Why Join ACA?

The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a community of camp professionals who, for more than 100 years, have been working together to help ensure the highest quality camp experiences for our nation’s youth.

ACA believes that camp is critical to the education and development of the whole child, and serves as a place for positive youth development. ACA works to preserve, promote, and improve the camp experience for children, youth, and adults.

Children are the future, and the critical skills they learn at camp — such as teamwork, self-confidence, and communication — ensure a brighter future for everyone. ACA recognizes the incredible learning platform that camp and youth programs present, and through program initiatives like Camp 2 Grow, ACA helps children learn about health and wellness, leadership, and environmental stewardship.

“Camp gives kids a world of good,” and by joining ACA, you make the world a better place.

Why Does ACA Matter?
Collectively, ACA members impact 6.9 million campers and learners annually. ACA helps you make an impact in the lives of the children you encounter every day in your work. By providing educational resources, research, policy work, outreach to parents, families, and other professionals, ACA members can provide safer, healthier, more fun environments where children and youth can become leaders, environmental stewards, and a healthier population.

What Can ACA Do for You?
ACA brings you tools, networks, and exceptional learning resources. ACA members benefit from shared and collective knowledge, insights, experiences, and connections. As an ACA individual member, you will enjoy the following:

  • Enhanced personal credibility and professionalism within the camp and youth development communities.
  • Access to resources to enhance or maintain high quality programs and services.
  • Access to education related to the only nationally recognized accreditation program for day and resident camps, comprised of health and safety standards recognized in courts of law.
  • Opportunity to build professionalism among associated camp staff and to develop high-functioning camp staff teams through ACA resources such as the staff-focused issue of Camping Magazine, the ACA Bookstore, The CampLine newsletter.
  • An improved ability to communicate the value of the camp experience to parents, staff, campers, the media, funders, legislators, and other stakeholders.
  • Access to professional networks including online social networks, discussion boards, and a listserv established for camp professionals.
  • Access to crisis communications and risk management planning tools for superior crisis response.
  • Access to savings on educational opportunities and services offered by ACA and by camp-related businesses.
  • Access to camp-related public policy and state/federal legislative information; the advantage of ACA‘s advocacy on your behalf.
  • Access to systematic, scientific research to take an evidenced-based approach to decision making.

What Can ACA Do for Your Camp?
As an ACA-accredited camp or affiliate camp your program will enjoy the following benefits:

  • Increased credibility and brand recognition with parents and the public.
  • Use of the ACA accredited camp logo for accredited camps, and the “Camp Gives Kids a World of Good” logo for affiliate camps.
  • Improved ability to communicate the value of camp experiences to parents, staff, campers, the media, funders, legislators, and other stakeholders.
  • Superior crisis response.
  • Access to the Camp Crisis Hotline.
  • Savings on products and services offered by ACA, such as e-Institute courses or bookstore resources.
  • Savings on camp-related products and services including the ACA Buyer’s Guide and the ACA PurchasingPoint Program.
  • Advocacy on your behalf through ACA’s camp-related public policy and state/federal legislative information.
  • Professional training and education for camp operations, program quality, and health and safety.
  • Greater access to professional networks (such as fingerprint-based FBI criminal background checks on camp volunteers at a significantly reduced rate for accredited camps).
  • Increased efficiency and higher-quality operations, built by developing the standard operating procedures required for accreditation.
  • Premium visibility on ACA’s Find a Camp online camp database for accredited camps.
  • Discounts on music licensing and motion picture licensing through ASCAP for accredited camps.

What can ACA do for your business?

ACA is your connection to thousands of camp and youth professionals who purchase camp products/supplies /services every year. Having an ACA Business Affiliate status is the easiest introduction to the unique camp community. Access to exclusive benefits is only available through Business Affiliation. Available to businesses that supply goods or services to camps.

As an ACA Business Affiliate your business benefits include:

  • Discounts on advertising in ACA's various national publications
  • Listing in ACA's Online Buyer's Guide in up to 3 categories, with a link to your business
  • Discounted rates on exhibiting at ACA national events — non-affiliates pay significantly higher rates
  • Access to ACA member lists to appropriately market camp-related products and services available at no charge one time per year and available for purchase a second time. Direct Mail Agreement (PDF)
  • Access to ACA Camp e-mail addresses. Simply, complete the e-mail agreement (PDF) to get started. To bring focus to your email benefit, only 2 business affiliate e-mails will be accepted and sent per week… on a first come first serve basis.
  • Use of ACA's Business Affiliate logo
  • Place/announce new products on the New Product Release page.

Individuals

Camps

Businesses

Already a member of ACA? Check out our member resources.

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