camp Research, Outdoors and Wilderness
The research is screaming at us from nearly every academic field. We nod approvingly, feeling that we are wiser. And then we go on doing exactly the same thing. We sit at our desks in front of computer screens. We demand more automation in our homes and our modes of...
by Jake Sorenson | Mar 21, 2018 | Camp Research, Outdoors and Wilderness
This might be the most recognizable characteristic of camp. Think of the most iconic mental pictures of camping: a tent, a campfire, a grove of trees, a body of water. The philosophy of summer camp, from its beginnings in the late 19th century, has centered on...
by Dr. Jake Sorenson | Apr 13, 2015 | Camp Research, Outdoors and Wilderness
The Outdoor Ministry Research Project questionnaire was distributed last fall, and more than 300 camps responded. One section of the questionnaire asked camp directors to assess their camp’s overall philosophy with respect to 13 statements on a scale of 1 (strongly...
by Dr. Jake Sorenson | Jun 27, 2013 | Outdoors and Wilderness, The Logic of Camp
The theological anthropology modeled in the Christian camp environment demands that humans take seriously their part in creation. From its very beginnings, the Christian camping movement has recognized the power of the natural world to facilitate faith formation when...
by Dr. Jake Sorenson | Mar 16, 2013 | Outdoors and Wilderness
My children will know where their food comes from. The convenience of a grocery store allows our society to get practically any type of food any time of year. If my children want an apple in January or pumpkin pie in May, I can find some at the grocery store. The...
