Culture and Climate: The Collective Marks of Trauma on the Identity of Camp
Explore the concept of collective trauma and its profound effects on individuals and communities in this insightful recorded webinar. As we enter the transformative space of camp, we often overlook the shared experiences that shape our identities. This session examines how significant cultural and climate-related events resonate within a group, influencing both psychological and physiological responses.
Discover how these collective experiences impact our work and contribute to the holistic development of our well-being. Gain valuable insights into navigating and supporting individuals affected by shared traumas, and learn how our shared histories shape our present and future.
Crisis – It Really Could Happen to You 2024
Join us for an interactive session on lessons learned from the 2024 ACA Camp Crisis Hotline calls. We’ll highlight key areas of concern and tough questions camps faced, based on ACA’s 2024 data. Gain insights into unexpected situations, emerging issues, and explore real case studies to understand lessons learned. You'll also receive practical guidance and key considerations for refining your policies, practices, and improving preparedness for emergencies and crises in camp operations.
Strategies for Cultivating a Culture of Staff Retention This Summer
Together we will cover 5 ready-to-implement strategies that will support you in retaining your staff throughout this summer and also looking ahead to next summer.
The strategies that will be discussed include creating leadership opportunities for staff, giving and receiving honest feedback, providing genuine and timely individual praise, understanding staff member expectations, and cultivating staff connections with intentionality and precision.
Presenter: Daniel Shore
CEC's: 1.0
Quality Improvement in Action Series
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 be created through intentional staff practices. The ways in which staff, activities, and culture create the environment of camp is called program quality. But how do you create high quality programs? Through initial training and continuous improvement!
This webinar will focus on two concepts, program quality and continuous improvement, and real examples of introducing them at a camp organization. Come learn about what camp program quality looks like in action and how to engage with continuous improvement in this context.
Courageous Conversations at Camp with Candace Doby
A coworker makes a racially insensitive joke. A board member resists changes that foster inclusion. A supervisor's communication style impedes belonging. Hard conversations within the camping profession are real and waiting on you to engage them to help your teams (and yourself) tap into possibility and elevate to the next level. In this course, speaker and coach Candace Doby helps participants uncover beliefs and leverage techniques to help them have courageous conversations.
Critical Things Staff Need to Know about Bullying Prevention
Bullying is here to stay in summer camp and this course is designed to help you be prepared and ready to act this summer as well as between the seasons. Bullying can happen in 4 ways: physical, verbal, relational, and cyberbullying (through technology). You may face some or all of these situations with campers and staff. The way you respond to bullying and role model appropriate behavior sets the stage for a great summer or one that that can lead to very unhappy consequences. The goal for this course is to help you learn the right ways and avoid the wrong ways to manage bullying problems and create a great camp experience for your campers and staff.
Presenter: Joel Haber, Ph.D.
CEC's: 1.0
Effective Supervision Skills for Senior Staff
ACA is pleased to announce a new online course for the camp and youth development communities targeting supervision skills of upper-level staff. Effective Supervision Skills for Senior Staffcovers essential skill areas and best practices of the most effective supervisors at camp.
Presenter: Bob Ditter
CEC's: 1.0
Marketing Essentials For the New Economy Series
No Outbreaks Here! Simple Strategies for Reducing the Spread of Communicable Disease at Camp
The emergence of COVID-19 highlights the importance of preventative behaviors and practices to reduce the spread and impact of communicable diseases in camp. This short course is rooted in lessons learned from the ACA Health Camp Study. Beginning in 2006, and continuing through the summer of 2010, the American Camp Association undertook a five-year surveillance study of injuries and illnesses in day and resident camps. This project, called the Healthy Camp Study, is to date the only example of a long-term illness and injury surveillance study conducted with a representative sample of U.S. summer camps.
The purpose of this course is to help you have less communicable illnesses this summer and to realize some strategies for making your campers and staff more resilient to sore throats, the common cold, and other communicable illnesses
Presenter: Linda Erceg
CEC's: 0.5
An Ounce of Prevention: Collecting & Using Camp Injury-Illness Data for Program Improvement
Make your camp’s injury-illness data work for you! Learn how to use data to increase program participation for campers and staff, reduce common adverse events, improve your camp’s injury-illness profile, and impact your loss-ratio. These outcomes are possible through a common sense approach to data utilization, the focus of this program. Designed for the camp professional who’d like to impact their camp’s injury-illness experience, the course steps through this topic from an upbeat and can-do perspective.
