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The Positive Impact of a One-Month 'At Risk' Experiential Education Program: Twenty Years of Academic, Behavioral, and Self-Esteem Data

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Title: The Positive Impact of a One-Month 'At Risk' Experiential Education Program: Twenty Years of Academic, Behavioral, and Self-Esteem Data
Language: English
Authors: Simon Priest, Melinda Martin-Tollette, Sanford Tollette
Source: Schools: Studies in Education. 2025 22(1):126-143.
Availability: University of Chicago Press. Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 877-705-1878; Tel: 773-753-3347; Fax: 877-705-1879; Fax: 773-753-0811; e-mail: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; Web site: http://www.press.uchicago.edu
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Early Childhood Education
Grade 3
Primary Education
Grade 4
Intermediate Grades
Grade 5
Middle Schools
Descriptors: Experiential Learning, Elementary School Students, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Resident Camp Programs, At Risk Students, Academic Achievement, Student Behavior, Self Esteem, Program Effectiveness
DOI: 10.1086/734956
ISSN: 1550-1175
2153-0327
Abstract: Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 participated in a monthlong experiential program conducted at a residential camp. The children were deemed "at risk" due to one or more of the following concerns: poor academic performance, behavioral issues, and extremely low self-esteem. The program consisted of tutoring in social issues and academic subjects by certified teachers and engaging in adventure and environmental activities with camp staff. Parents were included through mandatory information workshops held once a week at either drop-off or pick-up times. Homeroom teachers and parents were asked to evaluate and comment on the academic performance, behaviors, and self-esteem of the children following their camp experiences. Students improved in all three. Qualitative analysis explained the short-term improvements and lasting long-term success for years after as influenced by 14 unique factors.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1475631
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0188947210;[64yk]01mar.25;2025Oct31.06:03;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0188947210-1">The Positive Impact of a One-Month "At Risk" Experiential Education Program: Twenty Years of Academic, Behavioral, and Self-Esteem Data </title> <sbt id="AN0188947210-2">Amelia and Caleb</sbt> <p>Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 participated in a monthlong experiential program conducted at a residential camp. The children were deemed "at risk" due to one or more of the following concerns: poor academic performance, behavioral issues, and extremely low self-esteem. The program consisted of tutoring in social issues and academic subjects by certified teachers and engaging in adventure and environmental activities with camp staff. Parents were included through mandatory information workshops held once a week at either drop-off or pick-up times. Homeroom teachers and parents were asked to evaluate and comment on the academic performance, behaviors, and self-esteem of the children following their camp experiences. Students improved in all three. Qualitative analysis explained the short-term improvements and lasting long-term success for years after as influenced by 14 unique factors.</p> <p>Amelia and Caleb were siblings living with their mother; they had lost their father to a substance overdose. When Amelia and Caleb were younger, their father was physically and verbally abusive to their mother, causing a consistently high level of stress in the house. They were often yelled at to "get out of the room," and very few times were they allowed in the living space with their father. On the rare occasions when their dad was sober, he would take them for ice cream and to the playground, but during the last couple of years of his life, he was never present. Their widowed mother held two different jobs to make ends meet, and she did her best to put food on the table and support Amelia and Caleb. She kept a strong face in front of her kids although she had a lot of her own pain and grief to process and was not always emotionally available to them.</p> <p>Amelia was a fourth-grade student in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1989. Her teachers and school counselor were concerned about her. She struggled academically and rarely spoke to anyone, perfectly content to blend into the background. A new program promised significant changes in academics and behavior for "at-risk" elementary students like Amelia. The school principal approached her single parent with the idea of attending school with certified teachers at the Alternative Classroom Experience (ACE) of Joseph Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp (JPKC) and living in a log cabin with her peers and a camp counselor.</p> <p>With a need for help and a leap of faith, Amelia's mother agreed, and Amelia's participation in the ACE program improved her academic performance. She came out of her shell, gained newfound confidence, and found her voice. At the graduation ceremony, she was selected as a student speaker. She spoke publicly about her experience and let the audience know she had been teaching her mother how to read on the weekends.</p> <p>Caleb was a loud and aggressive fifth-grade student. He had been stressed by subjects like reading, writing, and mathematics. Although he loved to learn, school had not been his priority more recently because he had noticed that his mother needed help keeping the house together. He had started to help a lot with chores like cooking and laundry and began to fall behind in his schoolwork, so his grades declined. Caleb was also quick to anger and was picked on a lot in school. He had a hard time managing his emotions and shut down pretty quickly when he didn't understand a subject.</p> <p>His teachers and counselors were aware of what the home environment was like for Caleb, and they did their best to help him succeed in school. They also referred him to the ACE program that year, because they had confidence that Caleb had what it would take to do well behaviorally and academically. He just needed some extra love and support to help him get there. The school believed that Caleb could benefit from one-to-one attention that he couldn't get in school and that he needed more positive male role models in his life.</p> <p>After the experience, Caleb squeaked by. His grades improved but were only average. Nevertheless, many years later, he wrote back to the ACE program director at JPKC: "because of your incredible staff, I was able to be more focused and instilled with integrity. That has led me to my current career in Loss Prevention and Asset Protection for 16 years running! In addition to that, I'm able to pass on a lot of lessons learned from my time there on to my daughter."