https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/2016-camper-enrollment-strong-enrollment-comes-new-challenges

The results from the 2016 Enrollment Survey are in, and here's the bottom line: Camps had a good year as enrollment continued to rise. The majority of camps reported at least maintaining the same...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/nice-save-place-share

It’s free play, the 30 to 45 minutes of magical time at camp when nothing and everything happens. I walk from the dining room to the main campus after dinner and stop to watch five 9- and 10-year-old...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/compromise-can-turn-crisis-value

Many camps did not operate this past summer because of COVID-19. There were serious consequences for all as a result. Children lost the opportunity for summer fun and engagement;...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/assessing-summer-health-outcomes

How did it go? After 2020's "different" summer, we stepped into 2021 with hope. More camps opened, some staff were COVID-19 immunized, and protective behaviors — such as masks, physical distancing,...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/excellence-research-practice

In 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/campline/emergency-planning-preparedness-summer-2021-key-lessons-takeaways-related-covid-19

Like many of you, I spent last summer monitoring social media for information about how the camps in my home state of Missouri were handling the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the social nature of camps —...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/armed-dangerous-fugitive-situations-near-camp

In the summers of 2017 and 2018, the West Virginia 4-H camp program experienced multiple incidents where camps were locked down due to armed suspects in the area. In one incident, a man stole a truck...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/preventing-burnout-caring-your-staffs-mental-health-while-camp-session

A 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/commitment-how-do-we-earn-it-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

We 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...