https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/imagine-child-tree-fertilize-unstructured-outdoor-play-character-development
Imagine a Child as a Tree — Fertilize with Unstructured, Outdoor Play, and Character DevelopmentAsk anyone who has attended a camp as a child or youth about his or her experiences and you will receive many different responses. Camp has many meanings because of the personal nature of the...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/consequence-character-how-summer-camp-promotes-character-leadership-entrepreneurship
A Consequence of Character: How Summer Camp Promotes Character, Leadership, and EntrepreneurshipEven casual observation reveals the powerful role the summer camp experience plays in accelerating character development in children and teens. The question then becomes "What's next?" The answer, it...
https://www.acacamps.org/events-education/online-learning/online-course/trauma-informed-care-camp
Trauma Informed Care at CampDESCRIPTION: In ACA’s 2017 Emerging Issues Report, the top issue facing camps is campers’ Mental, Emotional, and Social Health (Browne, Bialeschki & Wilson, 2017)....
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/safe-space-trauma-informed-trauma-infused-what-know-how-help
A Safe Space: From Trauma-Informed to Trauma-Infused — What to Know and How to HelpAcross the land, schools and summer camps have embraced a movement to better understand trauma and how it affects a child’s ability to learn and self-regulate their behavior. As that knowledge...
https://www.acacamps.org/events-education/online-learning/partner-online-course/mental-health-camp-frontline-staff
Mental Health at Camp for Frontline StaffMental Health at Camp for Frontline Staff Course will prepare frontline staff to support campers and themselves around Mental Health and Well-Being at Camp. It is a 75+ minute self-paced...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/evaluating-bereavement-camps
Evaluating Bereavement CampsSpending time in nature is often therapeutic and provides many benefits, such as improving cognitive functioning (Berman, Jonides, & Kaplan, 2008) and improving memory (Berto, 2005). Spending...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/lost-boys-finding-their-way-summer-camp
Lost Boys: Finding Their Way at Summer CampAre boys in crisis? Popular literature (Raising Cain, Lost Boys, Boys and Sex) and theater (Dear Evan Hansen) seem to suggest so. Terms such as “boy code” and “toxic masculinity” further paint a path...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/martin-his-friends-counseling-skills-effect-change-camp
Martin and His Friends: Counseling Skills that Effect Change at CampMartin was sitting in the office of the boys' head counselor again. He'd been playing "Ga Ga" when another camper got him out. In what had quickly become an all-too-typical response for nine-year-old...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/toward-understanding-adhd-developmental-delay-self-control
Toward an Understanding of ADHD: A Developmental Delay in Self-controlJosh can't keep his hands to himself when waiting in line. Seth seems to act irresponsibly. Megan never completes an arts and crafts project. These campers' behaviors may have a common link -...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/there-reason-understanding-challenging-behavior
There Is a Reason! Understanding Challenging BehaviorI 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...