Learner Outcomes:
At the end of this program, the learner will:
- Be able to capture and process camp Injury-Illness data:
- Identify what data sources to monitor;
- State what baseline questions to ask about injury-illness events; and
- Be able to use benchmark statistics to mark progress on risk reduction strategies.
- Use camp Injury-Illness data to make program improvements:
- Use the Haddon Phase-Factor Matrix to identify appropriate intervention points; and
- Utilize common risk reduction strategies to implement those interventions.
Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
This course provides critical information for directors and frontline staff on the process of reporting possible child abuse and neglect, including an overview of types of abuse and neglect and possible indicators. The course explains the importance of conducting the correct type of "interview" with a child when abuse or neglect is reported. Resources for identifying state laws on reporting requirements and locating penalties for failure to report are provided.
Presenter: Mary Fuller Everhart
CEC's: 1.0
A Counselor's Role in Healthcare
Youth Development Building Resilience Through Relationships Series
Youth development webinar series discusses the core developmental stages of children over time and explore strategies for building meaningful, supportive connections with them every step of the way.
The three-part series, presented by Rachel Schwartz and Jennifer Streicher of JCC Chicago.
Camp Is for the Camper v.3
ACA's #1 Best Selling Course and Book!
It is imperative that counselors see themselves as role models for campers and act accordingly. Parents place a great deal of trust in camps and camp counselors when they send their children to camp. Wouldn't it be great if staff could think about this aspect of camp before they even arrive at camp? Well now they can! ACA most popular online course will help you with the responsibility of training camp counselors.
The Camp Is for the Camper Online Training, Second Edition gives staff a jumpstart in considering their roles and responsibilities before arriving at camp. The program content draws from the best selling book, Camp Is for the Camper.
Presenters: American Camp Association and Paul Schlag
CEC's: 2.0
Designing Quality Youth Programs
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 takes you through an eight step process focused on a rewarding journey of organizational improvement that recognizes each setting is different, every program is unique, and each improvement requires a targeted set of strategies.
This course can be supplemented with the companion book, Designing Quality Youth Programs. Regardless of whether you choose to use the book or just want to stay with the online course, get ready to venture out of your comfort zone, get into a “stretch” position, and learn how to take a critical look at your program’s potential!
Presenter: American Camp Association
CEC's: 1.0
Foundations of Cultural Responsiveness for Character Development at Camp
In this theory based recorded webinar we will introduce camp leaders to the foundational concepts of cultural responsiveness and its potential impact on character development. We will explore key principles of cultural responsiveness and examine how these practices support youth development across diverse backgrounds. Through real-world examples, participants will begin developing strategies for implementing culturally responsive practices that promote character growth across cultures.
Learner outcomes:
1. Participants will learn foundational concepts of cultural responsiveness and its importance for character development in camp settings.
2. Participants will identify initial strategies for integrating cultural responsiveness with character-building goals to support positive youth outcomes at camp.
Presenter Bio:
Taylor "Ty" Wycoff M.S. is an applied researcher, evaluator, and educator with 20+ years of professional experience in non-profit community arts, higher education, and youth development fields. She holds a M.S. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism from the University of Utah and a B.A. in Theatre Arts and International Relations from the University of San Diego. Taylor is currently a doctoral student in Education at the University of California-Irvine where her research centers on culturally responsive practices as a means of promoting access to and inclusion in out-of-school-time learning opportunities for historically marginalized youth.
The Pathway to Character Development at Camp
The purpose of this research-based webinar is to dive into character development within the context of participants’ unique camps. Camp leaders will learn to define and prioritize character goals within the elements of hiring, staff training, programming, and evaluation. Participants will be prepared to develop a detailed “map” charting a clear path from their organization’s mission and values to their desired camper outcomes, with a focus on character-based staff practices.
