Orlando, FL 2/23/2009 6:20:25 AM
American Camp Association Meets in Orlando
Youth Development Professionals Gather
The American Camp Association (http://www.acacamps.org), the largest national organization of summer camp professionals, held its annual conference in Orlando, Florida. The conference theme was "The Power of the Experience," and explored both the meaning and societal impact of the summer camp experience for children, youth, teens, and families.
Keynote lectures included:
- Ned Hallowell, presenting "Sustaining Lifelong Joy"
- Linda Perlstein, presenting "Insights From the Halls of Middle Schools to the Walls of Camp Cabins"
- Pat Williams, presenting "Creating Winning Teams"
- Joe Hubbard, presenting "Inspirational Leadership for Today's Economic Times"
Representatives from summer camps around the country attended the conference. Attendance was estimated to be approximately 1,100. More than 140 businesses attended as exhibitors of camp related products and services.
"We attended again this year and have been impressed by many of the sessions and presenters," said Sarah Carter, the director of Rockbrook Camp for Girls (http://www.rockbrookcamp.com), who traveled from North Carolina for the conference.
The ACA 2009 "Distinguished Service Award," the Association's highest honor, was presented to Marla Coleman, of Coleman Country Day Camp (http://www.colemancountry.com), in Merrick, New York.
Founded in 1910, the American Camp Association (ACA) is dedicated to "enriching the lives of children, youth, and adults through the camp experience" and has "over 7,000 members encompass[ing] all segments of the camp profession, including agencies serving youths and adults, independent camps, religious and fraternal organizations, and public/municipal agencies." The ACA accredits camps that meet its set of 300 health, safety, and programming standards. There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited summer camps in the United States.
