The Character Trait Series, Preconference Spring Leadership Conference
Date
Location
Palm Springs, CA 92262
Cost
These workshops are free for members and $48 for nonmembers. Not an ACA member? Join today for FREE!
This workshop is free for members and $48 for nonmembers when you register by 4/4/2026. Not an ACA member? Join today for FREE!
Monday, April 13, 2026 — 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.
The Characteristics Series equips camp communities with shared language and practical tools for real-world character development. Through interactive activities and meaningful reflection, staff gain strategies they can immediately apply to strengthen relationships, increase consistency, and support campers—and each other—at their best.
| Type | Regular |
|---|---|
| Member | $0 |
| Nonmember | $48 |
Character Traits Preconference Workshop
Monday, April 13, 2026 from 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.
The Characteristics Series is geared toward supporting camp-based character programming with shared language, practical tools, and immersive learning experiences. Grounded in the idea that character is shaped through everyday decisions, the series focuses on how capacity, stress, fatigue, and support impact our ability to live in alignment with our values.
This workshop engages the full camp ecosystem, staff, and campers in shared character development. Using the familiar lens of heroes and villains, participants explore real personal and professional challenges, examine aspirational character strengths, and move beyond simple “good vs. bad” thinking toward a more nuanced understanding of character.
Through interactive activities and reflection, participants gain practical, replicable tools they can integrate into daily camp life, strengthening connection, consistency, and intentional character development across their community.
Participants will:
- Explore language and tools that add nuance to how we think about character
- Understand how capacity affects our ability to show up at our best
- Practice applying these concepts in camp-ready processes with colleagues and campers
The Spring Leadership Conference will begin April 14th at 1:30 pm with orientation for first-time attendees.
Jonah Canner is an ambassador from the world we have not yet built. He believes in people, community, and the sacred obligation we have to make positive change in the world around us. Jonah’s primary areas of focus include racial equity, restorative justice, experiential education, identity development and working with boys and young men. He has worked as a classroom teacher, a summer camp director, and a consultant offering mentoring, training, and support for individuals and organizations. Jonah has a Masters in Education from the New School University, was the 2024-25 Education Fellow in the Religion and Public Life program at the Harvard Divinity School, and is currently on the faculty of the Institute for Democratic Education in America, and the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Cornerstone Fellowship. He is currently most interested in the work of conversation across difference, and building practices that align our actions with our values.
Delma Jackson III is the founder of the Sankofa Project for Social Justice, LLC and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Whole Communities, a facilitator, writer, and lecturer on social justice topics.
He studied African-American Studies and Psychology at Eastern Michigan University and later obtained his Masters degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in American & African-American Studies at the University of Michigan’s Rackham School of Graduate Studies.
He has conducted research on Afro-European identity in the Netherlands in both 1999 and again in 2014—studying slavery in the Netherlands, 21st century migration and immigration across Western Europe, and the impact of racialized pop-culture on Afro-Dutch identity.
He has lectured and/or facilitated workshops at New York University's, Tisch School for Performing Arts, Toledo University's Graduate School for Criminal Justice, the University of Michigan-Flint's School of Health and Professional Studies, the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE), the United States Conference on AIDS, The Office of Sustainability at Dartmouth College. He also annually conducts workshops for Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and The National Convening of City Leads for the Nature Conservancy.
