Current
Policy Issues
Conference Sessions By Category
Greening Your Camp: Moving From Something
You Do to Who You Are Garth Altenburg, director of Camp
Chewonki
Everyone knows now that “green” is
the way to go. Camps have a tremendous opportunity
to show our future leaders that camps care for
the Earth as much as we care for each other.
But how can we change our practices so that green
is a way of life and not just another line on
our “to do” list? Come prepared to
share ideas and change your camp.
What’s Happening With Camper Enrollments and Staff Recruitment? Deb Bialeschki, PhD, ACA senior researcher
Friday, 9-10:15 - Frost
Two perennial questions at almost any gathering of camp professionals is the discussion about the number of campers coming to camp and staff recruitment. This session will include information gathered in Summer 2007 and present highlights based on general viewpoints as well as differences based on camp type, affiliation, and geographic region. Implications will also be discussed for the trends in enrollment and staffing when compared to larger societal trends such as shifting population demographics. Participants will be asked for ideas about the underlying reasons for the trends in enrollment and the effects on their camp.
Violence in Children’s Play Jane Katch, author, speaker and kindergarten teacher
Friday, 9-10:15 or Friday, 10:30-11:45 - Webster
Our culture is full of images of violence and sex that are far too complex for children to comprehend. At the same time, the play encouraged by these images makes adults uncomfortable. How can we encourage healthy play and help children to arrive at rules and limits that will help them feel secure? This workshop will explore the ways children make sense of violence in our culture and ways we can help them deal with it constructively.
Spiritual Component of the Camp Experience: Finding a Common Ground and a Common Language Deb Bialeschki, PhD, ACA senior researcher
Friday, 10:30-11:45 - Frost
From camp songs to vespers, the spiritual aspect of camp has been foundational. But many camps view spiritual development differently. How do camps with secular and religious missions find a common ground within which they can explore opportunities to learn with, and from, one another? In early 2007, through collaboration with the Search Institute and the National Collaboration for Youth, ACA surveyed hundreds of ACA camp directors about spirituality and camps. We’ll explore camp directors’ survey responses, examine areas of commonality across secular and religious settings, and discuss ways camps can better integrate “spirituality” into camp programs.
Changing Demographics and the Potential Implications on Enrollment Planning Pat Horgan, founder/principal, Horgan Marketing LLC
Friday, 10:30-11:45 - Coolidge
As Baby Boomers prepare to retire and Generations X and Y constitute the “working and parenting majority,” important shifts in the various Census-defined age groups have begun to develop. We’ll take a look at the numbers behind these shifts and what they might mean for camp enrollment over the next decade. We’ll study Massachusetts most closely, but look at broad trends for the other New England states as well.
Creating Free Play Experiences Kristen Scopinich, education manager, Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
Friday, 10:30-11:45 - Suite 301
Research tells us that free play in nature plays a key role in healthy youth development. Get
acquainted with the research and what it means for camp. Share ideas and develop new programs
to incorporate nature in a structured camp setting.
Incorporating Service Learning into the Camp Experience Michallene Hooper and Bobby Kessling, community directors, City Year, New Hampshire
Saturday, 9:15-10:45 - Pierce
Can service learning work for your camp? Service learning is a method of teaching through which students apply their academic skills and knowledge to address real-life needs in their own communities. Service learning provides a compelling reason to learn, teaches the skills of civic participation, and develops an ethic of service and civic responsibility. Come learn how you can incorporate service-learning opportunities into your camp program.
Background Checks: What You Didn’t Know Hawthorne John McTighe, vice president of background screening, Strategic Information Resources; Amanda Davis, background screening specialist, and Dave Sibley, senior manager, Employees Association of the North East Saturday, 9:15-10:45 - Hawthorne
As ACA strengthens its standards on background screening, camps across the nation are re-evaluating or implementing programs. Learn how to improve your pre-employment checks for references, sex offenders, and U.S. work authorization. Join a panel discussion that will help you understand different background screening methods and how to select what’s best for your organization.
