Every Hill meeting starts the same way.

Walk into a congressional office. Shake hands with a staffer, who is usually in their late 20s or early 30s. We sit down across a desk or around a small table.

And I start with the numbers.

The Setup

Twenty-six million kids go to camp each summer.

Twenty-one thousand camps operate across America.

The American Camp Association has been around for over a century.

Camp itself?

An institution that's been shaping American childhood for more than 150 years.

The numbers establish the scale. They show this isn't a niche issue. They prove camp matters.

But then comes the question that basically starts the rest of the conversation.

The Question

“Did you go to camp as a kid?”

Nearly every time, the answer is yes.

And not just a head nod or a “Yeah.” No, an enthusiastic, “YES!” The kind of acknowledgement that comes with stories.

Christian nonprofit in Ohio.

JCC camp in the Berkshires.

Big outfit in Texas. Private camp in New England.

Summers on staff, as campers, kitchen duty, support. Working with kids. Loving the activities. Loving the summers. Loving camp.

These are staffers who can remember being in the same shoes as counselors spending their summers at camps now.

Except these days, these folks are the ones drafting memos, scheduling member meetings, shaping the policy conversations that matter. Pitching the caucus to their boss.

They all went to camp.

They all loved their camp.

The Realization

I’ve been asking this question for years now. On Hill Days. In advocacy meetings. During casual conversations in Capitol hallways.

The percentage of people who say yes is staggering. Close to universal.

It’s actually rare to find someone on Capitol Hill who didn't go to camp.

See, camp isn’t trying to break into Washington. Camp is already woven into the fabric of how this place works.

The people running Congress went to camp. The skills they use every day — things like collaboration, communication, patience, problem-solving under pressure — those came from summers at the places we know are among the most important and meaningful for kids.

Still True After Decades

In 2010, I sat in one of the grandest rooms in Washington.

I was new to advocacy work then. Meeting with Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii about an ACA policy issue with my awesome ACA colleagues Ray Sanborn and Susan Yoder. Ray was from Hawaii, and his team had set it up. I didn’t know up from down in Washington, DC.

Senator Inouye was one of America’s most powerful legislators. Appropriations Committee Chair. World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient. A living legend.

Due to his health challenges, he was one of the only members of Congress permitted to hold meetings in the Capitol building itself, rather than in the adjoining office buildings. Walking into the chambers for the Senate Appropriations Chair felt like stepping into the Smithsonian. Murals of American history on the walls. The weight of legacy in the air. I was nervous.

We sat down to talk policy.

And we asked him the same question I ask every staffer today: “Did you go to camp?”

He smiled.

Then he started to sing.

Right there in that stately office, this legend of the Senate broke into a camp song from his childhood in Hawaii.

Spontaneous, joyful, and completely human. 100 percent camp.

See, even the most serious people in the most serious rooms carry camp with them. The memory doesn’t fade. It stays alive for a lifetime.

That’s when I knew camp has a special place in the hearts of people who lead.

We're Not There Yet

Right now, it’s mostly staffer meetings. Dozens and dozens. One after another, whenever we can get them.

That’s how it starts. They listen. They pitch the idea to join up the chain, eventually to their member of Congress.

Today’s legislative assistant becomes tomorrow’s chief of staff. Today’s policy director becomes tomorrow’s member of Congress.

Each “yes” builds the chain upward.

The same spark that made Senator Inouye sing back in 2010? It’s alive in every staffer who lights up when I ask about camp.

We’re Everywhere

Camp isn’t lobbying for a place in Washington.

Camp is already here.

In the staffers’ and members’ memories. In the values that drive collaboration and leadership on Capitol Hill when that actually does happen. In the people shaping policy right now.

One meeting. One question. One story at a time.

We’re everywhere.

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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