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Tip of the Month from the American Camp Association
October 16, 2007

Three reasons why there’s more to camp than s’mores

1. Camps partner with schools as learning centers. Schools around the country are taking advantage of the expertise and special environments that camps provide to enhance learning experiences for their students. Catalina Sea Camp, in Avalon, CA, for example, serves over 45,000 children and teenagers each year with science-oriented programs such as marine biology, island ecology, and astronomy. Green River Preserve in Cedar Mountain, NC, offers interdisciplinary courses on the ecology and culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Thousands of students from throughout the Northeast visit Chewonki in Wiscasset, ME, for lessons in ecology and sustainability.
   
   Over 540 camps accredited by the American Camp Association® (ACA) offer some type of environmental education program.  Camps can customize programs for teachers’ curriculums and provide hands-on experience in an environment that can’t be duplicated in the classroom.
   
   
2. Camps offer unique settings for outside groups to meet. More than 50 percent of over 2,400 ACA-Accredited® camps rent or lease their facilities to groups for summer or "off-season" programs. Facilities are typically available for seminars, conferences, business meetings, retreats, and family events. The ACA Camp Business Operations Report 2006 found that an average of 10.4 percent of residential camps’ total gross revenues came from group rental fees.
   
   In the study, 46 percent of residential camps considered their facilities to be a retreat center, and a quarter of them considered themselves as a conference center.
   
   
3. Camp jobs teach leadership skills. A recent study of Ohio 4-H camp counselor alumni said that working at camp helped them develop skills such as decision-making, planning, a sense of responsibility, and the ability to work as a team member. The alumni also reported that these skills had carried over to school or work situations. According to the study, teenagers appreciated the camp counselor experience for giving them the chance to be role models and to develop a sense of identity.  Results of the study will be published in the upcoming November/December issue of Camping Magazine.

Contact Public Relations at 765.349.3317 or pr@ACAcamps.org to interview an ACA spokesperson for more information on camp facilities and specialized programs.

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About ACA
The American Camp Association® (ACA) works to preserve, promote, and enhance the camp experience for children and adults. ACA-Accredited® camp programs ensure that children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally challenging learning opportunities. ACA is the only national organization that accredits camps. There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps that meet up to 300 health and safety standards. For more information, visit www.ACAcamps.org.

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