When almost everything is being done virtually and there are so many possibilities, how do you choose professional development for yourself and your team?

• Is the content relevant to an area in which I want or need to grow professionally? Can it help my frontline staff thrive?
• What are my goals of attending? Do any of these pertain to my staff as a whole?
• Do I have an ideal “virtual” learning style and does the conference I’m considering fit the bill?
• Can I make the time to fully commit to the opportunity? Can my staff? It can be challenging, but doable to immerse yourself in the full experience — finding conferences with brain breaks and session recordings can help. 

As we at ACA, New England & ACA, New York and New Jersey gear up for the Northeast CAMP Conference, March 9–11, we are keeping these things in mind as we build an engaging and informative program with something for everyone, including frontline staff. We may not usually send our counselors, program specialists, or unit heads to a multi-day conference, but if we want to support their growth as a camp professional, it can be a long-term investment that also pays off this summer (and we can’t cover everything in orientation!).

Our content, offered during 140+ sessions, spans topics from program to staffing to leadership to health and wellness and everything in between. Session delivery will range from panels to interactive discussions to lectures. And, we have built in brain breaks, planned networking opportunities like coffee chats and happy hours, and will be giving attendees access to recordings of most sessions for 30 days post-conference (#valueadd).

Here’s a sampling of sessions your frontline staff may enjoy:

• To Play or Not to Play: Games in the Era of Social Distancing
• Intentional Ways to Add Nature Programming to Your Camp
• Noodles, Balls, and Cones 2.0
• Coming Off the Bench: Leading through Play
• The Awkward Taco: Social Skills at Camp
• Identifying Anxiety at Camp
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Empowering Young People, Inspiring Change
• EPIC Presents: A Discussion with Emerging Professionals Just Like You!

Are you excited yet? We certainly are — and look forward to “seeing” you in March and helping you educate yourself and your seasonal staff to hit the ground running for a healthy, successful, and fun summer 2021.

Photo courtesy of CampTakajo in Naples, Maine