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https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/yes-only-means-yes-until-something-better-comes-along-making-camp-best-offer-gen-z-staff
Yes Only Means Yes Until Something Better Comes Along: Making Camp the Best Offer for Gen Z StaffStaff sign a contract, then inform you the week before camp begins that they won’t be coming after all. Or staff commit to working the entire season only to tell (not ask!) you they are leaving for...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/project-real-job-moving-forward-together
Project Real Job — Moving Forward TogetherIn the early ’80s, I graduated from high school and made a simple but life-changing decision. It was May and I hadn’t yet made plans for the summer. My mom encouraged me to call my former camp...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/meeting-minds-camp-directors-higher-ed-college-students
A Meeting of the Minds: Camp Directors, Higher Ed, and College StudentsCamps need staff to run their programs; colleges/universities have various requirements for students regarding coursework and internships; and students are usually pulled between what they want to do...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/signing-dotted-line-commitment-two-way-street
Signing on the Dotted Line: Commitment Is a Two-Way StreetCongratulations! You committed to working at camp this summer, and the director and/or team who hired you have been anticipating your arrival since you signed on the dotted line! It is completely...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/profile-2017-recipients-eleanor-p-eells-award-excellence-research-practice
Profile of the 2017 Recipients of the Eleanor P. Eells Award for Excellence in Research in PracticeIn 2015, ACA, with the help of the Committee for the Advancement of Research and Evaluation (CARE), created the Eleanor P. Eells Award for Excellence in Research in Practice. This award is designed...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/sankofa-value-meaningful-debrief-end-camp-season
Sankofa: The Value of Meaningful Debrief to End the Camp SeasonAnother camp season is complete. After working overtime to ensure that every session was special, enriching, and fun-filled, we camp professionals are finally able to exhale. We did it! The energy,...
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/continuous-quality-improvement
Continuous Quality ImprovementIn my decades-long career as a camp professional and outdoor educator, one of my favorite parts has been problem-solving. How can I, in whatever role I find myself, help make the camper experience...
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/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...