Editorial: Group Work Camp

Abstract

Welcome to this special issue of Groupwork, which features papers on the International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG) sponsored Group Work Camp. Before beginning my thoughts on the historical relevance of summer camps and their importance to modern groupwork practice, I must note that this editorial is decidedly American. The camp history I present is closely related to the development of the recreation movement in the U.S. during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This history highlights the relationship between summer camps and groupwork and the important role groupwork played, and continues to play, in summer camps. In many ways this analysis is apropos as the IASWG Group Work Camp originated in the U.S. and is deeply indebted to this history.