Camp Kirk has always been a special place where campers discover their inner strength, build friendships, and grow their self-confidence. Our programs are intentionally designed to boost self-esteem, independence, and social skills, while also preparing campers for future success. This year, we’re excited to share that Meghan Charlton, a dedicated counselor, and our new counseling director, is leading a research project to help us understand just how much of a difference Camp Kirk makes in the lives of our campers.

Meghan’s study focuses on the personal and social development impact of specialized summer camps on neurodivergent youth. Through Meghan’s research, we hope to learn more about the positive effects of Camp Kirk on campers’ self-awareness, attitudes, and social skills. We believe that by understanding these effects better, we can make our programs even more supportive and inclusive for all campers. To start this project Meghan is connecting with former campers and camp staff who are now adults.

We’re also working on evaluating the impact of Camp Kirk more specifically, to learn how our programs affect campers’ social and emotional lives. This will help us improve our programs in the future, ensuring that every camper who comes to Camp Kirk has the best experience possible.

We’re excited to see how both of these research projects will help us continue to grow and evolve, making Camp Kirk a place where every camper can shine brightly.