Learner outcomes:
- Participants will learn about approaches to character education and how those approaches apply to their unique camp context.
- Participants will identify the character-based values of their organizations and develop a plan for aligning those values with specific staff practices to achieve desired camper outcomes.
Protecting Youth and Camps: Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
Stop It Now! is a a global leader in preventing child sexual abuse providing unique one-stop-shop for resources and services to help youth, parents, adults, and youth serving organizations prevent child sexual abuse before a child is harmed, including child to child sexual harmful behaviors. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the Stop It Now! program and resources, including WhatsOK for youth, encouraging a hopeful perspective that views child sexual abuse in youth serving organizations is preventable, not inevitable – and can be managed by actively addressing both behaviors and environments where children are vulnerable early, with safety plans and organizational polices, professionals strengthen children’s protective factors.
Enhancing Camp Safety & Security: Federal Resources & Best Practices for a Safe Learning Environment
Enhancing Camp Safety & Security: Federal Resources & Best Practices for a Safe Learning Environment
This recorded webinar addresses the complex set of dynamic and evolving security risks summer and year-round camps face. The presenter shares research-informed strategies and recommendations that enhance safe and supportive learning environments through collaborative, holistic, and actionable approaches.
The webinar focuses on the information, resources, guidance, and evidence-based practices available from the federal government on a range of safety topics and threats. Members of the camp community will also learn about federal resources and guidance to prevent targeted violence, encourage bystander reporting, promote online safety, and respond to threats of violence.
Empowering Camp Conversations: Mastering 'Difficult' Dialogues
This is a webinar designed to equip summer camp staff with essential skills for navigating challenging interactions. Participants delve into effective communication strategies, conflict resolution techniques, and active listening methods tailored for camp environments. Expert facilitators provide practical tools to defuse tension, foster empathy, and promote constructive dialogue, ensuring staff feel confident in addressing sensitive topics with campers, colleagues, and parents. In this webinar attendees gain valuable insights, ultimately enhancing their ability to create inclusive, nurturing camp environments.
Presenters: Chanika Perry and Lance Ozier
CEC's: 1.0
Make NASA & STEM Part of Your Camp This Summer!
Experts from NASA will present a sample of STEM resources for formal and informal educators. They will cover a program specifically meant for camps, as well as materials on the themes of engineering, technology, and science (Earth and space). They will also provide URLs for additional materials in those themes.
2019 FLSA Update: New White Collar Salary Rule and 13(a)(3) Seasonal Exemption
Join us for an update on the Fair Labor Standards Act white collar exemptions, as well as camp-specific content relating to the 13(a)(3) seasonal exemption. Do you have questions about the new FLSA “White-Collar” exemption? How does the new Final Rule affect your camp? Come to this webinar and hear about the issue from a partner in Ice Miller’s Labor and Employment Group.
Presenter: Manolis Boulukos
CEC's: 1.0
Accessibility Series
Implementing accessibility best practices allows us to improve the usability of our content including documents. Presentations, and websites for all users. Join us for a three-part series dedicated to helping you make your content and website more accessible and user friendly. Learn about accessibility best practices for creating accessible documents and presentations, and for auditing your website to improve usability for all.
Avoiding the Parent Trap: Working with Difficult Parents
Most camp parents are wonderful, but at every camp, there are a few who are some degree of difficult. From parents who demand special exceptions to parents who are wholly disengaged from their child's development, it is vital that we as camp professionals take a proactive approach when dealing with any challenging situation with a camp parent. This enjoyable (and yes, funny!) workshop will discuss techniques to help you turn your most difficult parents into loyal promoters of your camp!
Presenter: Sarah Kurtz McKinnon
CEC's: 1.0
Awesome Apps and Cool Tools Every Camp Needs to Know v. 2019!
Ever wish someone would filter through the millions of websites and online apps on your behalf, sharing only those that are truly remarkable, time-and money-saving? Then this is the session for you! Join marketing expert Jodi Rudick for a guided tour through the overwhelming world of technology. Learn about the latest sites to help you stay connected and how to take advantage of FREE social networks to build awareness, participation and loyalty for your programs, services and events.