</p> <hd id="AN0188947210-3">Program History and Setting</hd> <p>The ACE program operates from September through May each school year as a residential and educational outdoor experience targeting third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders who are not achieving their full potential in the regular classroom setting. These students live at camp from Sunday night through Friday morning for several weeks, experience different outdoor activities focused on relationship building, and are provided with highly ordered instruction from certified teachers.</p> <p>The ACE program started as a demonstration model in 1977–78 funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. The program was targeted as a way of helping children improve their academic and social skills in the public schools. This demonstration project targeted school children from Little Rock, Arkansas. Initial success ensured ongoing funding, and the ACE program began in earnest. Funding is provided by the public education system, the State Department of Education, and local school districts, along with private associations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and Levi Strauss. Donations from the Kiwanis Club help operate the JPKC infrastructure and free summer camp.</p> <p>Founded in 1929, the JPKC sits on 82 acres near Ferndale, Arkansas, and is located 15 miles west of downtown Little Rock. It is a rustic facility of several cabins built by the Works Progress Association in the 1930s, with a central bathhouse, office, cafeteria, open-air pavilions, and a lodge that serves as a one-room schoolhouse. Nearby are sports fields, a ropes course, a basketball court, and a swimming pool. Trails snake through the deciduous woods, connecting to sandbars beside the Little Maumelle River and several remote campsites. Outdoor activities may include large group games, small group hiking, overnight tenting, tandem canoeing, solo kayaking, and nature study of various ecosystems. JPKC has received many awards, such as Organization of the Year from AmeriCorps and Organization of the Year from the Association for Experiential Education.</p> <p>The third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students who attend the ACE program are recommended by school personnel with approval from the parents. Each week for five weeks, parents arrive with their children on Sunday evening for mandatory parent meetings and return on Friday afternoons for more meetings and to pick up their children for the weekend. Parents are not allowed to communicate with their children during the week. For five sessions per year over the course of 24 years, students have lived in 4 cabin groups of up to 10 campers and 2 AmeriCorps members. A typical day includes a flag-raising ceremony, breakfast, teacher-led classroom sessions, lunch, nature and team-building activities, a flag-lowering ceremony, dinner, camp clean-up, evening activities, and reflection. Campouts or cookouts are held weekly.</p> <p>Both camp facilities and program design bring the public school, private sector, parents, teachers, principals, and kids together to develop and engage in a unique experiential education opportunity. Experiential education is widely defined as a change in feeling, thinking, behaving, or resisting that results from reflection on an active "hands-on" experience (AEE [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>]). Synonymous with experiential learning, it has been described as a teaching philosophy, a collection of methodologies, and a series of facilitation techniques meant to aid mindful reflection. It has been applied in many settings, including the classroom, community groups, and wilderness programs, and is a term that has been widely used by education, psychology, social work, business, internships, apprenticeships, and service learning. Outdoor experiential learning is a subset that focuses on adventurous and environmental experiences designed to develop the relationships among humans and nature (Priest [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref2">26</reflink>]).</p> <p>Adventurous learning helps participants understand their intrapersonal (with self) and interpersonal (among others) relationships. Adventure activities include hiking, camping out overnight, living and learning in a small group, ropes courses, group initiatives, and canoeing. Hiking requires exercise and endurance to reach a destination. Camping out overnight entails facing unknown fears of isolation and the dark to strengthen personal resolve. Living and learning in a small group creates tension and friction, which must be appropriately resolved by the children. Despite the risks, ropes courses involve overcoming challenges and physically traversing obstacles strung between trees high above the ground, but with belay lines and safety equipment to prevent falls. Group initiatives are problem-solving games that require collaborative teamwork to succeed. While wearing a personal floatation device, canoeing in a tandem craft demands trust, communication, and cooperation with a partner. By taking risks, enduring hardships, and resolving conflicts, participants gain a healthy self-perception (Hazelworth and Wilson [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref3">17</reflink>]; Larson [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref4">18</reflink>]), confidence (Merenda [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref5">21</reflink>]), resilience (Ewert and Yoshino [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref6">11</reflink>]; Neill and Dias [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref7">24</reflink>]), and pro-social skills (Furman and Sibthorp [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref8">13</reflink>]). Regular exercise through sports improves campers' physical well-being; mindful reflection on this new camp experience enhances their spiritual well-being; and problem-solving develops their intellectual well-being.</p> <p>Environmental learning helps participants understand relationships that are ecosystemic (within nature) and ekistic (reciprocal between humans and nature). Ecological activities include land and water habitat biology, leave-no-trace travel, minimum-impact camping, trail maintenance, gardening, waste reduction, and recycling. For land and water habitat biology, participants study the plants and animals that live and interact in forest and pond networks. They take care of the natural resources and take steps to avoid environmental damage. They model new sustainable behaviors for trail care, food management, recycling, and composting of leftovers in the camp gardens. By caring for the land as stewards, deeply immersing in nature, and mindfully reflecting on their role in a deteriorating world, participants develop positive mental health (Bratman et al. [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref9">5</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref10">4</reflink>]; Tillmann et al. [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref11">32</reflink>]), spiritual understanding (Naor and Mayseless [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref12">23</reflink>]; Snell and Simmonds [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref13">30</reflink>]), and long-term pro-environmental behaviors (Barbaro and Pickett [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref14">2</reflink>]; Martin et al. [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref15">19</reflink>]).