Why is ACA Accreditation important? When you send your child to an American Camp Association accredited camp, you know that the camp is committed to providing a safe, nurturing environment. Accreditation takes into account staff training, physical setting, programming – every aspect of running a camp – and only the best get the ACA stamp of approval. Look for ACA accreditation no matter what camps you are considering. Your children deserve it!

THE VALUE OF CAMP
The American Camp Association (ACA) shares our camp's commitment to the growth of youth through the camp experience. In 2004, an independent research firm completed the largest research study of camper outcomes ever conducted in the United States with over 3,000 families from 92 camps across the U.S. participating.

Results confirmed that camp builds many of the skills necessary to prepare campers to assume roles as successful adults. Parents, campers, and camp staff independently reported growth in areas such as self-confidence, learning new skills, getting along with others, making friends, and making healthy decisions. Indeed, camp provides growth experiences for youth that can reap results through adulthood.

ACA CAMPS SET THE STANDARD
ACA Accreditation means that the camp you are considering for your child cares enough to undergo a thorough (over 300 standards) review of its operation - from staff qualifications and training to emergency management. American Camp Association collaborates with experts from The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, and other youth service agencies to assure that current practices at the camp reflect the most up-to-date, research-based standards in camp operation. Camps and ACA form a partnership that promotes summers of growth and fun in an environment committed to safety.

ACA helps accredited camps provide:
* Healthy, developmentally-appropriate activities and learning experiences
* Discovery through experiential education
* Caring, competent role models
* Service to the community and the environment
* Opportunities for leadership and personal growth

WHY CAMP?
There are more options than ever before to keep a child busy during the summer, yet summer camp enrollment remains steady despite economic and world conditions. This phenomenon has left many people to ponder the question, why camp?

The answer seems to lie in the fact that camp does more than keep a child busy. According to camp directors, parents send their children to camp because of the positive impact it has on youth development. In a 1998 national survey of camps accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA), camp directors reported that parents rate the most important benefits of camp to be:
1. Increased self-confidence and self-esteem
2. Providing a safe place
3. Making new friends
4. Offering fun activities

"Parents are recognizing what we in the organized camping industry have known for years," said Peg Smith, executive director of ACA. "Camp is a vital element in a child's total development and it complements the academic skills that are learned in school with experiential based life skills." According to Robert Ditter, a clinical psychologist who specializes in child and adolescent treatment, camp helps build emotional intelligence. He states that camp contributes to the development of three emotionally based competencies - cognitive emotional quotient (EQ), social EQ and emotional EQ - and these competencies cannot be taught in the conventional sense. Rather, they are developed through experience. "Today's camp curriculums," Ditter said, "are designed to teach socialization skills that help a child better cope in the real world."