Roots & Shoots: Service Projects at Camp Christine Ellersick, NE Regional manager of Roots & Shoots of the Jane Goodall Institute
Saturday, 11:30-1 - CEO
Come learn about the philosophy and methods of the Roots & Shoots service-learning program, designed to make positive change happen for communities, animals and the environment. Participants will leave with a manual and practical project ideas to implement with their campers this summer.
What Laws Do Your Staff Need to Know? Jack Erler, counsel to the Maine Youth Camping Association and attorney for a children’s camp in Maine
Saturday, 11:30-1 - Salon D
What should you be telling your counselors about their legal responsibilities? Adapted from a talk he gives every summer during pre-camp, the presenter will discuss laws on child abuse, sexual harassment, alcohol and drugs, confidentiality and duty of care. Learn the best way to present this information so staff will listen and understand!
Staying in Camp and Out of the Courtroom: Five Sure Ways to Get Sued When Working with Children and How to Prevent Them Ian Gardner, national director of camp and youth relations, Markel Insurance
Saturday, 11:30-1 - Salon C
What’s going on in our camps to cause lawsuits? What types of accidents are really happening at camp? We will discuss some actual current camp lawsuits as well as some national statistical accidents and loss trends in camps. This interactive workshop will provide recommendations for increasing camp safety and helping keep camps out of court. Attendees will be provided with suggestions and training activities for working with and helping your staff and campers become more safety conscious.
Land: One of Your Camp’s Most Valuable Assets Wolfe Tone, project manager, The Trust for Public Land
Saturday, 11:30-1 - Dartmouth
Camps from around the country are reaching out to conservation organizations, seeking solutions to protecting their land. This session will help camps think about the vision for the future of their land, and provide an introduction to the tools and techniques available for protecting their legacy. We will identify a variety of real estate techniques that have been used successfully for years to help protect family lands, farms and working forests, and discuss their advantages and applicability to camps. Plan today to preserve your camp’s legacy for tomorrow!
Evidence-Based Research Practices: What on Earth? Kelly McMillan, program coordinator for the Monadnock Community Prevention Coalition Strategic Prevention Framework grant and experiential education practitioner
Saturday, 2:15-3:45 - Salon D
What the heck is SPF-SIG and what does it have to do with kids and camps? What is an evidence- or research-based practice? How can your program become involved with an SPF-SIG? How can you help make your programs evidence based? You’ll discover the answers to these great questions in this workshop! Although New Hampshire and Vermont will be highlighted, anyone involved with grant funding, youth and/or prevention will be interested in hearing how their camp program can benefit. Join us as we share information on SPF's and federal initiatives around best practices and evidence-based programming.
ROUNDTABLE: Facing the Facebook Phenomenon — A Guide for Talking to Counselors Ian Moorhouse, Hill House, and Donna Lockington, ACA New England Saturday, 4-5:30 - CEO
Join us for a timely, interactive discussion about how to deal with the new technological realities of your campers' and counselors’ worlds. Posting photos, emailing, IMing, poking...what's going on out there? During camp or the off season, what role (if any) can or should the camp director take in monitoring communications, photos and information within the camp community? What policies and programs should you put into place … and will your campers and staff pay attention? This is a topic you can't afford to ignore. Technology is NOT the enemy … find out how to make it work in positive ways for your camp.
Challenge Course Regulations: A Curse or a Blessing in Disguise? Kelly McMillan, program coordinator for the Monadnock Community Prevention Coalition, Strategic Prevention Framework grant and experiential education practitioner; Charlie Williams of Wingspeed and Jim Grout Saturday, 4-5:30 - Salon D
Join the panel for a roundtable discussion on where the challenge course industry has been and where it’s heading in terms of regulations, with specific discussion about Massachusetts. This session will also cover national and international trends and will explore how to be involved and proactive if your camp has a challenge course or is considering building one. Time will be provided for exploration of how regulations are affecting the camp industry.