</p> <p>Could these benefits of outdoor experiential learning help improve the academic performance, behaviors, and self-esteem of "at-risk" school children? If so, what program elements might be the contributing factors? To this end, the primary purpose of this study is to evaluate ACE program efficacy on academics, behaviors, and self-esteem for "at-risk" students. A secondary intention is to identify factors contributing to program efficacy. The data illustrate efficacy in 14 distinct components contributing to the short-term improvement and the long-term success of the program: parental involvement, low teacher-to-student ratio, "insisted" academic success, targeted relationships, innovative experiential methods, residential setting, continual counseling, graduation ceremony, transition period, short-term support, long-term support, ongoing support, reward scholarships, and returning opportunities.</p> <hd id="AN0188947210-4">Study Organization</hd> <p>Participants: Each year, approximately 150 children in grades 3, 4, and 5 (8–12 years old) from Little Rock area elementary schools enrolled in a free ACE program during regular school days and hours. With subjects showing more than one concern, they were chosen for being "at risk" due to behavioral problems (approximately <emph>n</emph> = 120, 80 percent) or low self-esteem (<emph>n</emph> = 30, 20 percent), and not achieving their full academic potential (<emph>n</emph> = 100, 67 percent). At no cost to their families, children participated in five cohorts of about 30 during a school year; 3,111 students participated over the 24-year study period, less than 4 years of missing data.</p> <p>Intervention: The ACE program was approximately one month long during the regular school year. It consisted of five weeks of five overnight stays (Sunday afternoon through Friday afternoon) at Pfeifer Camp, with tutoring about social issues and academic subjects with certified teachers and engaging in adventure and environmental activities with camp staff. In addition, children's parents engaged in mandatory parenting workshops held once a week at either drop-off or pick-up times during the program.</p> <p>Comparisons: During the month children returned to school after the ACE program, teachers and parents were asked to identify which students improved and which declined by comparing the daily display of academics, behaviors, and self-esteem in the classroom and at home after the residential camp with those recorded before the ACE program. These aggregated data were reported each year as percentages of students observed to be doing better or worse. Unreported percentages (100 percent minus the better, minus the worse) indicated those students who had not notably changed as evaluated by teachers and parents.</p> <p>Outcomes: A qualitative analysis of comments made by teachers and parents through their reports, interviews, and correspondence was used to identify the primary factors that explained the short-term improvements and long-term successes in the many years that followed the ACE program intervention. During those years following the ACE program, some students remarked on what had changed for them.</p> <hd id="AN0188947210-5">Study Outcomes</hd> <p>From a total of more than 4,000 students, teachers and parents only reported on 3,111 children, as shown in table 1. Teacher- and parent-reported data were not collected for four of the 24 years (the most recent one due to COVID-19). Subtracting the declining subjects from the improving ones results in meeting the overall 50 percent impact goal set by the program: academics (51.55 percent enhancement), behaviors (43.85 percent increase), and self-esteem (62.40 percent gains). Remember that these students were deemed "at risk" due to a combination of several factors: two-thirds were performing poorly in academics, four in five had behavioral issues, and one out of five had low self-esteem.</p> <p>Table 1. Teacher and Parent Evaluations of Student Performances on Academics, Behaviors, and Self-Esteem Expressed as Percentages for Better or Worse</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1">School</th><th align="center" valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1" /><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" colspan="2" valign="bottom" scope="colgroup" rowspan="1">Academics</th><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" colspan="2" valign="bottom" scope="colgroup" rowspan="1">Behaviors</th><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" colspan="2" valign="bottom" scope="colgroup" rowspan="1">Self-Esteem</th></tr><tr><th style="border-bottom: solid thin black" valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Year</th><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1"><italic>n</italic></th><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Better (%)</th><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Worse (%)</th><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Better (%)</th><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Worse (%)</th><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Better (%)</th><th align="center" style="border-bottom: solid thin black" valign="bottom" scope="col" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Worse (%)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">96–97</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">118</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">63</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">54</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">69</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">97–98</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">125</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">55</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">56</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">14</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">67</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">98–99</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">98</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">67</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">51</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">65</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">99–00</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">119</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">00–01</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">95</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">01–02</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">150