Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Commons^™

Therapeutic Riding And Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Program Evaluation, Brenna Goodwin

All Theses

Therapeutic riding is a commonly used therapeutic approach for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research supports therapeutic riding for children with ASD; however, the effect of specific sub-types of therapeutic riding (e.g., therapeutic riding drill team) has been under investigated. Furthermore, the role of self-efficacy and other programmatic components (e.g., interaction with horses, interaction with other participants, etc.) of therapeutic riding programs have not been studied, especially among children with ASD. This study evaluated a therapeutic riding drill team for children with ASD to determine if and to what extent self-efficacy and other program components were present. Three forms …

Factors Affecting The Sustainability Of Public-Private Collaborations At The Municipal Level: The Case Of Motorcycle Rallies, Anne Burgin Diallo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban public-private collaborations promoting large-scale tourist events are increasingly common. The incentive to collaborate, for urban policy-makers, is the perception of the opportunity for economic development, and yet little is known about factors contributing to the sustainability of such urban cross-sector collaborations. The dissertation accomplishes three objectives. First, it combines resource dependence theory (RDT) and goal congruence theory (GCT) to extend our understanding of how collaborating organizations align their respective organizational goals and manage their interdependencies in complex, urban, inter-sectoral, environments. This is accomplished through use of complementary factors from each theory. Second, using qualitative methods, the research applies RDT …

Examining The Space-Time Constraints Concept On Tourist Behavior For Visitors To The South Carolina Coastal Area Of The United States, Sanghoon Kang

All Dissertations

This dissertation explored three themes with regard to the spatial aspects of tourist behavior, conducting three independent analyses. For these analyses, this dissertation research adapted Shoval's (2012) definition of the space-time constraints concept developed by Hagerstrand (1970): the purpose of trip (i.e., authority constraints), the length of visit (i.e., capability constraints), and the composition of travel party (i.e., coupling constraints). The purposes of the three analyses were to examine the relationships 1) between the space-time constraints and the spatial patterns of travel; 2) between ICT use (i.e., smartphones) and the spatial patterns of travel, space-time constraints, tourists' unplanned destination visits, …

Leisure, Obesity And Weight Loss: An Exploration Of Leisure, The Public Health Ecological Model Of Obesity And Identity Theory, Weber Player

All Dissertations

Obesity is a global health crisis with complex causal relationships. From the mid 1990s to 2010, obesity related research in the clinical and social sciences has exploded. This expansion has resulted in a proliferation of obesity-related articles published in top-tier journals and the creation of new journals solely devoted to obesity research. In contrast within leisure scholarship, a review of leisure journals reveals that published research on the relationship of leisure, obesity and weight loss is minimal. However, numerous leisure scholarship/theory principles are relevant to obesity prevention and treatment. Similarly, public health officials have developed numerous systems-oriented multilevel framework models …

Slavery And The Civil War: The Reflections Of A Yankee Intern In Appomattox, Jonathan G. Danchik

Student Publications

An overview of the "Lost Cause" and the resultant challenges faced by interpreters in Civil War parks.

Prescribed Fire Monitoring Report, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve 2014 (Iqcs Fire Number 285382, 285383, 266782, 285677), Sherry A. Leis, Sarah E. Hinman

United States National Park Service: Publications

Introduction

In 2014, the preserve’s federal and NGO partners conducted prescribed fires during March, April, and October that encompassed 8129.8 acres of Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (TAPR). This was a unique burn year in that prescribed burns occurred in the spring, the traditional burn season, and the fall. Fall burns were conducted to support needed archaeological surveys as part of the environmental compliance for a symphony event scheduled for June 2015 at the preserve. Burns at TAPR were coordinated with local US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and various units of the National Park Service.

Burns …

Caring For The Land, Serving People: Creating A Multicultural Forest Service In The Civil Rights Era, Donna Lynn Sinclair

Dissertations and Theses

This qualitative study of representative bureaucracy examines the extension and limitations of liberal democratic rights by connecting environmental and social history with policy, individual decision making, gender, race, and class in American history. It documents major cultural shifts in a homogeneous patriarchal organization, constraints, advancement, and the historical agency of women and minorities. "Creating a Multicultural Forest Service" identifies a relationship between natural and human resources and tells a story of expanding and contracting civil liberties that shifted over time from women and people of color to include the differently-abled and LGBT communities. It includes oral history as a key …

Consumers’ Reactions To Sanitation In Casual Dining, Quick-Service, And Fine Dining Restaurants, Haeik Park, Barbara Almanza

