https://www.acacamps.org/blog/start-why-purpose-camp
Start with Why: The Purpose of CampTwelve-plus-hour days. Extreme temperatures. Mental and physical exhaustion. Low pay. Sound like fun? Then why do millions of teens and 20-something-year-olds work at camp every summer? Better yet,...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/enrollment-risky-business
Enrollment: A Risky Business?Risk comes in many forms, some of which we spend more time considering and mitigating than others. On the “yeah, obviously” side of the ledger: we don’t allow campers on the ropes course without...
https://www.acacamps.org/blog/staff-culture-your-values-action-during-uncertain-times-part-2
Staff Culture: Your Values in Action During Uncertain Times, Part 2We believe staff culture and camp culture are tied together. They are not separate. The culture your staff embraces and models is your camp culture.
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/posterity-using-time-capsules-capture-camp
For Posterity: Using Time Capsules to Capture CampIt was the spring of 2016 when I received a call from the current director of Many Point Camp in Minnesota. Having been the director of Many Point for 25 years, I was used to a call inviting me to...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/covid-19-decision-making-amid-uncertainty
COVID-19: Decision-Making Amid UncertaintyIt’s a pandemic. No one knows enough. They say it may last 12–18 months. Maybe longer. Information changes day-to-day. Sometimes more frequently. There’s a pediatric complication that wasn’t...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/retreat-conundrum-there-pot-gold
The Retreat Conundrum — Is There a Pot of Gold?The last year and a half have seen many organizations stretching, shifting, and praying for the financial wherewithal to keep operating into the future. This may have also included discussing how to...
https://www.acacamps.org/blog/staff-culture-your-values-action-during-uncertain-times-part-1
Staff Culture: Your Values in Action During Uncertain Times, Part 1When it is hard to determine what to do next, the one thing that can be controlled in challenging times (or any time) is our response.
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/rethinking-risk-how-build-resiliency-reward
Rethinking Risk: How to Build Resiliency and RewardSo much of a camp director’s time is oriented toward risk reduction. From hiring lifeguards to teaching CPR, the number-one priority is “keeping kids safe,” followed by fun and learning in form or...
https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/are-you-prepared-bear-if-not-how-will-you-respond-armed-intruder
Are You Prepared for a Bear? If Not, How Will You Respond to an Armed Intruder?Running a camp is challenging. Running a camp in the United States, where violent events occupy the 24-hour news cycle, is even more difficult. There are so many risks and expectations to manage....
https://www.acacamps.org/blog/cut-fluff-how-attract-high-quality-staff
Cut the Fluff: How to Attract High-Quality StaffThere are many reasons why summer camps struggle to find and retain quality staff. We see many camps focus their job descriptions around the cultural elements that the job provides, illustrating the...