https://www.acacamps.org/blog/planning-mental-emotional-social-health-mesh-summer

The smiling faces and laughter heard across camps each summer result from days, weeks, and months of planning. We spend considerable time meticulously planning our themes, activities, equipment, food...

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/campwire-episode-8-importance-working-camp

In the eighth episode of ACA's podcast, CampWire, Deb Jordan and Kim Aycock discuss why it is important to work at a camp, and some of the things camps are doing successfully to recruit...

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/happy-campers-how-camp-relationships-promote-social-emotional-learning

Young people are diverse and dynamic, and they have myriad pathways to success. Unfortunately, youth development research often highlights watered-down averages of sample sets that offer limited...

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/campwire-episode-9-camp-resarch-laurie-browne-jim-sibthorp

In the ninth episode of CampWire, ACA's director of research Laurie Browne talks with another researcher, and longtime camp friend, Jim Sibthorp about ACA's 5-year research study.

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/why-every-camp-should-be-teaching-practicing-meditation-campers

The wonder of a child — it’s something we strive for in adulthood. Imagination, amazement, and the simple appreciation for life’s little treasures: the gold spray of sunlight through a window, or the...

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/campwire-episode-6-meet-eells-program-award-winners

In the sixth episode of CampWire, the American Camp Association's podcast, meet the winners of the Eleanor P. Eells Award for Program Excellence. 

https://www.acacamps.org/events-education/online-learning/recorded-webinar/fully-connected-how-radical-cell-phone-policy-can-improve-your-camp

"Because of Camp... I have a better relationship with my phone." Said no one ever. We love camp because of the relationships we build there. So, what would camp look like if the staff committed to...

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/campwire-episode-10-staff-training-michael-brandwein

The ACA professional development team interviews Michael Brandwein for the 10th episode of CampWire. Get some great staff training tips as the summer season begins.

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/introducing-new-free-friend-camp-program-quality-staff-checklist

Before I get started, I have a confession: I lied. I said in the title that in this post I was going to introduce you to a new friend, but that’s not entirely true. The Camp Program Quality Staff...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/evaluating-bereavement-camps

Spending 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...