ACA, Rocky Mountain Fall Conference

Important Update--November 2, 2023

Fall Conference registration is fantastic and rooms at The Nature Place are booked.  Please register for the conference at the commuter rate and plan to stay off-site.  There are several options nearby.

Mountain River Lodge B and B in Lake George--15 minutes from The Nature Place

Microtel Inn and Suites in Woodland Park--35 minutes from The Nature Place

Early Bird registration is available through October 12, 2023.

• Registration includes conference program, 2 nights lodging (Wednesday and Thursday), and six meals (Wednesday dinner, Thursday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Friday breakfast and lunch). 
• Commuter registration is available for those staying offsite and includes conference program and six meals (Wednesday dinner, Thursday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Friday breakfast and lunch).  It does not include overnight lodging. 
• Camping registration includes conference program, tent or camper space, and six meals (Wednesday dinner, Thursday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Friday breakfast and lunch). 
• Lodging will be in double or triple rooms. 
• Single rooms are not guaranteed.  Contact Betsy Thamert (bthamert@ACAcamps.org, 765-342-1349) to learn about single room rates and availability.
• Not an ACA Member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this event! 

Fall Conference Schedule with Breakout Descriptions Including CampWell Sessions

Fall Conference Schedule with Breakout Descriptions and Speaker Bios Including CampWell Sessions

CampWell is a six-hour skills-based, training course that guides participants to identify, understand, cultivate, and create a community of well-being.  CampWell is a collaboration between the American Camp Association (ACA) and the Alliance for Camp Health (ACH) and is supported by the H.E. Butt Foundation.  The CampWell training program aims to help all be well at camp and seeks to create consistent care across the spectrum of all summer learning spaces. 

CampWell Training at the Rocky Mountain Fall Conference

• CampWell training will be incorporated into regular breakout sessions.  In other words, there will be designated CampWell sessions during scheduled breakout times.  CampWell registrants will also participate in a pre-course Zoom session on November 2 from 1:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
• CampWell sessions will be limited to those who are registered for the CampWell track. 
• The registration fee for CampWell is $45 per person.  Upon completion of the course, participants will have the content and resources necessary to incorporate CampWell into their staff training in 2024.  Participating camps will receive ACH’s MESH Resource Guide and slide deck for for use during staff training and a complimentary ACH membership.  This is a $200 value in addition to the course content.    
• Participants will sign up to be part of the CampWell Track by selecting the CampWell Track in step 4 of the online registration process. 
• The goal is that camps who wish to be part of this training will register two staff for the track.  Those participants will attend all CampWell sessions.  If camps wish to register more or less than two staff, contact Betsy Thamert bthamert@ACAcamps.org, 765-342-1349.
• If you have registered for the conference and would like to participate in the CampWell track, contact Betsy Thamert bthamert@ACAcamps.org, 765-342-1349. 

What People are Saying about CampWell

As a pilot test site for CampWell, Sonlight Camp took away a solid set of tools to enhance the work of creating a healthy camp community. We got affirmation of practices that are rooted in our culture, and CampWell provided additional tools and language to address the growing mental, emotional and social health issues that we see in campers and staff members.  Rocky Mountain has a unique opportunity this fall to engage in the work of ACH and be intentional about creating communities of well-being.  Mary Marugg, RN, WFR-Founding Director / Interim Director Sonlight Camp

We can prove with our 90% retention of staff that they feel well taken care of here. Our staff feel safe, supported, and connected. Without CampWell, our staff would quit. They were leaving and not coming back, and now they’re here.  Camp Behavioral Health Specialist (LCSW)

What we liked about CampWell is that it wasn’t a reaction to the mental health challenges, it was a holistic approach to well-being. It offered a path forward where we felt like we could build skills to actually prevent challenges from happening and give our staff and participants some resilience and skills in order to help them face challenging times.  Camp executive who has been part of the CampWell program for two years

Opening Keynote — Laurie Browne and John Hamilton

Laurie Browne serves camps and their communities through her work as the Senior Director of Research and Education at the American Camp Association.  In that role, Dr. Browne supports a team of researchers and grant managers who gather insights from the field and translate them into practice.  She is passionate about the transformative role evaluation can play in a camp organization and enjoys working with camp professionals as they work develop a culture of continuous improvement at their camp.  Prior to joining ACA, Dr. Browne was on faculty at California State University, Chico and prior to that she was a day camp director in Salt Lake City, Utah.  She earned her doctorate in parks, recreation, and tourism from the University of Utah, where she now lives with her husband (whom she met at camp!) and her three children.

John Hamilton is a strategic leader in the camp, out-of-school time (OST) and youth development fields. He currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer for the Alliance for Camp Health (ACH). John has a deep understanding of mental, emotional, and social (MESH) health needs of youth, national program expansion and a hope-filled perspective. Prior to ACH he served as the National Director for Camp HOPE America where he collaborated with city/county government, national leaders, clinicians, psychologists, and community-based organizations.

Well-Being: The Future of Care at Camp

Three years ago a group of camp professionals and subject-matter experts set off on a shared journey with ACA and ACH to understand the relevancy of mental illness at camp and the growing stigma around mental health. As we moved upstream in our thinking, statistics around mental illness swelled. Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) reported more than 24% of adults in the US had a reported diagnosis. It was clear, we needed to reframe our approach and move against the current of self-care, mental illness, and trauma-informed care. In this keynote we’ll highlight our discoveries, our journey, the research, and offer context for what lies ahead. Join us as we unpack how to reimagine camp through the lens of well-being.

