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/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/summer-camp-unique-environment-social-emotional-learning

As an education research organization affiliated with the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, we thought it was an exciting opportunity to investigate camp as a unique learning...

https://www.acacamps.org/resources/year-round-education-children-youth

American Camp Association Position and Resources Understand the importance of the connection with nature Children and Nature Create positive relationships...

https://www.acacamps.org/resources/designing-your-programs-best-enhance-camp-experience

Top Tips for Camps Intentionally select program activities that provide one or more of the youth-development supports (supportive relationships, safety, youth involvement, skill building)....

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/research-360-quality-vs-outcomes-smackdown

If you've been following this blog you know that the Research 360 goal is to build camp evaluation capacity. Thus far I've described what...

https://www.acacamps.org/blog/homesickness-dos-donts-parents-preparing-camp

Homesickness is a fact of life.  It is human nature to pine for what is known and comfortable.  And a stay at summer camp — even for a seasoned camper — can generate pangs of longing for...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/role-skill-building

Building Camps That Care About Kids — Third in a Series of Four Articles Maybe Walt Whitman was on to something. When we think of the very best ways to help young people grow into...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/parents/new-thinking-needed-helping-kids-avoid-or-cope-homesickness

ANN ARBOR, MI 2010 — A new report urges parents and children's doctors to change their thinking about homesickness among children, to see it as a nearly universal but highly preventable and treatable...

https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/what-camp-staff-can-do-help-children-excerpt-homesick-happy

Dear Colleagues, When I sat down to write my new book, Homesick and Happy: How Time Away from Parents Can Help a Child Grow, I wanted to answer three questions: 1) Why is it...