INTRODUCTION: Increasingly, qualitative research suggests that high-quality camp programming is correlated with a number of favorable outcomes such as independence and social skills (Thurber, Scanlin, Scheuler, & Henderson, 2006). The current study examined administrative data from a residential camp in Colorado to assess their achievement of youth development outcomes, including affinity for nature, camp connectedness, teamwork, friendship skills, and family citizenship.

METHODS: 564 participants attending summer camp during 2013 and 2014 (66.8% female) completed questionnaires from the American Camp Association’s Youth Outcome Battery. Participants were divided by age group. Questionnaire administration took place on the third or fourth Sunday of each month long session, using a retrospective pre-test design.

RESULTS: Campers reported a moderate degree of perceived change from pre-camp to post-camp status for all outcomes. Mean scores fluctuated around the ACA national average, resulting in scores above the 50^th percentile for Family Citizenship (64 – 67^th percentile) and Teamwork (57^th percentile) and slightly below the 50^th percentile for Affinity to Nature (48^th percentile) and Friendship Skills (45^th percentile) outcomes. Outcome scores were positively correlated with one another; Camp Connectedness and Friendship Skills were particularly highly correlated with other outcomes.

DISCUSSION: This camp was moderately successful in achieving development outcomes. Future efforts to quantify development outcomes at this and other residential camps will allow for systematic improvements in delivery of the classic camp experience.