https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/place-share-investing-professional-development

For 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

Read the full article at www.ACAcamps.org/research/improve/compensation-benefits/snapshot.   ...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/nurturing-campers-psychological-needs

Highly regarded child, adolescent and family therapist, and regular contributor to Camping Magazine since 1987, Bob Ditter will be speaking at the 2015 ACA National Conference. In an...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/moments-truth-things-you-say-things-you-do

Kevin 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/when-staff-mesh-impacts-camp

Everyone has a mental, emotional, social health (MESH) profile. For most of us, our MESH profile is within a “normal” range. Some days are better than others. Some things push our buttons, others don...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/four-simple-words-better-communication

One 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

I 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/there-reason-understanding-challenging-behavior

I once worked with cat. Not a “meow” cat, although that’s how she identified herself to me. She was a thirteen-year-old girl who insisted she was a cat. You can imagine how hard it was for her at...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/essential-staff-training-activities

You 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/camping-magazine/developmentally-appropriate-sports-skills-three-four-year-olds

Many campers as young as three and four years of age engage in many of the same sports activities as their older counterparts. Sports such as soccer, tennis, basketball, and hockey are routinely part...