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If you drive southeast from Cabarete down roadway DR-5--past the billiards halls and kite surf shops, roadside chicken joints and bodegas, and local businesses too small to be on Google [...]

Researchers have postulated that counselors express lowest perceived competency in their ability to develop camper relationships, handle conflict between campers, and feel limited in their ability to provide a safe [...]

Extra Special People (ESP) immediately caught my eye as a nonprofit serving youth and adults of all ages with special needs. I was trained as a summer camp volunteer and, [...]

American summer camps have a long history of inclusion, and have sought to create safe spaces that embrace the things that make campers and staff unique. In Teaching for Diversity [...]

A Healthy Camp Community Three years ago, the camp community placed a capstone on a significant accomplishment by completing the largest, most comprehensive study of camp-related injuries and illnesses ever [...]

Summer camp staff training--what exactly is it? If you take all the ideas and definitions; all the content from years past provided by the American Camp Association (ACA), the health [...]

The world of camp is responsible for creating timeless change through temporary communities. It is a chaotic utopia enabling healthy risks and creating lifelong friendships through positive peer pressure. Adults [...]

In the 1993 hit comedy, Addams Family Values, young Wednesday and Pugsley are sent to Camp Chippewa, a white, upper-class camp where the owners, Becky and Gary Granger, saturate the […]

Every year you, as a camp director or staff person, are faced with the decision of where to gain professional development. You might begin to search for the best training […]

I was recently asked to provide an evening dance program for a summer camp staff-training weekend. Personally, I remember the joy of dancing at summer camp under the evening stars, […]

'Can I have another bowl of cereal?' The shy boy was one that regularly asked for seconds at breakfast, and I suspected he didn't eat dinner regularly at his house. [...]

4 It's not too early in the year to start thinking about summer activities for our diabetic child. One option to consider may be for him to attend a summer [...]

Imagine the following scenario .... waiting patiently in line in heat that is exceeding 90 degrees. Suddenly, one camper falls to the ground, is unconscious, and begins to have a […]

Preparing camp counselors for their role as staff members, community leaders, and knowledgeable caregivers is a daunting task. Many staff members are themselves students or adolescents unsure of the aspects […]

You've just attended one of the many springtime American Camp Association (ACA) conferences. You connected with other Young Professionals (YPs) like yourself--others who are students today, working as camp counselors […]

Children do much of their learning by watching the important people in their lives. Referred to as "observational learning" by social psychologists and cognitive scientists, most professionals who work with […]

With everything that can be regulated and measured for American Camp Association accreditation, it seems the one evasive thing continues to be how to measure the actual quality of camp […]

The first two articles in this series about bullying in summer camp have provided a background for what constitutes bullying, as well as the strategies you need to help reduce […]

We all make hiring mistakes. Sometimes, the person we thought we got a sense of in the interview process is not at all the individual who arrives at camp. Other […]

These exercises can be used with counselors or campers, as appropriate, to help move from the language of problems to the language of solutions. Exercise 1 Getting to Know Yourself […]

In the context of working with youths in the summer camp setting, staff members at all levels are often confronted with challenging situations. The cabin counselor is generally the person […]

An unexpected telephone call in February 2004 from the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) precipitated an unprecedented frenzy of activity in the American Camp Association (ACA), Virginias local office. […]

"He did what?" "She never acted like that when she was a camper." "Are you sure that's what happened?" Do these comments sound familiar? Camps offering leadership development programs are […]

We have all experienced bullying in one form or another, either as a victim, an observer, or as the bully. Learning from our past experiences and using them to effect […]

Creating a learning environment at your camp Mention training and staff often respond that they don't have time for training, that they already know this stuff, or that training is […]

Find the right approach for working with campers * Mike and Diaz are arguing about who is going to play goalie on the soccer team. * Cody takes Logan's ball […]

Ideas and tips for a successful summer So, you're a new camp counselor. This will be a rewarding summer for you. In the next few weeks, you will be like […]

The hidden dangers at summer camp, the shocking lack of regulation, and what you can do to protect your kids. A GH investigation. ON JUNE 28, 1998, Robert Scheinfeld dropped […]

Teaching staff to put campers first Camp staff training is a strange concept. We have a few days, maybe a week to orient staff to their job. Yet, it's truly […]

Tips for precamp training and beyond Most camps employ a diverse group of individuals with different backgrounds, values, and beliefs. Yet, after just a few days of training, this staff […]

It is a crazy business, summer camp. You spend nine months planning for three, while trying to keep other programs running at the same time. You seek to hire the […]

From an early age, game-play has a positive effect on group dynamics. For many camp directors, getting messages, concepts, and values across to your staff in a creative and efficient […]

"Relax! I know you can do it! You can float, just relax!" said Dan Lafferty, a counselor-in-training, to his 6-year-old camper at Sesame Day Camp in Blue Bell, Pa. It's […]

Older campers who have finished their traditional camp years but wish to return for another summer of camp often face a difficult situation. They are too old to enjoy camp […]

Filling different roles Effective leadership is integral to the success of all camp and conference center programs. It also is very complex and sometimes paradoxical. Leaders must perform multiple complex […]

S'mores and Other Sticky Stuff: A Game for Training Camp Staff (2nd Edition) * $79.95 Great in-season staff training made easy! Designed to identify sticky situations and staff responses, promote [...]