Accreditation Volunteer Course-In Person

Date

March 26, 2025

9:00 am – 6:00 pm ET

Location

Goffstown YMCA
116 Goffstown Back Road
Goffstown, NH 03045

Register Here

Cost

Free

CECs

7.00

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THIS COURSE HAS PASSED.

THIS COURSE IS HOSTED IN-PERSON BY ACA, NEW ENGLAND.

This course (formerly known as the Associate Visitor Course) is a 1-day training. Participants must complete PART 1 (online, asynchronous portion) & PART 2 (live portion) of the Accreditation Volunteer Course (AVC) successfully to become an accreditation volunteer. This course requires active participation and engagement.

Description:

ACA’s accreditation program is the only national peer review program of its kind for the camp industry. Being an ACA accreditation volunteer provides you with the experience to build your network, polish your skills in observation and risk management, and develop mentoring opportunities for both you and the camps you work with. As much as you give to this experience, you’ll gain from new ideas, perspectives, and approaches to the mission-driven work of the camp industry.

Objectives: 

The ACA Accreditation Volunteer Course is the cornerstone of the evaluation component of the accreditation process. The course establishes a system that ensures a consistent and reliable assessment of a camp’s compliance with the ACA standards. In addition, this course helps create a network within the camp community that is instrumental in monitoring the standards and creating positive camp experiences.

Audience: 

This course is designed for committed volunteers who are interested in becoming an advocate and mentor for ACA Accreditation. This commitment requires that accreditation volunteers commit to completing a visit at least every other summer and a review of at least 1 Annual Accreditation Report (AAR) each year. Time commitment may vary, but on average, accreditation volunteers provide 10-20 hours of volunteer service annually.

Time Commitment for Training:

Accreditation Volunteer Course (AVC): PART 1: Up to 8 Hours: Participants are required to complete this self-paced, interactive online portion of the Accreditation Volunteer course PRIOR to the AVC: PART 2 date. Topics covered include the Accreditation Process Workshop, roles and responsibilities of an accreditation volunteer, compliance demonstration, scoring, and mandatory standards. An ACA staff member sends out information on how to access the AVC: PART 1 at least 3 weeks before the AVC: PART 2 date.

Accreditation Volunteer Course (AVC): PART 2 :1 Day | 8 Hours of Content: This is a live, in-person session with trained facilitators. During this portion, participants will be engaged in practicing and demonstrating essential skills needed in conducting accreditation visits along with conducting a mock accreditation visit.

Accreditation Process Guide, v.2019 (updated 11/2019):  

Once you complete an application and it has been processed, you will receive instructions to request a complementary Accreditation Process Guide (APG). All accreditation volunteers are provided with an APG regardless of your connection to an accredited camp.

Published: Each registered applicant approved for the Accreditation Volunteer Course is provided 1 published copy of the APG. You may or may not receive it prior to your course date, depending on registration timeline and shipping speeds.

Digital: A digital version of the APG is provided to all current ACA members who are pending Associate Visitors. This is in the Volunteer Portal. If you need assistance with access, please contact your accreditation manager.

To participate fully in both parts of the Accreditation Volunteer Course, you MUST have access to an Accreditation Process Guide (APG) v. 2019 (updated 11/2019).

Next Steps:

Complete: Accreditation Volunteer Application

Once your application is processed, you will be notified by a member of the ACA Accreditation Team that you are enrolled in AVC: PART 1.

Reminder: The AVC: PART 1 needs to be completed PRIOR to your virtual AVC: PART 2 date.

Schedule:

9am-6pm EASTERN TIMEZONE

There will be multiple short breaks (approx. 10-15min) along with 1 long break (approx. 45min-1 hr)

Course is limited to 30 participants

Deadline to Application: March 12, 2025

Questions? Contact Us: