https://www.acacamps.org/blog/camp-research-methods-where-have-we-been-where-are-we-going

A review of the first camp researcher gathering at the 2023 ACA national conference in Orlando

https://www.acacamps.org/research/camp-research/history

View all our past research initiatives.

https://www.acacamps.org/research/special-projects/camp-program-quality-initiative

Funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., ACA began a special project to explore and develop systems that support camp professionals in promoting positive youth development through camp experiences.

https://www.acacamps.org/research/continuous-improvement

At ACA, we believe in continuous improvement. We believe that our work for young people is not conceptualized in boxes or checklists; instead, we think about our work in a cyclical way—a way that...

https://www.acacamps.org/resources/covid-19-resource-center-camps

The safety and health of campers and staff is always the highest priority at camp, and camps have a long history of planning for and managing communicable diseases. With the spread of the coronavirus...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/impetigo-what-does-it-look-what-should-you-do

John presented to the camp health center begrudgingly, after his counselor requested he get a blister on his heel looked at by one of the nurses. The nurse at health check happened to be a new...

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/what-know-about-demographic-evaluation-questions-how-make-them-count-part-1

Wheewww! Summer is about over, if not over for most camps, which means that it's time to reflect on another eventful and exciting season. Along with a bit of a breather, this time of year brings lots...

https://www.acacamps.org/resources/summer-camp-therapeutic-tool-reducing-anxiety-youth

This study provides the first preliminary evidence that overnight summer camps—including those with and without specific treatments for anxiety, and youth with and without diagnosed behavioral and...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/program-outcomes-resident-camp-youth-serious-illnesses-disabilities-life-challenges

In 2005, the American Camp Association (ACA) published the first large-scale national research project assessing the youth development outcomes of children who attend day and resident camps in the...

https://www.acacamps.org/research/our-research-innovation

The ACA research team supports and facilitates rigorous research in order to expand the value and visibility of the summer camp experience and provide research-informed resources for camps. ...