Wellness Case Study: Building Stronger Camp Communities Through Holistic Social And Emotional Care

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

8:30 AM - 9:30 AM East Coast USA Time

Room: 417

Speaker(s)

Jason Frydman

Associate Professor
Lesley University
Laura Wood

Associate Professor/Director of Wellness
Lesley University/Camp Chi, Jewish Community Centers of Chicago
KK

Kyle Kolling

Camp Director
Camp Chi, Jewish Community Centers of Chicago
EL

Ely London

In this presentation we overview and present multi-pronged data on a novel camp wellness initiative that supported camper and staff wellbeing during the summer. The initiative was structured so that wellness support team members ("wellness advocates") were assigned to individual units and served as point persons for emerging issues of social-emotional concern. Advocates served as both consultants and direct support to cultivate a consistent support presence that was utilized adaptively by the camp community. This model of support was assessed across various metrics during the summer and afterward.