How Come the Best Job I Ever Had Was When I Worked at a Summer Camp?: Understanding Retention Among Camp Counselors

When attempting to discover a manner in which to maintain employment during the summer, many individuals have realized the job of camp counselor. What begins as a seasonal position may transform into a lifelong commitment to both person and place. For years, individuals have come to appreciate and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jay Whitacre, James Farmer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Clemson University Press 2013-06-01
Series:Journal of Youth Development
Online Access:http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/94
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author Jay Whitacre
James Farmer
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James Farmer
author_sort Jay Whitacre
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description When attempting to discover a manner in which to maintain employment during the summer, many individuals have realized the job of camp counselor. What begins as a seasonal position may transform into a lifelong commitment to both person and place. For years, individuals have come to appreciate and understand the experiences that occur when approaching particular places. Data, for this study, was collected via in-depth interviews from twenty-four camp counselors from three separate, but similar camps. Phenomenological analysis on the qualitative data was performed to explore the staff retention amongst counselors. This study links sense of place as a salient component of employee retention among camp counselors. By developing a strong sense of community amongst staff, camp administrators may be promoting a deeper, more long-term, commitment among the staff and towards the camp.
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spelling doaj.art-c0bcdbf5a939405c810c0e991a61d83d2024-02-02T17:31:14ZengClemson University PressJournal of Youth Development2325-40172013-06-0182294010.5195/jyd.2013.9472How Come the Best Job I Ever Had Was When I Worked at a Summer Camp?: Understanding Retention Among Camp CounselorsJay Whitacre0James Farmer1Indiana UniversityIndiana UniversityWhen attempting to discover a manner in which to maintain employment during the summer, many individuals have realized the job of camp counselor. What begins as a seasonal position may transform into a lifelong commitment to both person and place. For years, individuals have come to appreciate and understand the experiences that occur when approaching particular places. Data, for this study, was collected via in-depth interviews from twenty-four camp counselors from three separate, but similar camps. Phenomenological analysis on the qualitative data was performed to explore the staff retention amongst counselors. This study links sense of place as a salient component of employee retention among camp counselors. By developing a strong sense of community amongst staff, camp administrators may be promoting a deeper, more long-term, commitment among the staff and towards the camp.http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/94
spellingShingle Jay Whitacre
James Farmer
How Come the Best Job I Ever Had Was When I Worked at a Summer Camp?: Understanding Retention Among Camp Counselors
Journal of Youth Development
title How Come the Best Job I Ever Had Was When I Worked at a Summer Camp?: Understanding Retention Among Camp Counselors
title_full How Come the Best Job I Ever Had Was When I Worked at a Summer Camp?: Understanding Retention Among Camp Counselors
title_fullStr How Come the Best Job I Ever Had Was When I Worked at a Summer Camp?: Understanding Retention Among Camp Counselors
title_full_unstemmed How Come the Best Job I Ever Had Was When I Worked at a Summer Camp?: Understanding Retention Among Camp Counselors
title_short How Come the Best Job I Ever Had Was When I Worked at a Summer Camp?: Understanding Retention Among Camp Counselors
title_sort how come the best job i ever had was when i worked at a summer camp understanding retention among camp counselors
url http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/94
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