Business of Camp Institute — Virtual Series

Date

April 9 – May 14, 2025

Location

Virtual

Cost

See pricing & registration details below

Join us for the Business of Camp Institute virtual webinar series! Designed specifically for camp professionals, this series features expert-led sessions that will help you elevate you and your camp!

Each 90-minute webinar includes a presentation from an industry expert, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. At the end of the series, we’ll host a live follow-up call to share insights and collaborate on ideas gathered throughout the webinars.

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

Type		Regular
Member-Full Series		$248
Nonmember-Full Series		$378
Member- Single Webinar		$38
Nonmember-Single Webinar		$58

Each webinar will be from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. eastern time

Register for Full Webinar Series

You can also register for each webinar individually with the links below. ^R

Work/Life Balance and Support of Year-Round Staff - Monday, January 13 2025
Understanding the Gen Z Staff - Monday, January 27, 2025
Succession Planning - Monday, February 10, 2025
Mental Health (MESH) for Year-Round Staff - Monday, February 24, 2025
Year-Round Camp & Retreat Rental Panel Discussion — Monday, March 10, 2025.
Insurance Panel Discussion — Monday, March 24, 2025. Have questions for our panelists?
Fundraising & Development — Monday, April 7, 2025
Site & Facilities — Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Inclusion & Belonging at Camp — Wednesday, April 23, 2025

The Collab Hub will be on on May 14

Wednesday, April 23

Inclusion & Belonging at Camp

Breaking Down Inclusion & Belonging at Camp

This session will provide attendees an entry point to the work of inclusion and belonging at camp and camp-centered organizations. From the vantage point of cultivating curiosity, learning how to apply the platinum rule and exploring what it looks like to break habits of bias, participants will walk away with tools, resources and several actionable steps to help them begin or continue their inclusion or belonging efforts. This workshop will be an interactive session rather than a lecture format and participants will be encouraged to engage with each other and with the presenter.

Cara Golden serves as Programs Director for the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice (OCCJ) based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. OCCJ’s annual summer camp, Anytown, has provided Oklahoma youth the tools to craft intentionally inclusive communities since 1994. Cara has a passion for engaging with local communities, broadening cultural awareness and has a particular heart for Native and Indigenous communities, which drove her to move to Tulsa from the Pittsburgh area in the summer of 2021. Cara has a background in anthropology, English as a Second Language education and nonprofit organizations. She received her bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Auburn University and is currently pursuing a master’s in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Past Speakers

Master Planning from the Inside Out

A discussion on Master Planning and implementation in a camping environment. Lessons learned from implementation at a property with a Design capacity of 800 campers plus staff in Upstate NY. A review of things to look for as the process unfolds and how you can kickstart a planning project at your own facility by reducing the planning timeline and performing some of the work inhouse prior to retaining the professionals.

Eric has over 36 years of Civil Engineering Experience in Building/Site Design, Utilities, Stormwater, Permitting and Master Planning.20 years’ experience performing design/build/project management and operations in the higher education and hospitality industry. Eric has performed master planning and building designs for summer camp projects in New York, New England, Florida as well as 14 other countries.

Fundamentals of Fundraising

Are you the camp director AND fundraiser? The program director AND fundraiser? The swim front director AND fundraiser? We get it, camp professionals wear lots of hats and sometimes fundraising is an afterthought. Come to this session to learn more about fundraising (we bet you’re already doing it!) and what your plan should look like each year!

Marna Redding serves as chief development officer, leading business and funds development, growing resources, relationships, and partnerships to expand the work and influence of the American Camp Association. Marna is directly responsible for the design and implementation of strategies to identify funding sources through annual giving efforts, brand alliance, corporate and foundation funding. While not a camp kid herself, Marna resides in upstate New York with her husband and they are proud camp parents of a son and daughter who attend camp in Maine.

Raina Baker started going to camp in 1983 and hasn't missed a summer since! With over 30 years in the industry she is now the executive director for Camp Beausite Northwest, a nonprofit camp serving people with disabilities in Washington State. With a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, she has become incredibly passionate about all things funds development, strategic planning, and operations. She lives just down the road from camp with her husband Mark, and several fur babies including two corgis named Gus & Franklin.

Insurance Panel Discussion
Join top insurance professionals for an insightful panel on camp insurance. Explore the latest trends, hot topics, and essential coverage options to ensure your camp is protected. Get answers to your questions and learn best practices for managing risk and safeguarding your facility.

Work/Life Balance and Support of Year-Round Staff
In this webinar Kelly will help in evaluating where you are and your organization is on the spectrum of burn-out and work/life balance. Addressing and talking about the burnout and the stress cycle within the field and what it can look like professionally. Taking time to level set and goal set what you and your organization can do to control, support and make changes. Kelly will also provide resources and there will be time for Q & A!

