ACA, Great Rivers Fall Camp Tours & Workshop

Registration Includes:

• Registration includes the full program for the day and lunch
• When registering, please select the location you will attend on September 29, 2026 (Iowa or Nebraska).
• Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the camp locations.

Not an ACA member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this event!

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Two different locations to choose from! Pick the one that works best for you. 

Iowa | Camp Shalom & Camp Courageous

• 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Check-In and Mingle at Camp Shalom
• 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Tour of Camp Shalom
• 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Lunch and Roundtable Conversations
• 12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Travel to Camp Courageous
• 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Featured Education Session
• 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Tour of Camp Courageous
• 4:00 p.m. Thank you for joining us!

Nebraska | Camp Fontanelle & Mandan Day Camp 

• 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Check-in and Mingle at Camp Fontanelle
• 10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Tour of Camp Fontanelle
• 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Lunch and Roundtable Conversations
• 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Featured Education Session - Building a Positive Staff Culture: Implementing Strategies Today for a More Impactful 2027!
• 1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Travel to Mandan Day Camp 
• 2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Tour of Mandan Day Camp
• 4:00 p.m. Thank you for joining us!

Camp Shalom is located just outside Maquoketa, Iowa nestled in the wooded, river-bluff along the Maquoketa River.

Camp Courageous located in Monticello, Iowa is a year-round camp serving individuals with disabilities and their families through residential camp, respite and travel opportunities on nearly 400 acres. During the tour, you will see how accessibility, universal design, and creativity come together throughout Camp. Tour highlights include a newly updated cabin, indoor pools with a rock wall, bowling alley, Soaring Eagle zip line, mini golf, Jungle Gym climbing structure, movable laser tag, music park, and more. The tour will also feature two new additions completed in 2026 - the Nature Observatory building and Tibor-Worthington Forest Grove Stage - while offering a firsthand look at how Camp continues to adapt and reimagine spaces to create meaningful experiences for campers of all abilities.

Camp Fontanelle is an overnight summer camp in Fontanelle, Nebraska built on community, unplugging from technology, and exploring nature.

Mandan Day Camp launched in 2025 as part of Omaha Parks and Recreation's expansion of youth programming. The newly constructed Mandan Nature Center, located in Omaha, Nebraska, serves as a cornerstone of the revitalized Mandan Park, functioning as a hub for year-round environmental education, outdoor adventure, and community engagement. Designed to re-establish the park as a premier destination for families and nature enthusiasts. Mandan Day Camp offers a structured, engaging outdoor experience for children who have completed 1st-7th grade. Modeled after the successful Hummel Day Camp, the program emphasizes nature exploration, team-building, and outdoor skills. 

Featured Education Session: Building a Positive Staff Culture: Implementing Strategies Today for a More Impactful 2027!

In this session, we will be discussing camp culture. What it is, how it happens, and how we as camp leaders can shape and guide a culture that results in staff that rise to the challenge of camp, instead of dragging other down when things get tough. Participants can expect to critically think about their own program, staff experience and outcomes, and how they are supporting or putting road blocks in the way of creating a positive staff culture.

Jason Smith is the Senior Executive Director of YMCA Camp Kitaki, and has worked in overnight camping since 2004. He enjoys thinking about the impact of culture and creating positive environments that allow campers and staff to thrive.

Megan Kneifl is the Associate Executive Director of YMCA Camp Kitaki, and has worked at three different overnight camps since 2011. She enjoys working with staff and campers to create a restorative camp culture, and through this building a more resilient community.

1. It's professional development with a Return on Investment (ROI). Attendees gain practical tools, strategic insights, and peer-driven solutions they can bring directly back to camp operations, staffing, risk management, programming, and more.
2. It's affordable. Quality professional growth without the high price tag. The Fall Conference is one of the most budget-friendly ways to build staff capacity and bring fresh, actionable ideas back to camp. 
3. It helps retain great staff. Want to keep passionate, talented team members? Invest in their professional development. Giving your staff space to connect, learn, and be inspired increases loyalty, motivation, and creativity. 
4. Bring back ideas, tools, and renewed vision. You'll return not only with new strategies and best practices - but also with renewed clarity about why we do this work and how to do it better. Your team benefits from that kind of energy and direction. 
5. It's time to debrief and grow after the busiest season of the year. Let's be real - summer at camp is nonstop. This gives camp pros the space to pause, reflect, and regroup alongside people who truly get it. That time to process, share lessons, and reset leads to clearer strategy, renewed energy, and stronger planning for the year ahead.