https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/time-talk-communicating-campers

When I was a young, first-year staff member at camp, two orientation speakers left me with distinct lessons that have carried me through forty more years in camping. The first was a recommendation...

https://www.acacamps.org/news/press-release/breakthrough-study-outlines-benefits-camp-experience

Camp provides a unique and important setting that supports mental health, while creating time away from technology, building key skills like resilience and confidence in youth and young adults. To...

https://www.acacamps.org/resources/2024-staff-training-issue-camping-magazine

Each year, the May/June issue of Camping Magazine is devoted to staff training — perfect for Staff Orientation!

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/research/continuous-improvement/camp-program-quality

Program quality refers to the ways camp staff practices, activities, and program climate foster youth development consistently over time.

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/continuous-quality-improvement

In my decades-long career as a camp professional and outdoor educator, one of my favorite parts has been problem-solving. How can I, in whatever role I find myself, help make the camper experience...

https://www.acacamps.org/events-education/online-learning/online-course/courageous-conversations-camp

A coworker makes a racially insensitive joke. A board member resists changes that foster inclusion. A supervisor's communication style impedes belonging. Hard conversations within the camping...

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/learnings-gaps-identified-through-camp-program-quality-initiative

Here are some recent learnings and identified gaps related to the Camp Program Quality Initiative.