ACA, Virginias Winter Gathering
Date
Location
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
Cost
See Below
CECs
3.00Join us at the Virginias Winter Gathering for a day of connection, inspiration, and community with local camp professionals. We are excited to welcome our featured speaker Jarod Wunneburger whose dynamic insights and passion for camp culture promise to energize, uplift and educate. Whether you're a camp director, seasonal camp staff come share ideas, swap stories, and build meaningful relationships with fellow camp folks across the Virginias.
Registration is Now Open!
Not an ACA Member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this event!
Early Bird registration is available through December 15, 2025
For more information about lodging check-out the Site Information
Understanding Registration Pricing:
We encourage you to register early—not just to save money, but to help us plan the best possible event!
Early Bird: Lock in the best rate by registering early—you’ll get the lowest price and the best deal!
Regular: Our standard registration rate, available after the Early Bird period ends.
Final Wave: Begins two weeks before the event and includes onsite registration.
As the conference gets closer our team is preparing and planning details, included meal numbers and room setups and materials. Our site needs final numbers in advance. We are always happy to welcome last minute registrants when possible!
Need a hard copy of registration; email [email protected]
| Type | Early-Bird | Regular | Final Wave |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Person Member | $103 | $115 | $126 |
| 1st Person Nonmember | $145 | $161 | $177 |
| Seasonal Staff/ Student/Retiree Member | $85 | $85 | $85 |
| Seasonal Staff/Student/Retiree Nonmember | $100 | $100 | $100 |
Jarod "W" Wunneburger is a visionary education leader and consultant with over 15 years of experience driving transformative change in schools, after-school programs, and camps. As Owner and Education Consultant at Thrive Point Studio, he specializes in leadership development, organizational design, and training programs that improve retention, performance, and culture in summer camp settings. Previously, Jarod served as Director of Programs at Farm and Wilderness and ran Camp Timberlake, an overnight wilderness camp for boys ages 9-14, where he developed hands-on expertise in camp operations and youth development. He has presented at numerous American Camp Association conferences across the country, delivering sessions on classroom management, coaching systems, leadership development, and behavior management strategies. His camp consulting work includes transforming staff observation frameworks, redesigning disciplinary approaches from punitive to restorative models, and developing leadership training programs that have resulted in measurable improvements in staff retention and confidence metrics. He holds a Master's in School Leadership from Harvard University and a Master's in Special Education from St. John's University, and his approach focuses on aligning strong individual habits, intentional community culture, and robust organizational systems to create lasting impact in camp environments.
- 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.
- It’s affordable. High-Value, budget-friendly professional growth. Access to expert-led sessions make it one of the most affordable ways to build staff capacity and bring fresh, actionable ideas back to your camp.
- 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.
- Bring back ideas, tools, and renewed vision. You’ll return not only with new strategies, vendors, 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.
- It’s time to debrief and grow after the busiest season of the year. Let’s be real—summer at camp is nonstop. This conference offers a much-needed chance 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 smarter planning for the season ahead.
Schedule at a Glance
- 9:00-9:30 — Coffee & Check-In
- 9:30-9:45 — Welcome & Introductions
- 10:00-12:00 — Opening Session(s)
- 12:00-1:00- Lunch & Announcements
- 1:00-2:00-Session(s)
- 2:00-3:00- Camp Tour
The ACA, Virginias Winter Gathering will be at Camp Horizons
Want to come the night before? Please reach out directly to the camp to coordinate and in your reach out mention that you with the ACA, Virginias Winter Gathering. Reach out direct to book at [email protected].
The demographic of the attendees is mostly year-round camp professionals. Typically, owners, directors, and program directors.
Sponsorship opportunities:
- $3,000 Title Sponsor*
- $2,000 Keynote sponsor*
- $1,500 Meal sponsor*
- $1,000 Session sponsor
- $500 Snack/Break sponsor
All sponsorships come with logo recognition on signage at the event, and the events web page.
Sponsorships with an (*) also include a booth and two- minutes to address the participants.
For questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, contact Kim Fitzgerald.
Thanks to our sponsors!
Event Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsoring an ACA event will extend your brand identity and marketing capabilities. For questions regarding sponsorship opportunities, contact Kim Fitzgerald.
