https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/place-share-investing-professional-development
A Place to Share: Investing in Professional DevelopmentFor my camp, the ACA national conference (this year in Dallas, Texas) is always the highlight of our winter. Those of us who are experienced (please note that I am avoiding the word “old”) can get...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/paying-enough-training-right-snapshot-salary-benefits-professional-development-practices-camps
Paying Enough and Training Right! A Snapshot of Salary, Benefits, and Professional Development Practices in CampsRead the full article at www.ACAcamps.org/research/improve/compensation-benefits/snapshot. ...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/what-camp-staff-can-do-help-children-excerpt-homesick-happy
What Camp Staff Can Do to Help Children: An Excerpt from Homesick and HappyDear Colleagues, When I sat down to write my new book, Homesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow, I wanted to answer three questions: 1) Why is it...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/moments-truth-things-you-say-things-you-do
Moments of Truth: The Things You Say and the Things You DoKevin Kevin was nine years old when his parents sent him to summer camp in Minnesota. He was overweight, not athletic, not very confident — and more than anything, not wanting to be there!...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/four-simple-words-better-communication
Four Simple Words to Better CommunicationOne of the main challenges of being on staff at camp is the degree to which you suddenly have to communicate with so many people. Because you have decided to accept the awesome responsibility for the...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/wanton-words-curbing-verbal-crudeness-cruelty-camp
Wanton Words: Curbing Verbal Crudeness and Cruelty at CampI love language. The beauty of a poem, the lyricism of a novel, the passion of a political speech, the sentiment of a heartfelt toast, the humor of standup comedy, and the simplicity of a handwritten...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/essential-staff-training-activities
Essential Staff Training ActivitiesYou expect your staff to think on their feet — so why not train them on their feet? For more than three decades, I've been assisting camps, outdoor education centers, youth development agencies,...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/parents/new-thinking-needed-helping-kids-avoid-or-cope-homesickness
New Thinking Needed on Helping Kids Avoid or Cope with HomesicknessANN ARBOR, MI 2010 — A new report urges parents and children's doctors to change their thinking about homesickness among children, to see it as a nearly universal but highly preventable and treatable...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/no-reservations-needed-please-be-seated-five-course-staff-training-smorgasbord
No Reservations Needed! Please Be Seated for a Five-Course, Staff-Training SmorgasbordDuring the spring of each year, many camp directors are faced with what can seem to be an overwhelming task of planning for staff training. While it is tempting to use the same "recipes" from...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/tears-rain-disciplinary-debacles-summer-camp-lessons-learned
Tears and Rain: Disciplinary Debacles at Summer Camp — Lessons LearnedThe sometimes heavy rain on the last and closing days of camp only accentuated the tears of sadness shed in this closest of communities. Some were tears borne of the profound sense of loss that the...