</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">66</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">67</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">17</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">83</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">02–03</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">100</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">65</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">55</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">10</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">87</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">03–04</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">140</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">60</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">57</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">5</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">66</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">04–05</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">156</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">56</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">22</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">78</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">11</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">56</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">11</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">05–06</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">149</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">57</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">5</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">44</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">14</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">57</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">9</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">06–07</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">149</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">48</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">9</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">49</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">12</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">48</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">07–08</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">150</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">50</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">53</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">10</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">50</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">08–09</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">153</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">60</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">8</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">46</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">17</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">58</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">09–10</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">148</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">56</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">5</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">64</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">72</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">10–11</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">136</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">64</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">53</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">63</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">11–12</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">130</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">44</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">52</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">12</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">67</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">12–13</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">135</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">58</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">4</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">44</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">11</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">64</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">13–14</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">130</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">61</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">0</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">52</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">73</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">14–15</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">135</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">15–16</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">134</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">68</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">7</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">63</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">16</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">69</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">16–17</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">139</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">41</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">55</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">11</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">66</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">1</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">17–18</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">134</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">57</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">8</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">52</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">11</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">59</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">3</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">18–19</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">114</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">56</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">11</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">57</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">24</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">63</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">9</td></tr><tr><th valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1" colspan="1">19–20</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">74</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">N.D.R.