|
Why were these tools constructed?
Many camp professionals are faced with the challenge of proving that they meet
their program goals. The following tools—designed with camp professionals
in mind—are:
| Camp-specific |
| Easy to administer |
| Age- appropriate |
| Statistically
tested (i.e., reliable and valid) |
| Individualized
(able to select as you want to reflect
intentional focus of your program) |
Top of page
How can these outcomes tools help me?
The tools:
| Help you evaluate
your program goals |
| Document the
changes in your campers so that information
can be shared with key stakeholders
(parents, funders, staff, etc) |
| Demonstrate
your commitment to quality programs
that make a difference in people’s
lives |
| Meet expectations
for trust worthy instruments (high
reliability and validity statistical
checks prove the questionnaires accuracy) |
Top of page
What outcomes can I measure?
These tools focus on seven outcomes common
to many camp programs. They include questions
that ask if the camp experience has helped
campers develop:
| Friendship
Skills (i.e.,
make friends and maintain relationships) |
| Independence (i.e.,
rely less on adults and other people
for solving problems and for their
day-to-day activities) |
| Teamwork (i.e.,
become more effective when working
in groups of their peers) |
| Family
Citizenship (i.e.,
encourage attributes important to
being a member of a family) |
| Perceived
Competence (i.e.,
believe that they can be successful
in the things they do) |
| Interest
in Exploration (i.e.,
be more curious, inquisitive, eager
to learn new things) |
| Responsibility (i.e.,
learn to be accountable for their own
actions and mistakes) |
Top of page
What are my choices for types of questionnaires?
All of the questionnaires are age-appropriate measures that allow camp directors
to choose the most relevant outcomes. One version was developed for 6-9 year
olds called Camper Learning. Two versions were constructed for 10-17 year olds:
Basic Camp Outcomes Questionnaires and Detailed Camp
Outcomes Questionnaires.
| Camper
Learning Survey |
| Best
for campers 6-9 years old |
| Staff help the
campers do the survey |
| Only 14 total
questions that combine the 7 outcomes
appropriately for young children into
one survey |
| Uses an easy
4 point Likert scale |
| |
| Basic
Camp Outcomes Questionnaires |
| For campers
who are 10-17 years old (works especially
well for 13-17 year olds) |
| Questionnaires
measure gains through the camp experience |
| Seven
separate questionnaires that can be mixed
and matched based upon the intentional
efforts |
| Uses an easy
5 point Likert scale |
| Quick and easy
to give (each of the seven questionnaires
generally has 6-14 questions) |
| |
| Detailed
Camp Outcomes Questionnaires |
| For campers
who are 10-17, but works especially well
for 13-17 year olds |
| Questionnaires
measure gains through the camp experience,
plus how much of that gain was due specifically
to camp |
| Seven
separate questionnaires that can be mixed
and matched based upon the intentional
efforts |
| Uses an easy
6 point Likert scale |
| Takes longer
to give because each question has two
parts |
| Each of the
seven individual outcome questionnaires
have between 6-14 questions |
Top of page
How do I analyze the data?
Microsoft Excel templates have been designed for use with these questionnaires
(available early June). The following steps detail their use:
| Download
the template for whatever version chosen
onto your computer (requires Excel) |
| Read the instruction
sheet (notice the tabs on the bottom
of the Excel page) |
| Go to the
tab for the outcome(s) selected |
| Enter the data |
| Generate
a report with the tables and charts. |
| You can always do
your own analysis through Excel or other
statistical packages. |
Top of page
Can I change the questionnaires?
With the exception of the demographics questions,
none of the individual questions can be altered.
The statistical tests showed that these questions
are the best predictors for that particular
outcome. However, you are encouraged to add
your own demographic questions (i.e., session,
program, race/ethnicity, etc) to the basic
list provided.
Top of page
Steps to follow to use the Camper Outcomes
questionnaires
- Read the background information about
the tools.
- Decide which version you want to use-
click on the link to that folder.
- Click and print the instructions for
staff.
- Click and print the instruction for campers.
- Click and print the outcome(s) questionnaire(s).
- Click and print the demographics questions
(feel free to add your own).
- If you want to combine several questionnaires
into a larger survey or possibly combine
with other evaluation measures, just cut
and paste to make a survey that includes
demographic questions or other questions
specific to your camp. [Note: Please
remember to acknowledge ACA by including
the copyright information.]
- Make as many copies of the survey as
you need.
- Give the survey to your campers (usually
the second to the last day is good timing).
- Enter the data on the template tool provided
at this website.
- Generate your report.
- Share your information
with your key stakeholders (staff, Board,
funders, etc).
Top of page |
 |
|
