This year has been extremely challenging for the entire camp community, not just in the United States, but all over the world. Through all this, so many have come together — as camp people do best — paving the way for the continued future of camp and the impact it has on all who experience it.
While the camp community continues to face many challenges, we also have much to celebrate. The ingenuity, commitment, and support this community brings to positively impact youth — and the world — are unparalleled. Kindness is at our core.
Celebrating Camp Kindness Day in 2020, like everything else, will look a bit different. As a camp community, we will adapt in doing this, too. In the spirit of camp, let's have some fun and spread the message of camp kindness throughout the United States and beyond! Let's play a game of tag, inclusive of all — camp families, current staff and alumni, camp board members, and anyone who is, or has been, a part of your camp community. Let's go beyond that to those who have not yet had the opportunity to experience the kindness and inclusivity that we all love and value about the camp community. Let's spread our message of kindness to everyone, everywhere!
In the weeks leading up to Camp Kindness Day on July 14, 2020, follow the American Camp Association's social media pages at the links below as we begin to prepare for the biggest game of tag that any of us has ever played! The camp community is going to share camp kindness all over the world by paying it forward and tagging our camp friends (old and new) on social media.
Best of all, we are making it easy for all camps — and their entire camp communities — to participate! Learn more about Camp Kindness Day and "open the backpack" by visiting the Camp Kindness Day and Backpack web pages. Inside you will find everything from programming ideas and activities to a printout of a "Camp Kindness Is Universal and Translates to All Languages" heart graphic. This can be displayed at camp, in a window at home, in a car, or as a photo to share as you are playing tag on July 14. There is also a version you can print out and color in as an at-home or camp activity, allowing all to spread the message of camp kindness as they pay it forward.
With so much going on in our world today, we believe we can all agree that there can never be too much camp kindness in the world. Together, we all have a responsibility to share it. Tag — you're it!
In Camp Kindness from the ACA Summer 2020 Camp Kindness Day Task Force,
Annie Korn, ACA Volunteer, Consultant
Becky "Rook" Heath, Camp Lantern Creek, Camp Director
Brandon Briery, Camp CAMP, Chief Program Officer/Executive Camp Director
Deanna Ludwick, ACA, Southeastern Professional Development Chair
Jenny Caiafa, CHI Camp Leaders Program, CHI Camp Leaders Operations Manager
Katie Thurson, Clemson University, Graduate Assistant & MS Student
Kelly Elliott, SeriousFun Children's Network, Director, Operations, Quality, and Due Diligence
Sari VanOtegham, ACA Volunteer, Youth Development Leader
Kelley Freridge, ACA Staff, Chief Marketing Officer
Camp Kindness Day Tag
- Reach out to your camp community, families, current staff, alumni, board members, and friends.
- Then, ask them to share a post on social media tagging camp friends (and potential new camp friends!) by asking those tagged to celebrate Camp Kindness Day by tagging others with "Tag — you're it! Share Camp Kindness and play it forward.” Tag your camp friends (and others!) and share your Camp Kindness story or photo. #CampKindnessDay #campname.
- We’re encouraging social posts with the "Camp Kindness Is Universal and Translates to All Languages" heart printout and Camp Kindness Day logos available in the Backpack.
