Date of Award
January 2013
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Department
School of Public Health
First Advisor
Trace Kershaw
Second Advisor
Jeannette Ickovics
Abstract
Background: After five years of programming, the SeriousFun Global Partnership Program (GPP) is looking to evaluate their model for programmatic and financial sustainability: specifically, among camp directors. To date, little is known about the facilitators and barriers camp directors face in working towards a sustainable program.
Objectives: To identify areas in which camp directors need more support from the SeriousFun staff to move towards programmatic and financial sustainability, and to highlight the Global Partnership Program's best practices for other public health programs striving for sustainability.
Design: A qualitative study that used in-depth telephone interviews with camp directors as well as face-to-face in-depth interviews with local SeriousFun staff.
Setting: Camp directors were located in nine countries (Cambodia, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Uganda, and Vietnam). SeriousFun staff was located in Westport, Connecticut.
Participants: Sixteen key informants were interviewed (eleven camp directors and five US-based SeriousFun staff).
Measurements: In-depth interviews were conducted in early 2013. Two coders trained in qualitative analysis used the constant comparative method to identify common themes amongst interviews.
Results: Six overarching themes categorized the facilitators and challenges camp directors face during implementation of the Global Partnership Program: global impressions, program benefits, implementation needs, cultural barriers, financial hardship, as well as logistical and staff related matters. Key results indicated that directors were well prepared to take over the camp programming due to support, training, and resources offered by SeriousFun but faced many difficulties in securing funding and a safe campsite.
Conclusions: The SeriousFun Global Partnership Program camps have had a positive impact on camp directors, camp staff, HIV+ children, their families, and local communities. The unique model of program and financial implementation used in the GPP could be beneficial to other programs hoping to build capacity, implement behavioral programs in international settings, and create leadership among local community partners. As they work towards sustainability, SeriousFun must provide more capacity building within their financial model, aid in creating a more permanent campsite, and address their future plans for growth as older programs become self-sustaining.
Recommended Citation
Schedel, Kate Elizabeth, "Assessing The Programmatic And Financial Sustainability Of The Seriousfun Global Parternship Program Among Camp Directors: A Qualitative Study" (2013). Public Health Theses. 1259.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysphtdl/1259
This Article is Open Access
Comments
This is an Open Access Thesis.