Presenter: Jodi Rudick
CEC's: 1.0
Back to the Basics: Creating a Cohesive Staff Community
While this sounds so simple, why is it often so hard? Community building is what camp is all about. Yet, all of the ice-breakers and fun games in the world don’t guarantee that staff will be unified. Discover ways to create a cohesive staff community by looking at each subset of your staff group and their unique needs, providing opportunities to connect before camp begins, and fostering continued growth all throughout the season. It’s time to get back to the basics!
Presenter: Kim Aycock
CEC's: 1.0
Become a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Virtual Camp Champion
ACA has a commitment to promote and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the camp world. As camp leaders, you are being asked to consider approaching the preparation and delivery of all virtual camp sessions with a DEI lens to ensure participants are left with the feeling of an inclusive camp experience. ACA has teamed up with Nika White Consulting to further explore DEI in the camp setting. Join us for a webinar that will focus on different areas of DEI that will drive the execution of inclusive virtual camps.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand strategies to ensure an inclusive virtual camp experience
- Maximize campers’ experience by amplifying their sense of belonging
- Recognize and Address Bias to avoid disparate impacts
- Communicate compassionately and inclusively
Presenters: Dr. Nika White and Elvia M. Pacheco-Flores
Building an Army of Asking Ants!
Ant colonies have been used throughout history as models of industry. As a collective, ants are efficient, surprisingly intelligent, and are among the very few animals that organize themselves to collectively carry loads far heavier than an individual member of their species. Ants working together have an astonishing ability to mix collective muscle with individual initiative, and can adjust their course and outcomes based on intelligence provided by a single ant joining the effort.
So, imagine harvesting those collective strengths where, instead of gathering food for the colony, there was an army of ants raising money for your camp….
Presenter: Diane Tyrell
CEC's: 1.0
Building Healthy Relationships with Parents: What Every Camp Needs to Know
Today’s parents are supportive and dedicated to their children, but they are also the most anxious and controlling parents in American history. Successful camps have strategies in place for effectively managing parents’ needs and expectations, but what strategies are most effective? This webinar provides evidence-based approaches for managing today’s (over)parents based on what’s working in the camp industry, as well as tips for positive parent interaction.
Presenter: Barry A. Garst, Ph.D.
CEC's: 1.0
Building Inclusive Trans* Culture & Practices at Camp
In this follow-up Webinar Chris from Transplaining will share with attendees collective ideas to consider when building trans* inclusive culture and practices applicable to your camp context. We will discuss the topics of: eligibility for programs and/or cabins based on gender identity, navigating conversations with caregivers, considerations for training frontline staff, building an inclusive culture that is based on intersectional justice, addressing conflict that may arise between camp community members regarding gender identity, and how youth voice must be a key component in wayfinding for inclusive practices.
Business and Financial Strategies in the Age of COVID-19– For Profit Camps
COVID-19 has had an intense impact on the financial health of the vast majority of camps. Financing camp operations successfully through the foreseeable future requires dexterity, tenacity, and strong relationships with financial institutions, suppliers, and families. Our panel of experts will address financial strategies, employment issues, and business considerations specific to for profit camps in these uncertain times.
Moderator: Tony Stein, Owner and Director, Camp Echo Lake, Warrensburg, NY
Panelists:
- Tiffany Gratton-McDuffie, CPA M, Ed, Founder of Purposeful PLAY
- Rachel Satinsky, Esq, Littler & Mendelson, Philadelphia, PA
- Kelly Schmidt, CPA and Partner at Wagner and Zwerman
- Andrew Zwerman, CPA, MS, Managing Partner at Wagner and Zwerman, LLP
Business and Financial Strategies in the Age of COVID-19: For Nonprofit Camps
COVID-19 has had an intense impact on the financial health of the vast majority of camps. Financing camp operations successfully through the foreseeable future requires dexterity, tenacity, and strong relationships with funders, financial institutions, suppliers, and families. Our panel of experts will address financial strategies, employment issues, and business considerations specific to for profit camps in these uncertain times.