</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" valign="bottom" scope="row" rowspan="1">Averages</th><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">57.60</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">6.05</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">55.10</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">11.25</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">65.10</td><td valign="bottom" rowspan="1" colspan="1">2.70</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Graph</p> <p>1 Note. Total number of evaluations = 3,111; N.D.R. = no data reported.</p> <p>Quantitative data in table 1 were aggregated each year, averaged across the 20-year period, and analyzed seeking common themes. These data were collected for each child and their teachers in the month following graduation from the program. Additional data (letters from parents, interviews with teachers, and thoughts from graduates) were collected in the year after graduation. Comments not relevant to the constructs studied were omitted. For example, the largest complement of general statements was about enjoying the experience and included "I had fun," "my child enjoyed the food," and "students came back more relaxed." Remaining comments were coded and grouped for common content, from which themes arose. Representative comments were purposefully selected for their unique perspectives on each theme, and duplicative items were excluded.</p> <p>Teacher comments yielded several recurring themes: emotions, bullying, conflict resolution, anger management, teamwork, and other topics often related to the interaction of academics, behaviors, and self-esteem. Teachers shared the following observations.</p> <p>Emotions: Teachers evaluated how students' behaviors had changed related to self-esteem, confidence, and discipline.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • Students who graduate have an improved self-esteem, which in turn affects their behavior and leads to better grades.</item> <p></p> <item> • The program helps them to instill more self-discipline and self-esteem. It gives them more pride in themselves and their abilities, because they have accomplished and experienced success.</item> <p></p> <item> • ACE helps them accept a sense of responsibility and preparation for being an independent adult. They are more confident and feel better about themselves after the program.</item> <p></p> <item> • It is a program that nurtures while helping students to become effective leaders, problem solvers, thinkers, and self-disciplined. Their self-esteem and self-worth are greatly improved.</item> <p></p> <item> • ACE brings shy kids out of their shells; students with low self-esteem feel special when they used to think they couldn't do anything right.</item> <p></p> <item> • Students come back with a brighter outlook and ready to tackle any task, knowing they can be successful despite any obstacles in life. They no longer question finishing their work.</item> </ulist> <p>Bullying: Teachers noted that previously bullied student had now "come out of their shells."</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • Students who have had issues with peer relationships, completing tasks, bullying, and excessive talking have improved greatly.</item> <p></p> <item> • She had been so badly bullied that she didn't believe she was capable of doing anything, but when she returned, she was a very outspoken and active participant in class.</item> <p></p> <item> • Very quiet, unsure, never raised her hand, always bullied, but now she has more confidence in herself and thinks her answers have value.</item> </ulist> <p>Conflict resolution: Students who escalated conflict into violence were now de-escalating tensions.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • He was so happy to learn ways not to fight out every problem.</item> <p></p> <item> • He had an explosive temper before going. Now you see it only occasionally.</item> <p></p> <item> • He has learned to resolve conflicts peacefully. He has made so much progress and become a real leader.</item> <p></p> <item> • The program gives dignity to those students who lack it and teaches them alternative ways of reacting to problems.</item> <p></p> <item> • He was much more respectful toward adults and peers on return.</item> <p></p> <item> • Students are better able to resist others who are trying to get them to do bad things.</item> </ulist> <p>Anger management: Controlling anger and its related emotions was identified as a gain for students.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • He has learned to use self-control, his anger has lessened, and his behaviors have greatly improved.</item> <p></p> <item> • She was calmer and had better self-control, and that led to making better choices. She was not as violent when she came back.</item> <p></p> <item> • An undisciplined and aggressive child turned into a more agreeable child, who was not as easily provoked and is much more receptive to authority.</item> <p></p> <item> • The program taught them to use their words and not their fists.</item> </ulist> <p>Teamwork: Being able to cooperate, communicate, and trust led to working together in school.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • The program teaches students how to work cooperatively.</item> <p></p> <item> • It helps to build self-esteem and self-confidence, and teaches them how to get along with others, how to build good relationships, and how to cope; overall it teaches good basic life skills for working with others.</item> <p></p> <item> • ACE helps them to focus more of their time and energy on completing assignments and getting along with their peers and adults; they learn life lessons to carry with them forever.</item> </ulist> <p>Other: A catchall category for key items such as responsibility, coping with stress, and academics.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • I have seen the most improvement in students who had an unstable home life. You can see a change in their behavior. You can see that they understand responsibility better than before they went. Most of them seem to improve in their academic performance.</item> <p></p> <item> • I believe because of the values that they get from the program, doing their homework will manifest, because it was taught to them there. This is possibly something they would never get at home, because parents don't know the importance of homework.</item> <p></p> <item> • The program is effective in getting parents to support their child. Classroom and school behavior had previously been disruptive, but this year there have been no incidents.</item> <p></p> <item> • Students are better motivated to complete academic work, feel better about themselves, get along better with their peers, and their study habits improved with a more positive attitude toward their schoolwork and homework.</item> <p></p> <item> • The program teaches survival skills to those who have to encounter negative situations daily.</item> </ulist> <p>Parents clearly noticed the difference in their children and wrote additional letters of thanks to the program. To demonstrate this, here are condensed excerpts from a few of these unsolicited letters.