The Magic of Calleva Camp Leadership Meets ACA

What is ACA?

The American Camp Association (ACA), specifically the ACA New York and New Jersey (NY & NJ) chapter, is a professional organization dedicated to promoting the quality and safety of camp experiences for children, youth, and adults. It supports camps in NY and NJ regions by providing resources, training, and networking opportunities for camp professionals.

ACA NY and NJ works to ensure camps meet high standards in areas such as staff training, program quality, health and safety, and camper well-being. They also advocate for the benefits of camp experiences. This includes personal development, teamwork, and a connection with nature. The association offers accreditation programs that help camps maintain excellence and comply with industry standards. 

The Tri-State CAMP Conference

This Tri-State CAMP Conference is the largest gathering of camp professionals in the world. With a community of over 3,300 that comes together to learn at over 170 educational sessions, find new products in the 313 booth exhibit hall and spend lots of time with like-minded people who are dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of children.

Calleva Leadership staff gain networking opportunities, professional development, inspiration, innovation, problem solving skills, and marketing and branding techniques. Overall, the ACA conference is a great opportunity for Calleva Leadership members to gain fresh insights, grow professionally, and continue to deliver high quality experiences for their campers. 

Professional Growth: Learning from the best

At the conference, a few of the sessions we attend are focused on camp trends, leadership skills, and program development. Camp trends are important for the Calleva Leadership to know because they challenge the traditional norms, inspire creativity, and foster inclusivity, all while leaving a lasting impact on popular culture.

There are also sessions focused on safety, inclusion, and mental health in camp settings. Making sure that the Calleva Leadership Team has knowledge in these areas helps staff handle sensitive situations, improve camper and staff experiences, and ultimately create a camp culture of trust, empathy, and growth. 

Some hands-on learning opportunities that staff might bring back to enhance Calleva’s programs may include, new camp games, new games and ideas to enhance leadership and development in staff training, strategies on What Not To Say And How Not To Say It, and behavior management strategies. These learning opportunities help staff create more well-rounded, accessible, and engaging programs at Calleva, ultimately enriching the campers’ experience. 

Building the Calleva Leadership Team

The ACA conference is a team-building experience for the Calleva Leadership staff every year. When we attend, we aren’t just attending the conference. We are gathering for the first time as the “Leadership Team” for that summer. We are one of the largest groups that attend this conference. I think that is one of the things that sets us apart from all of the other camps. 

Building the Calleva leadership team involves intentionally strengthening connections and fostering collaboration outside of the camp setting. By creating opportunities for staff to engage in team-building activities, both professionally, and socially, a strong sense of camaraderie and trust develops.

These shared experiences, whether they are in workshop sessions or community events, allows staff members to form deeper bonds and build a foundation of mutual respect and understanding. This cohesion not only enhances team effectiveness, during the summer season, but also contributes to a positive and supportive camp culture that benefits both staff and campers alike. 

Wellness & Play: More than just meetings

While we do go to Atlantic City for the Camp Conference, we also make sure we are having fun. Often we initiate and/or participate in ACA wellness activities. For example, each year the ACA puts on a 5k run on the boardwalk. Many of our staff either run or walk! We also initiate our own activities like volleyball and yoga.

This year, we reached out to camp friends at River Valley Ranch, who also attended the conference and played some beach volleyball one day after attending sessions. Our very own Dolly Lee also led us in a great yoga meditation one morning of the conference! These are just a few of the fun wellness activities we’ve adopted over the last few years of attending the conference. 

ACA has been something that leadership staff look forward to each year. It’s like a family gathering except instead of younger cousins running around, it’s adults sharing their love for camp. For other camps, ACA might feel like a vacation, but not for Calleva. We are always on the move. While we were there to attend sessions and gain new information, we also competed with each other in challenges created by our very own Olivia Murphy and Jesse Pulliam.

This year’s conference challenge was CallevACA Jeopardy. The goal was to collect as many points as possible. Points were earned by completing challenges listed on our jeopardy boards. The jeopardy boards had different categories with challenges that were worth different amounts of points. We could choose to scratch off any box we wanted, however once the box was scratched, we HAD to complete that challenge or lose the points assigned to that box. We had to send pictures and videos of each challenge being completed and text it to Olivia and Jesse.

Some of the challenges included, taking selfies with session speakers, DIY backboard challenge, teaching the Calleva song to another camp, and facilitating minute to win challenges with strangers- just to name a few! This Jeopardy challenge lasted all three days. It got intense! We are one of the largest groups that attends this conference and then on top of that we are constantly running around doing ridiculous things grabbing everyone’s attention. It’s very laughable and sometimes embarrassing, but everyone around us is always so curious and intrigued about what we are doing. In my opinion, we are demonstrating what camp should be! 

Along with the challenges, we also have group meals. These meal gatherings become some of the best memories from ACA. Each year, we plan meals for each day, and one night is “fancy night”. We all get dressed in our best and have dinner at one of the lovely restaurants that the Tropicana Hotel has to offer. We sit down, have a lovely meal and make some memories. 

Networking AND Community: Connecting with other Camps

Going to Atlantic City gives us so many opportunities to network and connect with other camps in the tri-state area. Meeting other camp professionals is important for fostering teamwork, sharing expertise, and creating a more enriching experience for campers and staff. Collaborating with other colleagues allows our camp staff to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences and strengths and come together to achieve common goals.

It also helps create a supportive and positive work environment, which can lead to greater job satisfaction and retention. It is also a great opportunity for us as Calleva staff to share our ideas with other camps, discuss some challenges we’ve experienced and share solutions with like-minded people. Attending the ACA conference is one of the best opportunities to strengthen Calleva’s presence in the larger camp community. 

Bringing it back to Calleva

ACA inspires innovation in Calleva’s summer and year-round programs in many ways. Attending this conference impacts us with new ideas, stronger leadership skills, and a new and refreshed perspective on how we can better ourselves as leaders at camp. Parents and future staff should care that Calleva invests in its leaders so they can provide the best experience for campers. 

Attending the ACA conference is a call to action for potential staff. It’s an opportunity to join a team that values growth, community, and fun. With all of these skills and experiences, we encourage parents to know that their child’s camp experience is being shaped by passionate well-trained leaders. With all that being said, we invite you to follow the Calleva ACA journey through social media updates and recaps!