Hospitality Review

Consumers’ concern about food safety, sanitation, and health has increased since food-borne illnesses still frequently occur in the US. This article explored consumers’ perceptions, emotions, and behavioral intention about the sanitation of the physical environment in three different restaurant settings, casual dining, quick-service, and fine dining restaurants. Disgust was the most strongly felt negative emotion, but no significant differences were found for negative emotional reactions to dirty conditions among the three types of restaurants. Positive emotional reactions were significantly different among the restaurant types. Behavioral intention was also significantly different among the three restaurant types as a reaction to dirty …

Slides: Untitled [Innovative Agreements], Greg Hobbs

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Justice Greg Hobbs, Colorado Supreme Court

13 slides

Cathedral Waterfront Plan, Mathangi Murthy, Tabitha Boschetti, Michelle Anderson, Saumya Kini, Rosa Lehman, Violet Brown

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The Cathedral Park Neighborhood Association anticipated the imminent development of 15-acres of waterfront property (the Steel Hammer Site) in the heart of their community and worked with the PSU MURP team to bolster the voice of the community through public engagement and thoughtful urban planning. The student team reached out to the neighbors, talked with shareholders, conducted site analysis, and developed a shared community vision for the Steel Hammer Site, which resulted the Cathedral Waterfront Plan that includes:

• Twelve community goals for future development
• Three scenarios demonstrating how development on the Steel Hammer Site could contribute to community priorities without …

The Management And Stewardship Of A Cetacean Collection, Rebecca Vele

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Cetacean, by definition, is a marine mammal of the order Cetacea; a whale, dolphin or porpoise. In light of their social intellect and friendly appearance, cetaceans are used in institutions such as zoos and aquariums as a source of education and entertainment for the public. Before the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, cetaceans were captured worldwide including in U.S. waters. In the United States today, there are over 224 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Out of those 224, 34 of these institutions display cetaceans.

Even though the Marine Mammal Protection Act “Prohibits, with …

What's The Problem Now? Director's View On Campers, Staff, And Training Priorities, Christopher Thurber, Barry Garst

Barry A Garst

Relationships form the heart of the camp experience. Dynamic programs, beautiful settings and lofty missions have little value without sterling leadership (staff/camper relationships) and warm friendships (camper/camper relationships). For this reason, a well-trained staff that promotes camper connections is the lifeblood sustaining your camp. In turn, having happy campers in healthy relationships augments retention rates, enrollment and parental satisfaction, all of which strengthen the overall business and pleasure of running a camp.

Residential Summer Camp: A New Venue For Nutrition Education And Physical Activity Promotion, Alison K. Ventura, Barry A. Garst

Barry A Garst

Millions of children attend residential summer camps each year. However, few studies have examined the potential of camps for obesity prevention efforts. Research in the domain of positive youth development has shown that camp programs as short as one week have both short- and long-term positive effects on self-esteem, self-efficacy and other youth outcomes. The objective of the present study was to highlight the potential of resident camps as promising venues for the promotion of healthy eating and physical activity behaviors in the children who attend.

Building A “Healthy Camp”: Strategies That Worked!, Barry Garst, Mary Marugg, Sandra Thomas

Barry A Garst

Three years ago, the camp community placed a capstone on a significant accomplishment by completing the largest, most comprehensive study of camp-related injuries and illnesses ever undertaken. This “Healthy Camp Study” involved close to 300 day and resident camps in monitoring camper and staff injury and illness events over the summer for five years from 2006 through 2010. With leadership from the American Camp Association and the Association of Camp Nurses, and through support from Markel Insurance, the Healthy Camp Study not only provided data that camps can use to benchmark and compare their own rates of injuries and illness, …

Camp Directors’ Beliefs Regarding Nature-Deficit Disorder And Camp, Penny James, Karla Henderson, Barry Garst

Barry A Garst

We asked what camp directors believed the role of camp to be in fostering nature-based experiences for campers. The majority of camp directors believed that fostering children's connection to nature requires purposeful programming, that opportunities to connect with the natural environment at camp are important for children, and that camp plays a more important role today in fostering children's connection to nature than in the past.

Benchmarking Professional Development Practices Across Youth-Serving Organizations: Implications For Extension, Barry A. Garst, Sarah Baughman, Nancy Franz

Barry A Garst

Examining traditional and contemporary professional development practices of youth-serving organizations can inform practices across Extension, particularly in light of the barriers that have been noted for effectively developing the professional competencies of Extension educators. With professional development systems changing quickly, particularly through online education and blended learning opportunities, benchmarks need to guide new research around best practices in professional development. Although many program providers have not established benchmarks for professional development, a few cases exist. This article examines the current state of professional development practices of youth-serving organizations and offers recommendations for improving Extension professional development practices.