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • I noticed change immediately when they returned home. They have become more independent, confident, and not afraid to take initiative. I am positive what they have learned [from this program] will aid and follow them throughout life.</item> <p></p> <item> • During one of the darkest moments in our family's history, I watched a mixed-up little 10-year-old girl who would have been in foster care otherwise transform into a confident well-mannered young lady before my eyes. To this day I am still amazed and so proud of her. The improvements in grades and schoolwork were awesome but secondary to the blessing your [program] was to her outlook on life. She has been through more than any child should ever have to go through and still smiles and laughs and walks with her head held high</item> <p></p> <item> • My oldest son attended your [program] almost immediately after [his sister] graduated and with her urging. He still tells his brother and friends about it all the time and remembers the lessons he learned there. I saw a great improvement in his grades, handwriting, and overall behavior, but again he graduated as a proud confident [program] kid. You've given my little family a brand-new chance at life. How do you say thank you for that?</item> <p></p> <item> • The parent meetings helped me to work on my weak areas and gave me insight on my own behaviors as well as my children's and their attitude and self-worth. I became more aware of the pressures on kids today and learned how to listen to my child so we can communicate on a different level that I believe will work for us. Thank you for setting high standards for my kids and helping them to achieve.</item> </ulist> <p>Students shared the following cross section of comments, arranged in five of the themes identified from earlier teacher thematic analysis, when asked what they had learned in the program.</p> <p>Emotions: Students evaluated how their behaviors had changed related to self-esteem, confidence, and discipline.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • how to deal with my feelings; I need to be more honest; how to say my feelings out loud; what integrity means; not to have a poor attitude; to be more patient; be grateful for what you get even if you don't like it; improve on my attitude because that is what gets me in trouble; pay attention; stay positive and stay kind; to be a good friend and be brave; be a better listener and follow directions; lying doesn't get you nowhere but jail; work on getting new friends by talking nice to them not be a class clown; listen to positive peer pressure; if you do something wrong you get a consequence; and I am proud of myself.</item> </ulist> <p>Bullying: Those previously bullied had now "come out of their shells" with coping strategies.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • How to be an upstander and not a bystander.</item> <p></p> <item> • Treat others like you want to be treated.</item> <p></p> <item> • If someone does something to you, it doesn't give you the right to do it back to them.</item> <p></p> <item> • How to make new friends and treat others.</item> <p></p> <item> • Not to use violence and be bully-proof.</item> </ulist> <p>Conflict resolution: Those who escalated conflict into violence were now de-escalating tensions.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • Solve problems peacefully and respectfully.</item> <p></p> <item> • Give respect to get respect to stop talking back.</item> <p></p> <item> • All about community and respect.</item> <p></p> <item> • How to be assertive and resolve it peacefully.</item> <p></p> <item> • Forgive and forget.</item> <p></p> <item> • How to apologize.</item> <p></p> <item> • To trust and believe in myself.</item> </ulist> <p>Anger management: Controlling anger and its related emotions was identified as a gain.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • I chose to be angry and instead can go to my happy place.</item> <p></p> <item> • How to relax and how to stay calm when I'm angry.</item> <p></p> <item> • How to calm myself down and not get angry over little things.</item> <p></p> <item> • How to use breathing techniques.</item> <p></p> <item> • How to calm down quicker.</item> <p></p> <item> • Don't get upset so easily.</item> <p></p> <item> • Watch my inappropriate behavior.</item> <p></p> <item> • This is a hate-free zone.</item> </ulist> <p>Teamwork: Being able to cooperate, communicate, and trust led to working together in school.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • You have to keep trying and never give up if you want to achieve something by working together.</item> <p></p> <item> • Teamwork makes the dream work.</item> <p></p> <item> • Just learn from my mistakes.</item> </ulist> <p>Some years later, while graduating from seventh grade (before going into high school), a group of past program participants reflected on their time spent in the ACE program and remarked that they had been helped with other improvements.</p> <p>Other: A catchall category for key items such as responsibility, coping with stress, and academics.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> • My attendance.</item> <p></p> <item> • My attitude.</item> <p></p> <item> • My self-confidence.</item> <p></p> <item> • Gaining control of my feelings.</item> <p></p> <item> • Standing up to bullies.</item> <p></p> <item> • Getting along with enemies.</item> <p></p> <item> • Calming down.</item> <p></p> <item> • I used to talk without permission, but now I don't, so my parents and teachers see a lot of improvement.</item> <p></p> <item> • It is a great place to be; you don't have to worry about getting shot, being robbed, or hearing traffic all night.</item> <p></p> <item> • You can leave all your worries at the gate.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0188947210-6">Reasons for Success</hd> <p>Based on an analysis of teacher and parent comments, interviews with teachers, correspondence from parents, student remarks, and researcher observations of the camp, this study identified 14 unique components contributing to the short-term improvement and the long-term success of the program.</p> <p>Parental involvement: On Sunday, when dropping their children off for the week, parents also attended mandatory workshops (without their children) on communication, parenting techniques, reality therapy discipline, educational strategies, and topics of substance abuse, gang affiliation, and AIDS awareness. Reality therapy refers to helping people take responsibility for their actions, choices, and goals. An abundance of time-honored research substantiated the value of parental involvement in a child's education, especially at the elementary school level and with regard to behaviors (Epstein [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref16">10</reflink>]). Often, many parents were also considered "at risk" in society and had experienced some of the same issues in public education as their children.