Thursday Keynote — Tyler Manning and the Boredomfighters 

Tyler Manning is a founding member of The Boredomfighters, a 501c3 non-profit organization that curates modern music production experiences for revitalizing music programs in camps and schools nationwide, showing communities how to make the most out of what they have and find music everywhere.   

Keynote: Solutions to a Closet of Broken Instruments
Join The Boredomfighters on a journey through sound, capturing the noises of the conference and attendees to curate a song and discover new creative ways to integrate music into your camp and daily lives.

Closing Keynote — Patricia Cameron

Patricia Cameron is the founder and Executive Director of Blackpackers. Blackpackers offers curriculum-based, professionally guided and fully outfitted outdoor experiences—for free or subsidized cost to those at the intersection of underrepresentation and economic vulnerability.  Opportunities for participants include swimming lessons, skiing/snowboarding, camping, backpacking, climbing, hiking, and wilderness medicine certifications. A wilderness first response instructor, certified interpretive guide, Leave No Trace master educator, journalist, and professional thru-hiker, Patricia has lived in Colorado Springs since 1994. Her writing has appeared in outlets such as Backpacker Magazine, Outside, The Denver Post, and more.  Patricia is the mother of an extraordinary 16-year-old son who was her initial motivation to get outdoors.

How we can move away from conversations focused on just ‘Diversity and Inclusion', which often leaves actionable items like Justice and Equity unfinished in the outdoor industries

Without supporting intentionality and education, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives engage passive support rather than active engagement.

Patricia will utilize statistics, research, and personal experience to discuss what it was like to grow up as a Black child in America and how it relates to the bigger conversations surrounding the intersection of underrepresentation and economic vulnerability.  A key factor fueling the disparity in outdoor recreation and industry is the ongoing reality of the wealth gap in the United State of America and its historical context.  Blackpackers works to create economic equity in outdoor recreation by providing curriculum-based programming at free or low-cost to our participants.

Patricia's experience as Black woman, professional thru-hiker, healthcare provider, and her expertise as a journalist has equipped her to navigate multiple avenues on both sides of these issues and she is heartfelt in relaying those experiences to ignite change in these industries.

All Events in Mountain Time

Wednesday, November 8

• 1:00 p.m.--2:00 p.m.--Registration Open
• 2:00 p.m.--3:30 p.m.-- Opening Keynote
• 3:45 p.m.--5:15 p.m.--Open Space Planning
• 5:15 p.m.--6:30 p.m.--Social and Networking
• 6:30 p.m.--Dinner
• 7:45 p.m.--Coffee House Social, Dessert, and Thunderball

Thursday, November 9

• 7:30 a.m.--8:30 a.m.--Breakfast
• 9:00 a.m.--10:15 a.m.--Breakout 1
• 10:30 a.m.--11:45 a.m.--Breakout 2
• 11:45 a.m.--1:15 p.m.--Lunch and Business Meeting
• 1:30 p.m.--2:45 p.m.--Breakout 3
• 3:00 p.m.--4:15 p.m.--Thursday Keynote
• 4:30 p.m.--6:00 p.m. Exhibit Hall 
• 6:00 p.m.--7:00 p.m. Dinner
• 7:00 p.m.--9:00 p.m.--Fall Conference Fun--Costume Dance Party

Friday, November 10

• 7:30 a.m.--8:30 a.m.--Breakfast
• 9:00 a.m.--10:15 a.m.--Breakout 4
• 10:30 a.m.--12:00 p.m.--Closing Keynote
• 12:15 p.m.--Lunch & Departure

Registration Cost:  $115 member / $175 non-member

The New Director Orientation (NDO) is an interactive course that includes activities, lectures, and discussions in a group problem-solving environment designed to address real-life situations at camp. This course covers five critical areas to help directors and supervisors develop the skills they need to be effective leaders. The core areas covered include:

1. Leadership and supervision
2. Camper and staff development and behavior
3. Staff Training
4. Risk management
5. Evaluation and assessment

This NDO course will be offered in a hybrid model.  Participants need to attend the virtual portion of the training on November 1 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. (don’t worry-there will be breaks!) as well as the in-person training on November 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Participants will be contacted by the instructor prior to the course and given instructions and access to course materials.

Registration includes NDO course, NDO handbook, and lunch.

If you need lodging on November 7, please contact Betsy Thamert (bthamert@acacamps.org, 765-342-1349).

Not an ACA Member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this course! 

Register Today!

The Nature Place is a year-round conference facility and educational center located one hour west of Colorado Springs, Colorado.  It offers a unique combination of modern facilities amid the splendor of pine and aspen forests. Housing will be in studio apartments, each with a fireplace, sitting area, work station with wireless internet, and full bath. 

The exhibit hall date is Thursday November 9, 2023, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Social time and Exhibit Hall with host bar and snacks followed by dinner with exhibitors.

Exhibitors can begin setup at 3:30 p.m. and tear down is 7:30 p.m.

• Register online
• Certificate of Liability Insurance

For questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, contact Kim Bruno.