ACA Winnekota Leadership Summit

Early Bird registration is available through February 24, 2025

• Full Conference Registration - Includes keynote on Thursday through closing on Friday. Registration also includes socials, lunch, and networking events.
• Not an ACA member? Join today for FREE and get the best rates for this event!

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 Wednesday, March 19, 2025

• 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. CampWell Preconference Training

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

• 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CampWell Preconference Training
• 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Character Academy Preconference Workshop #1 - Character Development at Camp: What is is and How to Get There

Thursday, March 20, 2025 

• 8:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Character Academy Preconference Workshop #2 - Funding Character Development at Camp: Steps and Strategies for Successful Grant-Writing 
• 1:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Winnekota Leadership Summit Registration
• 2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Welcome
• 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Opening Keynote with Sarah Lagrotteria
• 3:20 p.m. - 4:20 p.m. Educational Breakout #1
• 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Educational Breakout #2
• 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Social - Trivia Night!

Friday, March 21, 2025

• 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Registration
• 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Networking Activity
• 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Educational Breakout #3
• 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Educational Breakout #4
• 12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Lunch
• 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Closing Keynote with Simone Gamble 

Character in Action: Empowering Young People to Build Radical Care, Lead, and Stand for Justice - Building character is about more than kindness and integrity—it’s about preparing young people to understand and act on values like fairness, equity, and justice. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore how summer camps can become a space to nurture character that extends beyond the self, fostering empathy, critical thinking, and a sense of responsibility to others. Through engaging activities and meaningful conversations, participants will learn practical tools to inspire campers to become compassionate leaders who care for their communities and take action to make the world a better place.

• 2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Closing Activity

Register Now for CampWell

CampWell is a skills-based training course that guides participants to identify, understand, cultivate, and create a community of well-being. CampWell is a collaboration between the American Camp Association (ACA) and the Alliance for Camp Health (ACH) and is supported by the H.E. Butt Foundation. 

The CampWell Training program aims to help all be well at camp and seeks to create consistent care across the spectrum of all summer learning spaces. As an immersive learning program CampWell is uniquely designed to help leaders shape programs that incorporate the tools, self-awareness, and understanding needed to enhance the experience and safety for all. 

CampWell training is limited to 20 camps/40 participants. Camps are encouraged to send TWO participants per camp. If camps wish to register more than two staff, contact Abbie Parker (aparker@ACAcamps.org, 765-349-3526).

• $300 - Individual or First Person Registration
• $200 - Second Person Registration

The CampWell training will include a pre-course Zoom session, in-person sessions, and a group excursion. 

• Pre-Course Zoom Session: Date coming soon
• In-Person Training Session: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 - 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT
• In-Person Training Session: Wednesday, March 19, 2025 - 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CT

Registration includes the full CampWell training as well as breakfast and lunch on Wednesday, March 19. 

Register for CampWell

Upon completion of the training, participants will have content and resources necessary to incorporate CampWell into their staff training in 2025. Participating camps will also receive ACH's MESH Resource Guide and slide deck for use during staff training and a complimentary ACH membership. This is a $200 value in addition to the course content.

Winnekota Leadership Summit registration is separate from CampWell registration, but we encourage all CampWell participants to join us for the 2025 Winnekota Leadership Summit March 20-21. By registering for CampWell you will receive a 10% discount on your conference registration. A coupon code will be emailed to you once your CampWell registration has been completed for your use on the Winnekota Leadership Summit registration.

What People are Saying about CampWell

We can prove with our 90% retention of staff that they feel well taken care of here. Our staff feel safe, supported, and connected. Without CampWell, our staff would quit. They were leaving and not coming back, and now they're here. -Camp Behavioral Specialist (LCSW)

What we liked about CampWell is that it wasn't a reaction to the mental health challenges, it was a holistic approach to well-being. It offered a path forward where we felt like we could build skills to actually prevent challenges from happening and give our staff and participants some resilience and skills in order to help them face challenging times. -Camp Executive who has been part of the CampWell program for two years. 

Check out the Character Academy Preconference Workshops! These workshops are free for members and $48 for nonmembers. Not an ACA Member? Join today for FREE! 

