Character Academy Launch

Michael Brandwein, Educator/Trainer/Consultant/Author 

Michael’s been leading the field for decades on using camp for youth development—getting beyond the fun to growing specific qualities for a lifetime. This dynamic live webinar, presented in his energetic and “use-it-immediately” style, demonstrates practical and precise steps we can take to boost our building of great character every day.  

Michael Brandwein is an internationally acclaimed expert on camp, youth development, and education. He has presented in all fifty states and on six of the seven continents. Michael trains camp leadership teams and staffs from coast to coast. He is the number one best-selling author in the camp training and leadership field with six published books and the seventh arriving early next year titled, THE INTENTIONAL CAMP: Putting More Muscle in the Mission of Character & Youth Development. 

Michael wrote and presented three Emmy® award-winning TV programs on youth communication for adults who work with young people. He has won two American Camp Association national awards and many regional awards. He is a former ACA national board member. He lives in Chicago with his wife Donna and they have two adult sons, Dave, a touring musician, and Benjamin, a Chicago public school special needs teacher. 

Special Thank You to ACA Illinois for supporting this part of the event with Michael Brandwein.

All times eastern. 

• 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. — *Opening Remarks: Why Character Why Now? 
• 12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. — Break 
• 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. — *Foundations of Character at Camp
• 1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. — Break
• 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. — *Accessing Valuable Character Resources 
• 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. — Break
• 3:00 p.m. –4:50 p.m. — The Brandwein Quick Course in Building Character at Camp
• 4:50pm  – 5:00pm — Closing Remarks 

*This session will be recorded and will be available in the character library following the event.

Foundations of Character at Camp

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.