Camp programs have offered developmental opportunities for youth for over 150 years. Outcome research about teen 4-H camp counselors has recognized that they develop leadership, responsibility, and other life skills. Camp counselors take on many roles and adult leaders entrust these teens with many responsibilities. The Ohio 4-H Camp Counselor Work-Based Learning (CCWBL) project recently identified that teens are becoming more responsible through their role as a camp counselor. However, the process by which they developed responsibility remained unclear. Camps involve a considerable degree of risk, and therefore a high quality camping program depends on having responsible young people caring for not just themselves, but for campers. Thus, the process by which teens become responsible is important to adults who work with teens within the context of youth organizations.
The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding about the process of responsibility development that results from participation in the 4-H camp counseling program. The objectives were to (a) determine what contributes to teens becoming more responsible through their role as 4-H camp counselors, and (b) understand the role of adults in the development of responsibility in 4-H camp counselors. Five data sets were collected reflecting three different perspectives. A questionnaire provided both qualitative and quantitative data from 247 teens. Observations were conducted at training meetings and during two days of the camp session of one Ohio 4-H county camp. Twenty-two teens from this county were interviewed after the camp session to gain further insight. Finally, 14 4-H professionals completed an e-mailed questionnaire.
The findings documented that teens clearly know what it means to be responsible and they recognize positive and negative consequences that may result through performing their role. Teens described a very complex and multifaceted role involving many challenging tasks that are intrinsically motivating to them. A number of conditions were identified that contributed to the process of developing responsibility, including the setting where it occurs, the interactions of the people involved, and the nature of the roles to be performed. Additionally, adults played an integral role in facilitating the process of responsibility in teens as they intentionally structured the camp training and planning that precedes camp. Adults provided emotional and instrumental support while balancing the conflicting needs of control and youth ownership. Two conceptual models were developed to represent the process.
Although time consuming, future studies should continue to use observational method to further understand the complex roles and responsibilities of camp counselors. Studies should examine the training and planning period prior to camp as it may serve as a key precursor to the development of responsibility. Furthermore, adults can better facilitate the development of responsibility if they are able to understand the process as it develops in teens. Implications for practice focus on developing workforce skills in youth through the unique camp setting where adult leaders balance program control and youth ownership. This research documented one context in which youth can become responsible leaders that can serve as a model for other youth organizations.