Professional Development

Certificates of Added Qualifications

Fri, 02/21/2020 - 14:18

Are you ready to enhance your camp career and help your camp create meaningful camp experiences? Whether you're just getting started, operating your own camp, or somewhere in between, ACA’s Staff Training Certificate Courses are designed to equip you with the skills necessary to manage a successful camp program and to foster a sense of belonging and growth for your entire camp community. By covering all thirteen ACA core competencies, these courses empower you to create quality experiences that positively impact both staff and campers.

Why You Need This Course

Tailored to Your Role
Learn at Your Own Pace
Comprehensive & Practical Learning
Real-World Impact

These certificate courses are designed to meet you where you are in your camp career. With the flexibility to learn at your own pace, you can fit the coursework into your schedule and apply the knowledge immediately. The curriculum is comprehensive, offering practical, hands-on learning that prepares you to create impactful programs and improve your camp’s environment. By completing these courses, you'll gain the tools and strategies necessary to foster a world of belonging and growth in your camp community.

Available Options

What You'll Gain

Ability to Create Impactful Camp Programs
Investment in Your Personal / Team’s Growth
Continuing Education Credits (CECs)
Enhanced Leadership & Staff Retention

By investing in these courses, you'll strengthen your team’s abilities and create a positive, growth-oriented work culture that enhances staff satisfaction and retention. Earning continuing education credits (CECs) shows your dedication to professional growth while enabling you to implement tangible changes that improve camp programs. The skills gained from these courses empower your staff to succeed and elevate the overall camp experience, ensuring both staff and campers thrive.

Start Today, Learn at Your Own Pace

The opportunity to grow your camp career and impact your camp community is right at your fingertips. Don’t miss out on the chance to develop your skills, advance your career, and be part of a movement that is shaping the future of camp programs. Get started with ACA’s Staff Training Certificate Courses today and join us in building a world of belonging and growth.

Save money and order multiple certificates for your staff!

We offer a discount for bulk purchases of certificates! Simply place 10 or more in your cart at checkout to receive an immediate 75% off the original price!

Need a letter to convince your leader or supervisor to enroll in this course?

Download this letter and revise as you need!

Tips for Getting the Most from Your Course Credentials

Wed, 02/05/2020 - 19:17

Briefly, your ACA issued digital credentials:

Can be shared on LinkedIn with the click of a button
Can be shared by private or public link and on both Twitter and Facebook at the click of a button
Can be displayed on other webpages
Can be connected to many kinds of evidence items, such as course grades, photos, course notes, projects, videos, and personal/professional references

Your ACA digital credential is not just a single document, then, but a portfolio of your work -- a collection of evidence that serves to prove that you know what you claim to know and that you can do what you claim to be able to do.

Learners sometimes ask, "What can I do with my digital credential? What value does it have?" Our response is this: the credential has the value that you put into it and we believe that you can do with it more than you might immediately think.

When you link to your credential, you are showing an employer, teacher, colleague, or client as much evidence and history for that course as you care to muster.

For any course, ask yourself this question:

What would be good evidence of what I know and am able to do?

Use your answer to that question to help you identify the best evidence items to add to your credential in your wallet.

Is your course in business administration? You could upload an original business plan or marketing plan. You could seek and post a reference from a colleague, boss, mentor, or client.

Is your course in computer science? Post some code samples or links to websites, apps, or other projects available on the Web.

For any course, your notes or a learner's journal or blog would be a fantastic addition.

At the end of the day, if you are happy with a straightforward paper certificate, that's great! ACA digital credentials fulfill that role admirably. But our digital credentials also expand with your ideas and ambitions; if you have some time and energy into making a real case for what you have learned, the tools are right here for you to use!

By the way, we would love to see what you've done with your digital credentials! Drop us a line or mention us on Facebook or Twitter!

Camps on Campus Resources

Thu, 11/21/2019 - 14:12

ACA's goal is to provide resources to help your campus program be successful.

What I Learned about Camp Research at ACA National Conference

Mon, 03/04/2019 - 14:34

Camp research trends include focus on acquiring equity, staff-camper interactions, and critical learning moments for campers.

New Director Orientation

Mon, 07/02/2018 - 16:30

The NDO course materials have been designed to help newer directors and supervisors develop the skills they need to be effective leaders for their camp program.

Course Description

In-Person/Hybrid Course

This 8-hour version of the NDO course is offered either fully in-person or in a hybrid format, with some components delivered virtually and others in-person. It is typically presented in conjunction with other ACA conferences. Check the events calendar for in-person NDOs.

Online Blended Learning Course

ACA offers the NDO in a blended learning format. In this course, the learner participates in self-study and then attends five ninety-minute facilitated sessions, five weeks in a row. We typically offer multiple cohorts of learner in the winter and spring.

Member rate $110 | Nonmember rate $220.

Cohort EE, April 23-May 21, 2026 Now Registering!

Register for Cohort EE

Course Content

NDO is an interactive course that includes activities, lectures, and discussions in a group problem-solving environment designed to address real-life situations at camp. This course covers five critical areas to help directors and supervisors develop the skills they need to be effective leaders. The core areas covered include:

leadership and supervision
camper and staff development and behavior
staff training
risk management
evaluation and assessment

In addition to building skills, this curriculum incorporates introspection, perspective-shifting, and awareness building. This course has been influenced by years of iteration, internal and external research, and feedback from new directors. NDO is designed to be offered at the local or regional level by interested ACA volunteers. Completion of this training results in seven continuing education credits (CECs) for ACA members.

Questions? Contact Us!

Erin Flores, Professional Development Manager, [email protected]

National Conference Takeaways for Practitioners, Researchers, and Everyone in Between

Tue, 02/27/2018 - 09:12

In the latest Research 360 blog post, ACA Research Assistant Victoria Povilaitis shares highlights from several research sessions that were held at the ACA National Conference

Fully Connected: How a Radical Cell Phone Policy Can Improve Your Camp Culture and Cure FOMO

Tue, 02/06/2018 - 16:16

"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...

Designing Quality Youth Programs

Mon, 10/05/2015 - 14:05

If you believe your program offers a quality experience for your participants but also think doing even better is ideal, this course is for you. Designing Quality Youth Programs...

Day Camp Director Certificate

Wed, 09/30/2015 - 21:37

Ready to elevate your career? Whether you're currently a Day Camp Director or aspiring to take on the role, the ACA Day Camp Director Certificate is your key to success. This...

Camp Director Certificate

Wed, 09/30/2015 - 21:32

The camp director course is structured to provide the basics for directors with fewer than six years of experience or for seasoned program directors and site managers.