Kelly Coulthard has worked in the camp and afterschool field for over 25 years and is the founder of Spark 2 Ember Consulting. Spark 2 Ember Consulting provides youth development programs inspiration to create powerful life-changing opportunities for children through professional development, targeted training, and program consultation. Kelly also serves as the Chair for the Wisconsin ACA LCOL as well as a Standards Visitor. When not working on ways to inspire professionals, Kelly enjoys being outdoors (especially on the water), traveling, concerts, and all things Wisconsin.

Cracking the Generation Z Code: Recruit, Train, Support, and Inspire!
Gen Z – those born between 1995 and 2011 – are shaping the future of our workforce. With their growing presence among mainline staff and older camper populations, it's clear they bring a unique perspective to the table. Yet, many organizations are still relying on outdated supervision and management strategies, wondering why the results don’t match their expectations. This session dives into what makes Gen Z tick – their distinctive outlook on work, loyalty, communication, and authority. Together, we’ll decode their motivations and discover practical, actionable ways to connect with and inspire them. You’ll leave with fresh strategies to recruit, train, and support this dynamic generation, setting the stage for better engagement and stronger results in your organization.

Donna Johns-Thomas serves as the Director of Learning and Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, overseeing the training and growth of staff across nine clubs, camps, and programs in Boston and Chelsea. Previously, she dedicated 13 years as the Director of Education for the American Camp Association, New England, where she championed training and educational initiatives for the camp community. In addition to her organizational roles, Donna runs her own business as a sought-after consultant, trainer, and public speaker. She specializes in human resources, staff development, group dynamics, supervision, leadership, morale, and navigating multi-generational workplace dynamics. When she’s not working, Donna enjoys playing guitar, cherishing time with friends and family, and indulging in the oddly satisfying ritual of filling her Amazon cart with items she’ll never purchase.

Passing the Torch: Crafting Your Camp's Legacy Through Succession Planning

The COVID-19 pandemic elevated the need for organizations to be prepared for any crisis, which includes having a basic emergency succession plan in place. Yet only 23% of organizations have any succession plan in place at all. Join this webinar to learn tips and tricks for taking the stress out of effectively developing your own plan- and ensure that your mission will continue no matter what happens.

Heidi Holliday-McKitrick is the founder of Idea Loom, providing strategic consulting services to organizations, including strategic planning and facilitation services, designing effective community and employee engagement processes, and consulting on advocacy and public policy initiatives. Heidi brings over two-decades of knowledge and experience to the industry. Heidi has been interviewed by the New York Times, Australian Broadcasting Company, The Atlantic, Washington Post, Reuters, Bloomberg, NBC News, and NPR.

A MESH (+) Framework: Assessing the Cost of Employee Well-Being
A recent Gallup poll revealed, one's mental well-being is the single biggest catalyst to individual, team, and organizational success. According to Lyra Health, 65% of employees say their mental health has interfered with their ability to work. What does this mean for the camp industry? What next step can you take for your organization when so many leaders are growing weary of MESH (Mental, Emotional, Social, and Health) related challenges? We know the biggest hurdle isn’t treatment—it’s access to support. Camps must reduce stigma and elevate care. Come learn practical tools to support your year-round staffs' well-being, improve team dynamics, and create a positive health framework for your camp.

John Hamilton, MA- John is a strategic leader in the camp, out-of-school time (OST) and youth development fields. He currently serves as Chief Strategy and Engagement Officer for the Alliance for Camp Health (ACH). John has a deep understanding of mental, emotional, and social (MESH) health needs of youth, national program expansion and a hope-filled perspective. Prior to ACH he served as the National Director for Camp HOPE America where he collaborated with city/county government, national leaders, clinicians, psychologists, and community-based organizations. John has an MA in Leadership and Cultural Justice, has been named ACA’s Subject Matter expert on MESH and Trauma-Informed Care at camp and is a former Executive Director of a camp near Lake Tahoe. With perspective from hands-on experience overseeing fifty-plus programs around the country, being onsite at an average of ten different camps per summer, and consulting organizations, his voice will help restore belief in the future of our work and guide us to discover ways to create healthier summer learning communities.

Year-Round Camp & Retreat Rental Panel Discussion

Join experts for a panel discussion on how to successfully operate a year-round camp and retreat centers. Learn strategies for boosting bookings, managing off-seasons, and optimizing guest experiences all year long.

Registered attendees can access recordings from the member portal under My Event Registrations.

Sponsorship Opportunities