</p> <p>Low teacher-to-student ratio: In groups of 10, the students engaged in the regular school district curricula with one certified teacher and one teacher's aide for a ratio of 10:1 and sometimes 5:1 (three to six times better than a typical classroom of 1 teacher and 30 students). Though heavily debated, research on class size generally reveals that lower student–teacher ratios contribute to greater student achievement because teachers can pay more attention to each learner (Mishel and Rothstein [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref17">22</reflink>]).</p> <p>Insisted academic success: While studying within the regular curricula for 5.5 hours per day, students were required to make 80 percent on all assignments. Any score less than 80 percent required the student to repeat the work until a score of 100 percent was reached, even if this meant additional evening work. As part of this process, feedback took the form of individual or small group re-teaching and identifying reasons for mistakes. Such repeated feedback to learners ultimately led to their increased academic performance and success. Feedback has proven to be one of the most impactful aspects of teaching and learning (Hattie [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref18">16</reflink>]) because learners feel valued when someone cares about their work (Brookhart [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref19">6</reflink>]). "ACE used an instructional technique termed 'insisted success' that extends student work time with unlimited trials to produce acceptable academic assignments. Insisted success has been found to significantly impact students' self-esteem and change academic motivation" (Caram [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref20">8</reflink>], 72).</p> <p>Targeted relationships: The development of self-esteem and the transformation of various maladaptive behaviors were paramount outside of school time. Interpersonal relationships with peers and adults, as well as intrapersonal relationships to one's self, were central to that development and transformation. Relationships were an integral part of effective experiential learning (Warren et al. [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref21">34</reflink>]).</p> <p>Innovative experiential methods: Outside of classroom-based academic studies, the children spent 5.5 hours/day participating in experiential adventure and environmental studies that further emphasized relationships to oneself, others, or nature and addressed personal responsibility, listening to directions, teamwork, crisis management, and problem-solving. The activities were followed by lengthy discussions focused on behavior and self-esteem. These reflective debriefings were a principal difference between simply having an experience and deriving meaning or learning from that experience (Silberman [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref22">28</reflink>]).</p> <p>Residential setting: At night, students could not return to their parents at home, so a home proxy environment was purposefully created by staff to provide necessary discipline, sustenance, and study reinforcement that children needed. Although it is relatively rare in the United States, residential education is fairly common throughout other major nations of the world and brought special benefits like increased self-discipline, independence, responsibility, self-worth, and positive behavior (Beker and Magnuson [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref23">3</reflink>]).</p> <p>Continual counseling: Living in the camp setting allowed reality therapy–trained counselors to provide one-on-one behavioral support, anger management, and discussion as needed, available 24 hours a day. Because many students presented with unresolved trauma from several adverse childhood experiences (CDC [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref24">9</reflink>]), counselors were often discussing matters of neglect, abuse, and family challenges with the children at all hours, and this required a high degree of trust from each child (Capuzzi and Gross [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref25">7</reflink>]).</p> <p>Graduation ceremony: On the final day of programming, children enjoyed a graduation ceremony with guest speakers from the community and certificate and medal granting with parents present. These formal events celebrated the hard work of "at-risk" students, recognized dedication in front of parents, provided a rite of passage for success (for some, the first major achievement of their lives), and marked the transition back to school with renewed resilience for tackling obstacles and difficulties (Fader [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref26">12</reflink>]).</p> <p>Transition period: During the week or two directly following the program, students returned to their separate classrooms in schools, and teachers performed daily evaluations, noting changes in academic performance, behavior, and self-esteem. During this transition period, staff collected attendance and behavioral data on children's progress. If called for, a staff intervention was conducted with particularly unruly or difficult children who might be at risk of suspension or expulsion. Transition periods were critical in easing the complex reintegration of students back into school or on to other settings (Shogren and Wehmeyer [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref27">27</reflink>]).</p> <p>Short-term support: Staff from the program visited program graduates in school every six weeks for an average of three years (two to four years, depending on initial grade level) and until they left seventh grade, before their first year in high school. Short-term follow-up is useful to consolidate program gains (Gerstein [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref28">15</reflink>]).</p> <p>Long-term support: Once in high school, program graduates could continue participating in follow-up programs made possible by supplemental grant funding. These included additional team-building activities, classroom visitations, community mentors, and returns to camp for resiliency boosting weekends. These so-called booster events were a common strategy to prolong and insulate change from the erosion of return to home or school environments (Vaterlaus et al. [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref29">33</reflink>]).</p> <p>Ongoing support: While in elementary or high school, students also had access to a number of social services from grant-supported youth agencies until they reached twelfth grade. These included tutoring, counseling, mentoring, mediation, extramural activities, and youth action service council. By being provided these services and projects to work on, students continued to practice and apply their newfound skills in real-life situations, thus ensuring they saw the value in their newly exercised behaviors (Smyth [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref30">29</reflink>]).