https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/welcoming-international-counselors-could-boost-campership-marginalized-immigrant-communities

When I attend ACA conferences (which I do as a US Department of State Designated J-1 Sponsor for the Summer Camp Counselor Exchange Visitor Program), I make a point to attend sessions that include...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/innovation-work-2024-eleanor-p-eells-award-winners

Each year, ACA’s Eleanor P. Eells Award for Program Excellence honors camps that embody the spirit of the award’s namesake through their efforts to provide exceptional programming that effectively...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/top-25-staffing-solutions-gathered-through-collaboration

Highlighted here is a curated collection of great ideas about how to recruit and retain staff — a direct result of the last two years of conferences and various collaborative brainstorming sessions...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/thriving-futures-ahead-thanks-2023-eleanor-eells-award-winners

Each year, ACA’s Eleanor P. Eells Award for Program Excellence honors camps that embody the spirit of the award’s namesake through their efforts to provide exceptional programming that effectively...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/informed-staffing-through-form-follows-function-program-assessment

In architecture, the phrase “form follows function” means that a building’s purpose should be the starting point for its design. Similarly, the purpose of camp staff — why you have them and what...

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...

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/whats-wrong-song-we-love-it-have-been-singing-it-forever

Here you are, catching up, maybe relaxing now that camp is over. You’re reflecting on the joy of having experienced another successful season; the sadness of saying goodbye to...

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...