On Thursday, November 17, the American Camp Association (ACA) was honored to participate in a White House meeting on opportunities for youth to experience the outdoors in collaboration with the Outdoors Alliance for Kids.

ACA President/CEO Tom Rosenberg and Eastern Outreach and Engagement Team Leader Jazmin Albarran met with White House, Park Service, and Forest Service officials. Several other nonprofit organizations were in attendance, including the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, The Trust for Public Land, National Park Trust, Children & Nature Network, YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts of the USA, American Heart Association, the Outdoor Industry Association, and North American Association for Environmental Education. ACA participates in national strategic partnerships with a variety of organizations from diverse sectors with a common interest in youth development.

The meetings included several panel discussions on outdoor youth program successes over the past eight years, opportunities for continued success, and a great deal of informal networking and generative thinking.

Nancy Bales, executive director of the Gray Family Foundation, shared the success that they achieved in underwriting Outdoor School programs at Oregon camps, which ultimately resulted in the successful passage of Measure 99 on November 8. Measure 99 guarantees funding for every fifth and sixth grader in Oregon to experience a week of outdoor school each year.

As an educational nonprofit association, ACA is dedicated to providing quality, reliable, and up-to-date information about the laws and regulations applicable to the camp community. To that end, ACA partners with other organizations to advocate for quality camp experiences, and to increase the understanding of and support for the value of the camp experience for all children and families.

Tom Rosenberg and Jazmin Albarran in the Indian Treaty Room

ACA President/CEO Tom Rosenberg and Eastern Outreach and Engagement Team Leader Jazmin Albarran in the Indian Treaty Room at the White House.