Today’s camp families are looking for more than a place to spend the summer; they are seeking environments where their children feel safe, supported, and meaningfully engaged. At the same time, camp professionals are navigating increasing expectations around mental, emotional, and social development, while also addressing staffing challenges and operational complexity.
Camps are being asked to do more than ever before.
The question becomes: How do we meet these evolving needs without overextending our teams or diluting program quality?
One answer lies in purpose-driven partnerships.
At Camp NAC in Newtown, Pennsylvania, we have found that the right partnerships don’t just add compelling programs, they elevate outcomes, strengthen staff capacity, and build deeper trust with our campers’ families.
Partnerships, when done well, are not transactional. They are transformational.
From Programming to Purpose
Not all partnerships are created equal. A true partnership goes beyond offering a new activity or filling a schedule gap. It aligns with your camp’s mission, values, and long-term vision.
Purpose-driven partnerships should:
- Reinforce your camp’s core philosophy
- Enhance, not complicate, daily operations
- Provide meaningful developmental outcomes for campers
- Support staff with clear frameworks and tools
When camps approach partnerships with intention, they shift from asking “What can we offer?” to “What impact do we want to create?”
A Case Study: Girls on the Run
One example of this in action is our partnership with Girls on the Run (GOTR), a nationally recognized program focused on building confidence, connection, and emotional awareness in young women.
Rather than positioning GOTR as a standalone specialty camp, we approached it as an extension of our broader commitment to youth development and well-being. Through this partnership, campers engage in:
- Movement-based activities that build physical confidence
- Guided discussions that support emotional awareness
- Team-based experiences that foster connection and belonging
What makes this impactful is not just the curriculum itself, but the intentional integration into our camp environment.
This partnership supports many of the same outcomes we prioritize across camp — confidence, connection, and personal growth — reinforcing a consistent experience for campers rather than creating a siloed program.
Building Trust Through Recognizable Programs
In an increasingly crowded camp landscape, partnerships with established organizations like Girls on the Run also provide an added layer of credibility.
For families, recognizable programs signal:
- Thoughtful program design
- Proven developmental outcomes
- A commitment to quality and safety
This helps to reduce decision fatigue for parents and strengthens trust in your camp as a whole.
When families see that a camp is intentional about who they partner with, it reinforces the idea that the experience is handled with care, not just filled with activities.
Strengthening Staff Through Structure and Support
One of the most overlooked benefits of purpose-driven partnerships is their impact on staff. Programs like GOTR provide:
- Clear frameworks for delivering content
- Language and tools for supporting social-emotional growth
- Structured opportunities for staff to facilitate meaningful conversations
This aligns closely with research from the Alliance for Camp Health’s MESH+ framework (n.d.), which emphasizes the importance of creating environments where individuals feel safe, supported, connected, and able to contribute.
When staff are equipped with strong frameworks, they are more confident, more consistent, and better able to support campers in moments that matter most.
Partnerships, in this way, become a form of embedded professional development.
Designing Partnerships That Work
For camps looking to build or refine partnerships, the key is intentional design. Consider the following questions:
- Does this partnership align with our mission and values?
- Will it enhance or complicate our daily operations?
- Does it support both camper outcomes and staff development?
- Can it be integrated into our broader camp culture?
Successful partnerships are not about adding more, they are about adding the right things.
A Model for the Future of Camp
As camps continue to evolve, partnerships will play an increasingly important role in shaping the camper experience.
The most impactful camps will not be those that try to do everything themselves, but those that thoughtfully curate experiences through aligned, purpose-driven collaborations.
Partnerships with organizations like Girls on the Run are one piece of a larger commitment to creating environments where campers feel confident, connected, and supported. Because at the end of the day, the goal is more than to just run a great program. It is to create an experience where every child feels seen, valued, and empowered to grow.
Partnership Resources
These partnerships reflect a growing shift in the camp industry, moving beyond standalone programming toward intentional collaborations that strengthen outcomes in social-emotional development, inclusion, wellness, and community connection.
Partnership and Program Enhancement Resources:
- Girls on the Run (GOTR) — Social-emotional learning and confidence-building programs designed for girls, often integrated into camp or after-school settings
4-H Youth Development — Hands-on learning programs focused on leadership, life skills, and experiential education that align naturally with camp environments
- Alliance for Camp Health (ACH) — Provides guidance, resources, and professional development around camp health, safety, and wellness practices
- American Red Cross — Certifications and training in CPR, first aid, lifeguarding, and safety — critical for staff readiness and risk management
- CampWell (wellness initiative) — Programs focused on mental health, emotional regulation, and overall well-being for both campers and staff
Mental Health and Social-Emotional Support Resources:
- The Jed Foundation — Resources that support emotional health, resilience, and mental health awareness in youth settings
- Search Institute — Research-backed developmental assets that help camps intentionally build confidence, connection, and character
- CharacterStrong — Developmental competencies curriculum and training focused on belonging, emotional intelligence, and positive culture building
Inclusion, Belonging, and Youth Development Resources:
- National Inclusion Project — Supports inclusive camp practices for children of all abilities
- Outward Bound — Experiential learning programs that build leadership, resilience, and confidence through challenge and adventure
- Playworks — Structured play models that promote inclusion, teamwork, and positive group dynamics
Community and Access Resources:
- Local School Districts — Collaborations that expand access to camp and support learning beyond the classroom
- Community-based Organizations and Nonprofits — Help camps reach underserved populations and increase scholarship access
Photos courtesy of Red Oak Camp, Willoughby Hills, OH; Skyline Camp and Retreat Center, Almont, MI; Camp ASCCA, Jacksons Gap, AL.
Reference
Alliance for Camp Health. (n.d.). MESH(+) resources. allianceforcamphealth.org/education-and-resources/mesh-resources/
Brianne Feinour is the executive camp director of Camp NAC in Newtown, Pennsylvania, a multi-million-dollar program serving more than 1,200 campers each summer. She also serves as ACA, Keystone Regional’s membership chair, EPIC cochair, and is a leader in advancing wellness and leadership development within camp communities.
