Latest News
- New ACA Survey Demonstrates Camps Can Operate Safely (March 2021)
- Outdoor Activity Participation Improves Adolescents’ Mental Health and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, March 2021)
- New Study on the Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Youth and Staff Attending Day Camps (Pediatrics, February 2021)
- Suicide Ideation and Attempts in a Pediatric Emergency Department Before and During COVID-19 (Pediatrics, February 2021)
- Research Study on the 2020 Summer CampCounts Survey (January 2021)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Toolkit for Essential Workers (Out-of-school-time workers) (January 2021)
- New Study on COVID Transmission in NC Schools Shows No Reported Child-to-Adult Transmission (Journal of American Pediatrics, January 2021)
- New Study in WI Show K-12 Schools Can Have In-Person Learning with Limited In-School COVID-19 Spread (CDC, January 2021)
- CDC Study: Preventing and Mitigating SARS-CoV-2 Transmission — Four Overnight Camps, Maine (September 4, 2020)
- Summer Camps Successfully Prevented and Mitigated COVID-19 Transmission, Says New CDC Study (August 26, 2020)
- Culture of Compliance — Nonpharmaceutical Interventions Strategy Graphic
Communicate with Your Camp Parents and Staff
Parents and staff are naturally going to be concerned, particularly with the constant media coverage of coronavirus, so you must communicate openly and often with them. Remind camp parents and staff that because camp happens in a close community, camps have always taken great care to develop and maintain medical practices to address a variety of communicable diseases, both common and rare. Help them feel confident in your preparedness.
Let them know that while the coronavirus currently poses no immediate concern for camps, you have communicable disease plans in place that will be revised in cooperation with public health authorities as additional COVID-19 guidance is provided. Further reassure them by communicating that your camp will work closely with its local public health department to maintain effective protocols for the identification and appropriate treatment of any illnesses that may occur at camp, including COVID-19. Let parents and staff members know that you will continue to keep them updated as new information becomes available. Ensure you update your online resources with information specific to COVID-19 and provide a clear contact in the event parents have additional questions.
Remind parents and camp staff of required pre-camp and arrival day screening procedures that your camp implements each session, and advise them that camp will update these health and wellness screening policies and procedures to reflect the current best practices recommended by public health authorities. Consider updating your health screening procedures to include questions about international travel in the past two weeks or exposure to any known carriers of the coronavirus. As the situation develops in the US, consider the impact on any requirements you have for admittance to camp. If your expectations change significantly, make sure to communicate those changes to parents, staff, and all program participants well in advance of their arrival at camp.
Communication and Advocacy Resources
- Camp Director Communications Template
- Crisis Communication for Camps in the Time of Coronavirus (webinar)
- How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (Girl Scouts)
- The COVID-19 Letters, Camp Edition: Set a Strong First Impression in the Net Impression of Crisis Response (Institute of Public Relations, article)