Program Quality

Great camp moments don’t just happen; they’re built with intention. The Social and Emotional Learning Program Quality Assessment (SEL-PQA) for Camp is a practical tool that helps...

Three common blind spots experienced camp leaders fall into over time — and how to catch them before they take hold.

What UCLA coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success can teach camp leaders about measuring a truly successful summer.

Meet the 2026 Eleanor P. Eells Award winners: SeriousFun Children’s Network, Power of Humans (Camp Hometown Heroes and Camp Reunite), National History Academy, Camp Potosi Pines, and Camp Glen Brook for program excellence, and Seacamp for excellence in research in practice.

The right partnerships can strengthen camper outcomes, staff capacity, and family trust. Using Camp NAC’s partnership with Girls on the Run as a case study, learn how to choose and integrate purpose-driven partners, plus a list of partnership resources to explore.

Each year, ACA’s Eleanor P. Eells Award for Program Excellence honors camps that embody the spirit of the award’s namesake through their efforts to provide exceptional programming that effectively and innovatively addresses the needs of people and society through the camp experience.

Camp is a setting where many young people feel safe to be themselves and supported to engage in new and exciting activities. This doesn’t just inherently happen, but instead must...

Exploring the outcomes of the camp experience related to social-emotional learning and career/college readiness for campers and staff.

As established in the first “ Lessons Learned” article (in Camping Magazine, September/October 2023), program quality (PQ) is essential to youth programs, and research shows that...

Program quality (PQ) is essential to youth programs, and research shows that high-quality programs are directly linked to more positive outcomes for youth. PQ refers to the...