“Camp AUCON” adds element of fun for first-semester cohort during demanding summer

For most Auburn University students, summer brings a slower pace. For the College of Nursing’s first-semester summer cohort, it is one of the most demanding times of the year.

This summer, an already rigorous curriculum became even more challenging after the academic calendar lost nearly a week of instructional time to holidays and scheduled breaks. The compressed schedule meant weekly exams, fewer recovery days and heightened stress for students learning how to balance multiple courses, labs and clinical experiences simultaneously.

Recognizing the strain, Kendall Henderson, who is an associate clinical professor and academic coach for the College of Nursing, introduced an innovative approach that combined academic support, educational psychology and a little summer fun.

“The goal was to give students something fun to look forward to,” Henderson said.  “They have had a test every single week, so it felt like hit after hit after hit. They never have time to breathe.”

To introduce a little fun into an intense summer schedule, Henderson created Camp AUCON, a nine-week initiative featuring themed weeks with corresponding dress up days, activities, and snacks that included code red, white and blue; summer color wars; beach week; pajama day; friendship bracelet making; painting bookmarks; and a building-wide miniature duck hunt, among many other activities. The events provided intentional opportunities for students to step away from academic pressure and focus briefly on something fun.

“The students were almost constantly preparing for a test or evaluation,” said Henderson. “When students stay in panic mode all the time, they’re not learning as effectively.”

She said the program is rooted in educational psychology, specifically attentional control theory, which suggests chronic anxiety can interfere with learning and memory. By encouraging students to take brief mental breaks, the program has helped them return to their coursework with greater focus and resilience.

“We’re giving students permission to take a break,” Henderson said. “Many of them wouldn’t do it on their own.”

The activities were intentionally simple and low-cost, ensuring every student could participate without added financial burden. Faculty members embraced the themes as well, creating moments of camaraderie throughout the semester.

Support extended beyond students. This summer also marked a new effort to engage parents through regular updates, photos and messages that offered insight into the realities of nursing school. Henderson said the outreach helped families better understand the demands their students faced while reassuring them that both academic and emotional support were in place.

She said overall the response to Camp AUCON has been overwhelmingly positive. And she said she has enjoyed watching the students participate and embrace each week’s theme and activities.

“My coping mechanism when I am stressed is to cover things with something fun,” Henderson said. “I hope Camp AUCON has been able to provide our students with some fun moments throughout the summer.”