National and Local Research on the Importance of Camp Experiences on Youth and Young Adults

 The five-year American Camp Association (ACA) National Impact Study began in January 2017 with the primary purpose of understanding the long-term impacts of organized summer camp experiences for youth participants and young adult staff members. The study was conducted in collaboration with the University of Utah’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and
Tourism.

In 2019, IDEA Public Schools and The EAST Foundation partnered to engage in a 3-year longitudinal research and evaluation project to examine the association between student participation in Camp RIO and their student outcomes. Tracking student participation began in the pilot year (School year 2018-2019). This research is currently in its 4th year (extended due to covid) and the final report will be posted when it is complete.