As the Character at Camp grant application opens soon, it’s a great time to share results from our recent landscape scan.
(If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Character Academy webinar series and the FAQ on the Character at Camp home page which includes more information on the initiative and grant applications!)
A quick note about character before we get to the results: ACA has adopted a broad definition of character for this initiative, like the one the Character Lab provides: “Intentions and actions that benefit other people as well as ourselves.” Rather than tell you what “good character” looks like, our intent is for every camp to consider what character means to the communities and youth they serve.
ACA created a survey, which we call the Landscape Scan, at the start of this new initiative to learn more from the field about how character already shows up at camp and where there are gaps in knowledge and resources. We launched the survey in early October and received over 700 responses from camp professionals!
In this third blog of a four-part series, we describe the findings about hiring and training from ACA’s Character at Camp Landscape Scan.
(If you missed Blog 1 in this series, you can find it here. Blog 2 is here.)
Here are three key things we learned:
1. Camps incorporate character in their hiring practices.
- Every five out of six (84 percent) respondents said that their organization focuses on character in their hiring practices. But how exactly?
- Survey respondents reported that they seek staff that have strong character and will be good role models. It was important to respondents to hire staff who will both help campers develop character and are interested in growing their own character strengths. One responded noted that “we can always teach them the skills of the job, but fundamentally we want them to be respectful and appreciative of others.”
- Respondents named “respecting and valuing diversity” as an important quality for staff to have, and described the importance of hiring staff who will be capable of creating “an inclusive environment where all campers feel safe, welcomed, and respected.”
So, camps want to hire staff who have strong character, will be good role models, and will represent the camp’s values well. How do camps determine if applicants possess these traits during the hiring process?
- Respondents reported several methods that they use to assess whether potential staff will be a good fit at their camp. The most commonly reported methods were one-on-one and group interviews. Respondents described interview questions to help them assess the applicant’s character strengths, including empathy, integrity, teamwork, a strong work ethic, and more. See the graphic titled “Interview Questions Camps Use to Assess the Character Strengths of Potential Staff” for ideas and examples of interview questions!
- Other methods used to determine if the candidate will be a good fit at the camp included looking at applicants’ resumes for employment experiences supporting character development and contacting references to ask about the applicant’s character strengths.

2. Camps incorporate character in their staff training.
- Ninety percent of respondents said their organization focuses on character in staff training. The visual below shows how camps focus on character in staff trainings and WHAT character-related ideas they focused on in staff trainings.
- “Focusing on character in our pre-camp staff training is crucial for fostering a positive, mission-aligned workplace culture. Regular training sessions focus on the organization's core values, such as integrity, compassion, and teamwork. Staff are encouraged to reflect on how these values guide their daily interactions with staff and campers and decision-making processes, ensuring that character remains at the forefront of their roles.”
- Respondents highlighted the importance of trainings for helping staff realize how they can grow their own character while at camp. As one respondent put it, staff should “talk the talk and walk the walk!” and staff trainings can be an opportunity for staff to practice walking the walk.
3. Camps incorporate character in their CIT programs.
- Of camps that offer a counselor-in-training (CIT) or leader-in-training (LIT) program, over three-quarters of respondents (79 percent) said that their organization includes character in their CIT program.
- The ways in which camps incorporate character into CIT programs is very similar to how character is incorporated into staff trainings: there is a focus on CIT’s personal character development, on “soft skills” like communication and leadership, on how to live out the camp’s core values, and how to be a good role model. Several respondents said that CITs get trained with the staff.
- Respondents reported offering experiential learning opportunities for CITs, such as workshops and continuous learning opportunities, as ways to show how to model positive behavior, resolve conflicts, and develop leadership skills. Many respondents emphasized the importance of putting what CITs have learned into practice by, for example, allowing CITs to lead evening programs and special events.
- Respondents also highlighted that CIT programs provide ample time for personal reflection, goal-setting, and group reflection sessions, which encourage CITs to both take accountability for and celebrate their character growth.
- Respondents listed several training activities that their organizations use to help CITs develop character strengths, including (1) mentorship opportunities; (2) assigned readings and discussions on character strengths such as integrity, ethical leadership, diversity, and what it means to be a good person and leader; and (3) positive reinforcement through daily or weekly meeting rituals. For example, daily CIT-only sessions that include team building games, communication building activities, and discussions about character.

So, what does this mean?
The results from this landscape scan provide an important snapshot of how camps think about character in their hiring and training processes for staff and CIT programs. We now know (from a fairly large number of camps) that camps care about potential staff having strong character and being a good role model and the types of character strengths that camps look for during the hiring process. We know what types of interview questions camps use to assess the character strengths of potential staff and we have a clearer picture of the training activities camps use to help build a values-aligned camp culture.
What are three things you can do as a camp?
- If you don’t already emphasize character in your hiring or training strategies, think about how you might include it in your interview protocols, orientation sessions, team-building activities, and reflection sessions. See suggested interview questions in this blog!
- Connect with and learn from other camps who focus on character in their hiring and training processes to learn about what is working and not working for them.
- Attend ACA’s Character Academy events to learn more about the Character at Camp Initiative and how you can use these resources to improve your character related hiring or training strategies.
What are the next steps?
ACA will use this information to inform future phases of the project including the application process for the grants that camps will apply to, in-person and virtual training opportunities, and educational tools and resources we provide to camps. ACA plans to improve access to character-related resources and to make them more usable to support camps’ character focused hiring and training strategies.
Stay tuned for the final issue of our four-part blog series sharing the results of ACA’s Character at Camp Landscape Scan. Learn more about the initiative or email character@ACAcamps.org with questions.
Authored by Sarah Acheson-Field (Abt Global), Allison Dymnicki, PhD (Abt Global), Rob Lubeznik-Warner, PhD (Delta Consulting Group), and Kevin Geoghegan, MS (University of Utah)
The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.