Is There Common Ground? An Exploratory Study Of The Interests And Needs Of Community-Based And Faith-Based Workers, Pam Garza, Stephanie Altman, Eugene Roehlkepartain, Barry Garst, Deb Bialeschki

Barry A Garst

In the spring of 2007, ACA religiously-affiliated (RA) (n=89) and secular camps (n=214) from across the country participated in a study entitled “Is There Common Ground?” conducted by ACA, the Search Institute, and the National Collaboration for Youth. The ACA focus in the project was to explore the core competencies of staff working in both types of camps as well as their interests in and concerns about working together. The camp sample included a diverse set of camps, representing resident camps (64 percent); day camps (16 percent); and both resident and day camps (19 percent). Christianity was the most common …

Paying Enough And Training Right! A Snapshot Of Salary, Benefits, And Professional Development Practices In Camp, Troy Bennett, Barry Garst

Barry A Garst

Since 2006 ACA has conducted camp business research using a three-year cycle to identify industry benchmarks and to begin to identify trends. This research provides an evidence base for camp business practices. Some studies target the compensation and benefits provided to full-time camp directors, other full-time staff positions, and seasonal staff. Provided below are some key findings from ACA’s recent study, as well as some trends over time.

2011 Explore 30 Camp Reading Program Impact Report, Barry Garst, Cass Morgan, Deb Bialeschki

Barry A Garst

The Explore 30 Camp Reading Program is a national initiative created by the American Camp Association (ACA) to target youth literacy in camps. The specific goal of Explore 30 was to build organizational capacity (and align advocacy efforts) around summer reading and literacy. In the summer of 2011, 218 day and resident camps across thirty-six states signed up to participate in Explore 30 — serving more than 360,000 youth. Camps integrated Explore 30 into their camp sessions through either structured or unstructured reading opportunities supported by Explore 30 reading materials. A formal summative evaluation was conducted through a paper-pencil camper …

An Exploration Of Developed Forest Camping Experiences And Meanings In The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Barry Garst

Barry A Garst

Developed forest camping has received little attention in the recreation research since the late 1960s and early 1970s. Changes in socio-demographics, technology, and the publicâ s expectations for amenities over the past forty years suggested that the nature of the developed camping experience may have changed. Thus, the purpose of this study was to understand the modern developed forest camping experience and associated meanings and the influence of technology on developed forest camping. In-depth interviews were conducted in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area with thirty-eight camping groups in three campgrounds which varied in their level of development. Developed forest …

Adolescent Leadership Skill Development Through Residential 4-H Camp Counseling, Barry Garst, Jeremy Johnson

Barry A Garst

Camping is a 4-H delivery mode and context for positive youth development. Research suggests that 4-H camping may enhance the life skills outcomes of adolescents who serve in leadership roles. The study reported here was to explore the lived experience of 4-H camp teen counselors and to better understand the leadership and life skill outcomes of 4-H camp participation. Eleven focus groups (n=68) were conducted with 4-H camp teen counselors from across Virginia's six 4-H educational centers. The results indicated that 4-H camp participation positively affected teen counselors by helping them to develop leadership-related knowledge, skills, and behaviors.

Development Of A Comprehensive New 4-H Extension Agents Training Program Using A Multi-Module Approach And The 4-H Professional Research, Knowledge, And Competencies, Barry Garst, Joseph Hunnings, Kathleen Jamison, Jewel Hairston, Robert Meadows

Barry A Garst

Following significant budget reductions in 2002, Virginia Cooperative Extension explored strategies to meet the professional development needs of new 4-H Extension faculty and staff. The Department of 4-H Youth Development created a training program to teach youth development competencies consistent with the national 4-H professional research, knowledge, and competencies (4HPRKC) taxonomy. Written and verbal evaluations from participants in the New 4-H Extension Agents Training Program suggested that the training was informative, interactive, and responsive to participants' needs. This program is a potential model for other Extension programs that serve the professional development needs of new 4-H Extension faculty and staff.

