The main purpose of this research was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted summer camp stakeholders during the summer 2020 operating season. Stakeholders include camp directors and professionals, as well as campers and their families. In order to achieve the aim of understanding different experiences, three separate but interrelated studies were conducted.
This report includes data from the Camps and COVID-19 project, parent panel sample (camp-user and non-camp-user), and the National Youth Impact Study.
These studies highlight the importance of summer camps making an operating decision early each season, adhering to various COVID-19 safety protocols, communicating COVID-19 procedures to families, and continuing to offer adapted and virtual programming to all families and youth, but specifically to those from lower income backgrounds.