Latest ACA Blog Posts

Today's story comes from Katelyn Gillum, who now works for her camp fulltime! Send your story from the summer to media@ACAcamps.org.

If you would have told me nearly four years ago that being a camp counselor was going to change my life, I never would have believed you. I walked into my first summer at Camp Walden in Diamond Point, New York, thinking that it was merely going to be a two-month experience that would give me the opportunity to work with kids and boost my resume as a prospective teacher. What I didn't know is that it would change my world forever.

Having never gone to a sleep away camp as a child, I entered the camp world knowing nothing aside from what I had learned through movies such as The Parent Trap and shows like Bug Juice. I was expecting to find campers sneaking out of bunks, being sent to isolation cabins, and playing poker without any adult supervision. What I...

Here's our first summer story! A big thank you to Justina Lau for submitting. Keep the stories coming! (Send them to media@ACAcamps.org.)

I spent my summer with the Diabetic Youth Foundation. During camp, we do midnight check of campers’ blood sugar levels. Before one particular midnight checking, it was my rotation to watch the kiddos and to put them to sleep. Well, I had no idea what I was up against! I was in a room filled with twelve campers by myself! They were shouting, laughing, farting, and causing chaos as young campers do!

After telling them that pool time would be taken away if they didn't get into their own bunks, they were immediately quiet. I asked if they would like music, and all of them agreed they wanted to listen to some. I played a variety of piano songs off of my iTouch. One of my campers surprised me when he...

Have you seen the T-shirt that says, “Forget the box — think outside”?

I want that T-shirt. There are so many applications for this phrase.

1. If we want to save the “outside,” we better forget thinking inside the box. Solutions are going to have to be new, innovative, and profound.
2. If we read the research, our ability to think is enhanced by the time we spend outside. To be boxed in a classroom for extended periods of time (throughout the year) seems counterintuitive.
3. If we would think about how we help our children balance their time spent with technology and ...

Articles are once again popping up about adding school days to the academic year. No one argues that year-round learning is not only developmentally and academically sound, but also pertinent to the issues of safety and wellbeing for many children who may not have something to do over the summer. Where we seem to diverge is the appreciation on how best to accomplish those desired outcomes.

The organized camp industry for children and youth provides nearly 216 million dollars for those who might not otherwise have a camp experience. The research that has been done absolutely supports the fact that a quality camp experience is a viable...

Update October 2012: Camping Magazine Featured by NicheMedia for outstanding use of camp photograpy!

Did you take some awesome photos at camp this summer? Enter them into Camping Magazine's 2013 Golden Lens Contest!

You could win a $150 cash prize and your photo could be on the cover of the next May/June Camping Magazine!

Just send your favorite photos that depict the camp experience (and represent the best practices in the field) to magazine@ACAcamps.org.

Before you submit your photos, make sure to fill out the online photo release!

Include your name, camp name, contact address, and phone number in the e-mail...

The Children’s Defense Fund has just released The State of America’s Children® 2012 Handbook. Consider a few of the facts shared:

1. There are 16.4 million poor children in America.
2. More children were killed by guns in 2008–2009 than U.S. military personnel in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to date.
3. A child is born into poverty every twenty-nine seconds in America.

I believe we are a part of the solution. But only if we are informed advocates for all children.

I find it alarming that two things most critical to a healthy future are fragile today — the environment and children. We can do something about both. What will you do?

As a counselor, you make sure to have a positive attitude, and you encourage campers to see the bright side of life. You realize that camp is more fun when everyone is happy — but did you know that by promoting positivity, you’re also helping campers find success and literally reverse the effects of stress and anxiety?

When you are in a positive state of mind, you are more apt to succeed! According to Christine Carter, PhD, a sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, “When our brains are positive and we’re experiencing positive emotions, we’re much more creative, better at problem solving, and our perception is more open — making us more able to learn.” Help your campers learn that staying positive puts them on the fast-track to achieving their goals!

Carter also...