The Impact Of Camp Employment On The Workforce Development Of Emerging Adults, Mat Duerden, Peter Witt, Barry Garst, Deb Bialeschki, Tori Schwarzlose, Kara Norton

Barry A Garst

The literature indicates a workforce readiness gap exists for both high school and college graduates. Findings suggest that employment in residential camp settings is one way to encourage positive workforce development. While a large body of literature supports the developmental benefits of camp for youth, fewer studies have investigated the impacts of camp on camp staff. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the impact of camp employment on the development of workforce-related skills and to identify the elements and processes of camp employment that facilitate or impede this development. Given the deficiencies noted in the readiness of …

Engaging Youth In Environmental Sustainability: Impact Of The Camp 2 Grow Program, Laurie Brown, Barry Garst, Deborah Bialeschki

Barry A Garst

Engaging youth in organized efforts to promote environmental sustainability has important implications for young people as well as for the communities in which they live. Youth engagement in general is critical to positive youth development (Gambone et al., 2004) and summer camps are uniquely situated to engage youth in the issues related to environmental sustainability. Training youth to become environmental stewards, defined here as environmentally conscious leaders who promote environmental sustainability in others, is a promising approach to engaging youth in this critical issue. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of Camp 2 Grow, a program …

Healthy Camp Study Update: Ten Promising Practices Of A Healthy Camp, Barry Garst, Linda Erceg, Susan Baird, Sandra Thompson

Barry A Garst

Camps don't have to wait for an outbreak to occur to update their camp health practices. An important key to developing a sound knowledge base about health and safety conditions is careful monitoring of the factors that cause significant injury and illness events in camps. New information about promising practices of a healthy camp is available now from the Healthy Camp Study, and camps can take advantage of what the camp community has learned to implement proactive health care strategies.

Ten Ways To Reduce Injuries And Illnesses In Camp, Barry Garst, Linda Erceg

Barry A Garst

When it comes to providing safe experiences for children, knowledge is often the most powerful tool an organization possesses. Knowledge about safe conditions and practices and the ability to identify areas for improvement are keys to ensuring the health and safety of program participants and staff and decreasing the likelihood of adverse health events. An important key to developing a sound knowledge base about health and safety conditions is careful monitoring of the factors that cause significant injury and illness events in camps.

Camp: A Perfect Place To Address Bullying, Jewel Hairston, Barry Garst

Barry A Garst

Bullying is now being understood as a group phenomenon, as opposed to an event or exchange that happens between two or three kids. Bullying is a social problem where the whole bullying incident is supported by the bystander (Espelage 2003; Craig & Pepler 1997; Salmivalli et al. 1996). This is important because in most cases the symptoms of bullying are the focus of treatment while the overall problem remains untreated. To address the problem, intervention should be directed toward the participants and the witnesses (Salmivalli 1999). A "one-shot" training session for campers and teen volunteer counselors that focuses on tips …

2009 Camp2grow Impact Report, Barry Garst, Karla Henderson

Barry A Garst

Camp 2 Grow, funded through Lilly Endowment Inc., is an initiative created by the American Camp Association (ACA) to encourage and teach leadership skills among youth in nature-based settings. In the summer of 2009, twenty-four day and resident camps completed the Camp 2 Grow program,serving approximately 840 male and female youth. Camps served youth from five major metropolitan areas: Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, and Los Angeles. Youth completed lessons in the following core leadership areas: Leadership, Character, Teamwork, Building Relationships, Taking Risks and Getting Results, Problem-Solving, and Planning. Youth also conducted an environmental stewardship activity and were challenged to …

Undergraduate Student Internships In Natural Resources At Virginia 4-H Educational Centers, Jeff Kirwan, Barry Fox, Barry Garst

Barry A Garst

Virginia has six 4-H educational centers that provide residential camping experiences for over 22,000 youth per year, the second largest 4-H camping program in the United States. These children may have many learning opportunities in the areas of natural resources and outdoor living skills. Beginning in 1995, the Chesapeake Bay Program in cooperation with the Virginia Division of Soil and Water Conservation provided funds for water quality instructors at each of the 4-H Centers. In 1998, the Virginia Forestry Educational Foundation began supporting a similar internship program for undergraduate students to serve as forestry instructors. Nearly 50 undergraduate students have …

"Growing Without Limitations:" Transformation Among Young Adult Camp Staff, Barry A. Garst, Nancy K. Franz, Sarah Baughman, Chris Smith, Brian Peters

Barry A Garst

A strong body of research has developed over the last decade regarding the developmental outcomes of camp experiences of children and adolescents. However, few formal studies have been conducted to determine how camp experiences lead to deep personal change in young adult staff. In this study, the authors used focus groups and an online survey to explore transformation among young adult camp staff. Specifically, they examined (a) how camp involvement promotes transformation in young adults, and (b) what conditions in the camp environment promote personal change. Staff reported that personal change at camp was related to the developmental outcomes they …