Moderator: Tony Stein, Owner and Director, Camp Echo Lake, Warrensburg, NY
Panelists:
- Bryan Huffman, CFO, YMCA of the Triangle
- Tiffany Gratton-McDuffie, CPA M, Ed, Founder of Purposeful PLAY
- Rachel Satinsky, Esq, Littler & Mendelson, Philadelphia, PA
- Kelly Schmidt, CPA and Partner at Wagner and Zwerman
- Andrew Zwerman, CPA, MS, Managing Partner at Wagner and Zwerman, LLP
Business Basics for New Camp Directors
Camp professionals usually come into their roles because they have talent and passion for working with youth and staff. However, the most successful leaders in our industry combine this passion with keen business sense. But where to even begin? This webinar will provide foundational knowledge for camp leaders so that they can understand how to leverage business tools to impact kids’ lives.
Presenter: Sarah Kurtz McKinnon
CEC's: 1.0
Camp and the FLSA "White Collar" Exemption
Do you have questions about the new FLSA “White Collar” exemption? How does the new Final Rule affect your camp?
The American Camp Association hosted a wbinar featuring Emmanuel “Manolis” Boulukos, partner in Ice Miller’s Labor and Employment Group. Manolis represents and advises clients in labor and employment law matters including, federal and state litigation, wage and hour issues, the development of employment policies and practices, as well as conducts extensive wage and hour audits.
Camp Budgeting and Financial Statement for Beginners
Are you responsible for submitting a budget to a supervisor or Board of Directors? Do terms like accumulated depreciation, fixed assets, accounts payable, accrued basis, cash basis, liabilities, net assets, and cash flow confuse you? They should if you were not an accounting major. This session will cover the basics you need to prepare your budgets and read your financial statements.
Presenter: Russ Link
Russ Link has been the executive director of Camp Olson YMCA (an Independent YMCA Camp) the past 18 years. Camp Olson YMCA is a summer-only camp with an annual operating budget $1.5 million. Camp Olson YMCA is located on 1,350 acres in the heart of lake country in North Central Minnesota. Like many typical camp staff members, Russ spent his summers during college working at a camp. Russ spent these summers enjoying the outdoors at the Wisconsin Lions Camp in central Wisconsin near Stevens Point. It was at camp where he met his wife Jolene.
Russ was drawn to Camp Olson YMCA because of the rich tradition of honoring the environment and its strong emphasis on family values. Russ has worked to preserve over 260 acres of the camp’s property in conservation easements that have provided over $1 million in revenue for the camp. Russ believes that a camp experience is important for every child. “I am who I am because of my camp experiences.” Russ lives at Camp Olson YMCA in Longville, MN, with his beautiful wife Jolene and twin sons, Connor and Micah, who both work at camp during their summers home from college.
Camp Culture or Cultural Appropriation?
This webinar will discuss cultural appropriation and the damage perpetuated by camps with harmful stereotypes. Cheryl will discuss how whiteness permeates organizational and camp actions that reproduce Indigenous erasure and white supremacy. The goal of this webinar is to become familiar with the uncomfortable and to recognize the common and everyday behavior of cultural appropriation that is widespread in camps and many organizations.
Camp Maintenance and Facility Planning - A Three Part Series
Camp on a Resume: Help Staff Get it Write
It goes without saying that camp makes a huge difference in the lives of staff. We also know that staff develop 21st Century skills such as communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity by working at camp. Yet, staff members are often challenged to translate this to a resume that will be attractive to future employers. In this webinar, camp and university professionals come together to share resume preparation tips so you can lead a compelling resume writing workshop this summer—a value-added component to staff development!
Presenters: Kim Aycock, MST and Deb Jordan, Re.D.
CEC's: 1.0
Crisis Communication for Summer 2021
Every program planning to run in-person for summer 2021 may find their camp playing offense or defense with the media. This session will include an overview of what we learned from summer 2020, how we helped camps that reached out (without naming names), and key takeaways as ACA preps for next summer. Get up-to-date on anticipating crisis, identifying your spokesperson, determining your audiences, and establishing standards for monitoring and receiving notifications surrounding potential crisis. Learn more about responding to media inquiries and how to determine if a situation will require professional help.
Presenter: Kelley Freridge