https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/meeting-campers-where-they-are
Meeting Campers Where They AreI’ve often been taught to look at a person through the lens of a prism. On one side, you can see only a clear, flat, one-dimensional object, but when the light filters through you are left with all...
https://www.acacamps.org/blog/creating-community-building-pipelines-through-applicant-references
Creating Community and Building Pipelines through Applicant ReferencesThis blog in support of Project Real Job discusses the importance of curating relationships with staff applicant references such as professors, former staff, and coaches.
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/commitment-how-do-we-earn-it-how-do-we-keep-it
Commitment: How Do We Earn It — and How Do We Keep It?An answer to this question of the century may seem counterintuitive, yet it is at the core of most camp communities: Relationships. More than ever, staff are looking for connection and belonging. So...
https://www.acacamps.org/blog/me-work-camp-no-way
Me, Work at Camp? No Way!During the 2021 ACA National Staffing Summit, five students were selected by their professors to serve on a panel to discuss why they did not want to work at camp. They were chosen because they would...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/first-contact-end-contract
From First Contact to End of ContractWe know that staff can be a challenge to find, attract, hire, engage, and retain. What makes the staff journey result in forward progress from start to completion of their camp experience? Current...
https://www.acacamps.org/blog/developing-certification-program-staff-recruitment-retention-tool
Developing a Certification Program as a Staff Recruitment/Retention ToolSo what are — and what aren’t — certifications, exactly?
https://www.acacamps.org/blog/tips-hiring-quality-staff-without-spending-dime
Tips for Hiring Quality Staff without Spending a DimeA common challenge for summer camp administrators in 2021 was staff recruitment and hiring. This is not surprising, since there is a labor shortage across the country. According to the Washington...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/i-cant-breathe-poor-air-quality-communities-color
I Can't Breathe — Poor Air Quality and Communities of ColorAnyone who operated, worked at, or attended a camp this past summer knows more than a thing or two (and likely more than they ever wanted to know) about risk. I, Briana Mitchell, am one of those...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/preventing-burnout-caring-your-staffs-mental-health-while-camp-session
Preventing Burnout: Caring for Your Staff’s Mental Health while Camp Is in SessionA camp job is hard work. Camp is so worth it, as evidenced by all the positive outcomes research has shown campers achieve. But that does not make the job any easier — especially for the teenagers...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/mitigating-long-term-bereavement-risks-addressing-family-grief
Mitigating Long-Term Bereavement Risks — Addressing Family GriefBereavement camps for children are now commonplace around the United States (McClatchey & Wimmer, 2018). Some of these are recreational, and others are more clinically focused. Most do not...