Most people hear "political" and immediately think "partisan fight."

I get it. It’s what dominates the news, and this week in particular has been exceptionally political in the news cycle.

Us versus them. Red versus blue. Left versus right. Everything sorted into opposing camps, with battle lines drawn before the conversation even starts . . . if it ever starts.

So when I tell people I'm in Washington helping to build a Congressional Camp Caucus, I see the hesitation. They assume this means picking sides — that it's about ideology or party affiliation.

But after years working on and with Capitol Hill, it’s clear that camp is different.

Politics Can Feel Like Conflict

Everything today gets filtered through a partisan lens.

People assume political engagement means choosing a team — that compromise is surrender and that collaboration looks like weakness.

This makes camp professionals hesitant to get involved with anything labeled "political.” Why would we want to drag camp into that mess? I understand that instinct completely.

But what if I told you camp doesn't fit into those categories at all?

What I Found on the Hill

In nearly every congressional office I've visited, something unexpected keeps happening.

It doesn't matter if the member is from rural Montana or downtown Chicago. It doesn't matter if the office leans conservative or progressive. It doesn't matter what issues dominate their constituent calls.

The moment I mention camp, the room changes. Eyes light up. Stories start flowing. Nearly everyone went to camp themselves or sent their kids. They remember the counselors who changed their lives. They talk about the skills their kids gained.

Camp is one of the few things that doesn't divide along party lines. In fact, we sit outside the usual political categories entirely.

Why This Matters

Camp isn't about left or right. It's about kids having transformational experiences.

Our ideological terms are about leadership, empathy, independence, and community. These are values everyone shares, regardless of where they fall on any political spectrum.

And this is exactly what makes the Congressional Camp Caucus possible.

We aren’t avoiding politics. We're absolutely engaging politically. We need legislation, solutions, and policy attention.

But we can do that without being partisan.

Because camp transcends those divisions, and, frankly, it’s amazing to watch.

What Camp Models

Just think about what happens at camp every summer.

Kids from different backgrounds spend time learning to work together, solving problems through collaboration (not confrontation), building consensus when opinions differ, and finding common ground without anyone compromising their core values.

This is exactly what politics should be. And so rarely is.

Camp teaches the skills healthy civic engagement requires: The ability to listen to someone who sees the world differently. The practice of working toward shared goals despite disagreements. The experience of being part of something bigger than yourself.

The caucus can model that same approach.

Building a Big Tent

ACA is a big tent organization.

Our community includes folks who are all over the political map. Camps somehow bring together communities with widely varying beliefs, all with a shared focus on building strong, healthy, and caring kids.

The Congressional Camp Caucus is purposefully inclusive (just like camp!).

It’s space where everyone can agree on one simple truth: Camp matters for kids. Camp matters for our country.

It’s where we focus on shared goals, not divisions. Where we build coalitions based on what unites us, not what separates us.

This isn't about left or right. It's about moving forward. It's about building something increasingly rare in Washington: political engagement without partisan fighting.

Maybe camp can model what politics needs — not by avoiding hard conversations, but by approaching them differently, with the same spirit camps use every summer.

That's the kind of caucus we're building. And that's why it can succeed where other efforts can't.

Join the movement. Get updates on the Camp Caucus and learn how you can support camp advocacy in DC.

Scott Brody is ACA’s Government Affairs co-chair and leads the association’s advocacy efforts in Washington, DC. He served as ACA National Board Chair during the COVID-19 crisis, helping guide camps nationwide through safe reopening while securing unprecedented federal support. A camp director for more than 30 years, Scott is Director Emeritus of Camps Kenwood & Evergreen and owner of Everwood Day Camp and Camp Sewataro. He has dedicated his career to advancing the life-changing impact of camp and championing its value on a national stage.

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