</p> <p>Reward scholarships: Students who performed satisfactorily in the classroom were motivated with a free week at summer camp, and the best-behaved children at summer camp were given a free end-of-summer field trip to places like the Smithsonian, the Kennedy Space Center, and Disneyland (Martin-Tollette [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref31">20</reflink>]). These extrinsic rewards reinforced good behavior and advances in self-concept (Nuttin and Greenwald [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref32">25</reflink>]).</p> <p>Returning opportunities: Children who later excelled overall or showed themselves to be positive role models in high school were given the chance to become counselors-in-training for the duration of summer camp. Some eventually served as staff within the year-round program. These intrinsic rewards, differing from the extrinsic, also motivated and strengthened past successes (Stellar and Stellar [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref33">31</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0188947210-7">Cost Savings</hd> <p>These positive academic, behavioral, and self-esteem outcomes were particularly valuable to the school districts served by this program. Of the 150 students they sent to the program each year, on average about two-thirds of these (100 out of 150) had substantially poor academic performance and were expected to either be "retained" in elementary school or later "fail" in high school and would have to repeat a grade either way. The 2019 cost of a single student repeating a grade was about $17,000, according to school district annual reports. Therefore, the ACE program provided a yearly savings of $1.7 million. At that time, the camp infrastructure was supported by foundation grants, but the ACE program cost (borne solely by the school board) was approximately $1,000 per student for 30 days for a total of $150,000 for 150 students. This represented more than 11 times the return on investment.</p> <p>This program was not only unprecedented in its widespread use of these components over 24 years but also decades ahead of its time when applying them in a pilot program as early as 1987. In the 1980s, follow-up components to experiential programs were sadly missing (Gass [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref34">14</reflink>]). Individually, each of these multifaceted components contributed to the positive outcomes, but collectively they prevented the easy wearing down of improvements that come on return from most interventions. Most notable among these 14 unique components were those related to support (short term, long term, or ongoing) and rewards (free summer camp, field trips, and counselors-in-training).</p> <p>Future research ought to examine which components are most effective in bringing change, how much each contributes to overall gains, and whether interactive effects are part of those contributions. 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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: The Positive Impact of a One-Month 'At Risk' Experiential Education Program: Twenty Years of Academic, Behavioral, and Self-Esteem Data
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Simon+Priest%22">Simon Priest</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Melinda+Martin-Tollette%22">Melinda Martin-Tollette</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sanford+Tollette%22">Sanford Tollette</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Schools%3A+Studies+in+Education%22"><i>Schools: Studies in Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 22(1):126-143.
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  Data: University of Chicago Press. Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 877-705-1878; Tel: 773-753-3347; Fax: 877-705-1879; Fax: 773-753-0811; e-mail: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; Web site: http://www.press.uchicago.edu
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  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
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  Data: 18
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+3%22">Grade 3</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Primary+Education%22">Primary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experiential+Learning%22">Experiential Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+3%22">Grade 3</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+4%22">Grade 4</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resident+Camp+Programs%22">Resident Camp Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22At+Risk+Students%22">At Risk Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Behavior%22">Student Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Esteem%22">Self Esteem</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
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  Data: 10.1086/734956
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1550-1175<br />2153-0327
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 participated in a monthlong experiential program conducted at a residential camp. The children were deemed "at risk" due to one or more of the following concerns: poor academic performance, behavioral issues, and extremely low self-esteem. The program consisted of tutoring in social issues and academic subjects by certified teachers and engaging in adventure and environmental activities with camp staff. Parents were included through mandatory information workshops held once a week at either drop-off or pick-up times. Homeroom teachers and parents were asked to evaluate and comment on the academic performance, behaviors, and self-esteem of the children following their camp experiences. Students improved in all three. Qualitative analysis explained the short-term improvements and lasting long-term success for years after as influenced by 14 unique factors.
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: EJ1475631
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1086/734956
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 18
        StartPage: 126
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Experiential Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 3
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 4
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 5
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Resident Camp Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: At Risk Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Esteem
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Effectiveness
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Positive Impact of a One-Month 'At Risk' Experiential Education Program: Twenty Years of Academic, Behavioral, and Self-Esteem Data
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            NameFull: Simon Priest
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