Personal resources and resources of the sociocultural environment help children and adolescents to successfully cope with challenges in everyday life, which is associated with better individual well-being. SCOUT, the ‘Study on Competence development in OUT-of-school settings’, investigated whether participation in a summer camp enhanced adolescents’ personal resources, well-being, and readiness to contribute to the community.
The research took place during the Swiss National Jamboree of the Swiss Guide and Scout Movement, a two-week event in the summer of 2022, with a paper-pencil pretest (beginning of the camp – T1) and posttest (end of the camp – T2) survey (
In less than two weeks, camp participants demonstrated increased empathy, emotional self-control, optimism, and assertiveness. Furthermore, the adolescents reported more positive emotions, higher self-esteem, and stronger readiness to contribute to the community. Group leaders played a crucial role by influencing the positive development of well-being and readiness to contribute to the community both directly and indirectly through the promotion of personal resources.
The findings indicate that young people benefit not only from participating in collaborative activities in a stimulating environment, but also from caring support provided by their group leaders.