Quality Programs Level 1

Date

February 16, 2026
1:00 pm – 6:00 pm PT

Location

San Diego Town & Country
500 Hotel Cir N.
San Diego, CA 92108
Camp Program Quality logo

Cost

1st Person ACA Member: $200
1st person Nonmember: $400
2nd Person ACA Member: $150
2nd Person Nonmember: $350
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Quality Programs Level I is immersive, in-depth training designed to help camps build stronger, more supportive environments where youth thrive. Participants learn how safe and supportive staff practices drive social-emotional learning and walk away with practical strategies to integrate these into staff training. This experience also equips attendees to confidently use and score the Social Emotional Learning Program Quality Assessment for Camps tool. Camps that invest in this training are better prepared to lead with intention and grow with purpose. For maximum impact, enroll at least two team members and take the first step toward meaningful, lasting program improvement.

Click here for more information on Camp Program Quality!

Steph Love Bio

Steph Love, MS Experiential Education, has spent her career at camp, working in almost every role imaginable from CIT to camp director. In 2004, Steph co-founded her own camp, Positive Energy Outdoors, providing access to unique outdoor programming, including dog sledding and driving draft horses, kayaking, rock climbing, and her community’s first nature play-based after-school childcare program. Through camps and program partnerships, she has created safe and supportive outdoor experiences for thousands of children and adults of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Steph uses her camp expertise to design and facilitate workshops on social emotional learning, equity, character, and quality. She has coached camps and out of school time programs in 35 states and around the world through her work with the Forum for Youth Investment’s Weikart Center, and her current work with ACA and the SeriousFun Children’s Network. Steph lives in Duluth, MN with her teenage son, sled dogs, and rescue black lab. She is a volunteer adaptive alpine skiing and kayak instructor, and is slowly transforming her lawn into a pollinator garden.

Karen Greenesmith, ACA (bio coming soon)

McKenna Crews, ACA (bio coming soon)

Part 1 (3 hours) 1:00–4:00 p.m.

  • Welcome and Introductions: Prepare for Continuous Program Quality Improvement 
  • Central Ideas:  
    • What is continuous program quality improvement? 
    • Prepare to Assess the Quality of Programs 
  • Observation Practice: Safe and Support Environment Scale Review 
  • Implementation:  Planning your assessment process 

Part 2 (2 hours) 4:00–6:00 p.m.

  • Central Ideas: Safe and Supportive Staff Practices: Emotion Coaching 
  • Practice: Creating Safe and Supportive Environments at Camp 
  • Implementation:  Planning your staff training 
  • Closing Reflection and Next Steps  

Earn 5.0 CEC for this event. More information on CECs can be found here.