Adolescent acquisition of social, personal, and individualist values in four intensive, non-formal education programs

Non-formal summer education activities for adolescents vary considerably in terms of programs and design, but articles that compare different types of summer education programs are rare. Our study analyzed and compared the results of four intensive summer programs conducted in Spain. A total of 443 adolescents participated in this study: 57.5 % male and 42.5 % female, with a mean age of 15.50 (S·D = 1.64). Our results show that the youngsters who participated in three of the four programs already had a profile of social values that differed from that of the general population. After attending summer camp, participants improved their scores on the Social and Personal Values scales, and their measured degree of hedonism decreased. These changes were more relevant in Scouts, YMCA, and Work Camps; they were only evident to a lesser extent in subjects who participated in Educational Support. We propose different hypotheses to explain how these programs have evolved. • Participation in summer camps or work camps improves the Social, Personal, and “Individualist” vales of youth. • Differences among the degree of learning values appear according to type of program. • Significant improvements appear in groups that attended Scouts, YMCA, and Work Camps. • An educational reinforcement program likewise improved the youths' Personal Values. • Individualistic values and programmes show some gender differences.