Effective Camp Participant

Camp Norwesca is pleased to announce our participation in the Effective Camp Project in
summer 2026. We are part of a group of camps across the country who are part of this
project. This ground-breaking study will reveal the strengths and growing areas of Camp Norwesca. 

With parental permission, we are surveying a selection of summer campers at the
beginning and end of camp, and 8 weeks after their camp session ends, measuring
lasting change in critical areas like self-confidence, personal faith, social skills, and faith
practices. We appreciate those households that have agreed to participate!

By participating in this exciting project, we hope to take an honest look at how we are
doing in serving our summer camp families and achieving desired outcomes. Data from
our camp will also help tell the larger story of the benefits of camping ministries to
families and the church! We are partnering with the experienced and respected
research team at Sacred Playgrounds in order to tell the camp story in a new way and
improve our camp programs for all participants.

Previous Effective Camp research has identified five fundamentals of Christian summer
camping: faith centered, safe space, relational, unplugged from home, and
participatory. Dr. Jake Sorenson, Effective Camp project director, says, “This project
has demonstrated that, when the five fundamental characteristics are in place, the
Christian camp experience has significant, lasting impacts on the lives of participants
and their families.”

 

Our participation in this study will show us where our camp shines
and where focused attention will generate significant improvement in outcomes for our
campers.

As of 2025, we have data from over 30,000 campers and 12,000 camper parents at 100
Christian camps across the United States and Canada. These camps represent multiple
Christian denominations.

 

The research to date is available online at effectivecamp.com