Register for the Character Academy Preconference Workshops

Wednesday, March 19th - 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Workshop #1: Character Development at Camp: What it is and How to Get There

Thursday, March 20th - 8:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Workshop #2: Funding Character Development at Camp: Steps and Strategies for Successful Grant-Writing

The purpose of this workshop is to equip participants with the skills to successfully apply for grants to support their camp mission.  With a specific focus on the Character at Camp grant program (opening January 2025), participants will learn the steps and skills necessary for applying for basic grants, including how to find grants, how to tell if they're aligned with your needs, components of a basic grant application, and what happens next if you do or do not receive a grant.

Sterling Nell Leija, Innovative Camp Company, Founder and CEO
Sterling Nell Leija is the Innovative Camp Company CEO, advancing camps through innovative solutions by solving problems with a focus on mission, impact, quality, and safety.  Professionally engaged in the nonprofit space for 20 years, Sterling is passionate about the impact of quality programs, equitable access, staff wellness, and education in out-of-school time.  Her expertise in nonprofit operations expands into capacity building, operational and capital budget management, fundraising, and business development.  As a consultant, educator, speaker, and writer, Sterling has extensive experience as a presenter sharing best practices, research, and tools with industry leaders.

Please note that lunch is not included. There will be a break for lunch before the Winnekota Leadership Summit begins. 

Register for the Character Academy Preconference Workshops

Sarah Lagrotteria (MA, Stanford) runs the Just Bloom training program, based on Dr. Angus Fletcher's pioneering theory of creativity, which has been called "mind-blowing" by Malcolm Gladwell, "life changing" by Brené Brown, and was awarded the 2023 Commendation Medal for groundbreaking research with US Army Special Operations.

In 2019, Sarah was honored as one of 50 women nationwide as a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow for women in business. Just Bloom's training methods have been featured in Harvard Business Review, including in the 2024 Best of HBR: How to Lead Now. Sarah offers her narrative-based workshops privately through Just Bloom and in partnership with the Columbus Museum of Art.

▶️ Watch this message from Sarah

Simone Gamble (they/them) is the founder of OAAARS, a BIPOC-led consultancy dedicated to delivering social justice-focused training aimed at fostering safer and more equitable workplaces while cultivating change agents within and beyond professional spaces. A passionate community organizer and youth educator with roots in the South Bronx, Simone has collaborated with numerous youth programs to create safer spaces for marginalized identities, applying an intersectional and anti-oppressive approach. With over 20 years of camp experience, Simone’s journey spans from camper to staff roles, including counselor and assistant camp director. 

Full schedule with session descriptions coming soon!

• Beyond the Camp Digital Detox: How to Support Digital Wellbeing for Campers and Camp Counselors
• Beyond the Handshake: Intentional Icebreakers
• Developing your Leadership Style
• Designing Your Staff Training Around Your 2024 Successes & Failures
• The Art and Science of Comprehensive Inclusion: Strategies for Neurodivergent Success at Camp
• The Kids are Ready: Play as a Tool for Social Justice at Camp
• Essential Elements for Youth Program Development
• Are Your Retreats Eating Your Summer Campers
• See It, Hear It, Write It, and Dance It - Tips for Staff Training Retention and Engagement
• I Want More Feedback!
• Character at YOUR Camp
• Better Orienteering for Camps
• Behavior Management through Connection and Beyond

 The Winnekota Leadership Summit will be held at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls in the University Center. The University Center is in the heart of campus and is a vibrant and welcoming gathering place where meaningful connections and lasting memories are made.

Hotel Information

Lodging arrangements will need to be made on your own. There are many hotel options that you can check out between River Falls, Wisconsin and Hudson, Wisconsin. 

A block of rooms has been reserved at a discounted rate at the Radisson Hotel River Falls. From the Radisson you can venture on foot or drive a short distance to the UW-RF University Center. Use the link below to reserve a room or call directly at 715-425-1045 and let them know you are with Winnekota. Book by February 19, 2025 to guarantee the discounted rate. 

Radisson Hotel - River Falls Booking Link

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 a table and logo recognition on signage at the event, and the events web page.

Sponsorships with an (*) also include two minutes to address the participants.

Please contact Kim Fitzgerald, kfitzgerald@acacamps.org with any sponsorship inquiries.