Camp Joy: A Vehicle for Promoting Human Flourishing

The concept of human flourishing has been explored throughout time by many great thinkers in philosophy and psychology. While these thinkers may not have agreed on all points, I argue there are common threads of thought that persisted nonetheless. Contained in this thesis is a brief review and synthesis of the human flourishing concepts presented by Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine, C.S. Lewis, Abraham Maslow, Edward Deci, Richard Ryan, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This synthesis is then employed in analysis of contemporary American public education. Finally, the program structure, business model, and feasibility analysis of a summer camp designed to supplement contemporary American public education in promoting human flourishing is detailed.