ACA, New England Spring E-Session Series

Attending the New England Camp Conference? Receive 20% off any of the following e-session registrations – email Kerry for the promo code.

Buy four, get one free! Register for four e-sessions, and email Kerry to get a fifth session for free (you can use this all for yourself or mix and match staff from your camp

Articles Discussion: Dr. Robert Brooks’ writings on resilience, tenacity, optimism and positive relationships

Dr. Robert Brooks is a clinical psychologist and leading author on the themes of resilience, motivation, and tenacity – all topics related to youth development and social emotional learning, cornerstones of most summer camp experiences. He has written numerous books, including Raising Resilient Children and Tenacity in Children. These books are great reads, but we know your time is limited. So, Dr. Brooks has cultivated five of his articles exploring these ideas for us to read and discuss, along with an article that he was interviewed for that appeared in CampBusiness. To view and download the articles, click HERE. Dr. Brooks won’t be on this discussion session with us, but will join us on May 16 for a presentation, The Camp Experience: A Source of Resilience for Children and Teens, that dives into some of the topics covered in these articles.

We’ll use the following questions to frame our discussion:

• Of all the ideas in the articles, what do you think camps already do well? Where are areas we can do better?
• Given the effects of the pandemic over the last couple of years, do any of these concepts from the articles seem even more important to think about now than before?
• How are the needs of campers and staff, as they relate to resiliency, optimism, connection, etc., similar? Different?
• What can I do to help each camper feel welcome in my presence? How about staff?
• What do you want the memories kids have of you to be, especially as they relate to the concept of resiliency? What will you intentionally say and do so campers will have the memories that you’d like them to have?

Kerry Salvo, Director of Education and Professional Development at ACA, New England and Jonathan Caflun, Assistant Director at Camp Wekeela and a member of ACA, New England’s Education Committee, and will facilitate this conversation. While Dr. Brooks will not be a part of this discussion group, you will have the opportunity to pose questions to Kerry and Jonathan that you’d like them to share with Dr. Brooks prior to his his May 16th e-session.

Then, join us again from 6:00 – 7:00 pm on Monday, May 16 for The Camp Experience: A Source of Resilience for Children and Teens when Dr. Brooks will be with us to answer your questions, highlight factors that strengthen hope, confidence, caring, and resilience in children and teens, and describe specific, realistic strategies that camps can apply. Click here for more information and to register.

Register for one or both sessions! The May 4 discussion will be live, discussion-based, facilitated by ACA, New England, and WILL NOT be recorded.

About the author: Dr. Robert Brooks is a clinical psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and former Director of the Department of Psychology at McLean Hospital, a private psychiatric hospital in the Boston area.  He has lectured nationally and internationally to audiences of parents, educators, mental health and health care professionals, and a variety of organizations on topics pertaining to resilience across the lifespan, family and parenting relationships, and creating positive school and work environments. He has provided presentations about resilience at conferences sponsored by ACA and ACA-New England. Dr. Brooks has received numerous awards for his work and has served as a consultant to Sesame Street Parents Magazine.  For further information, please visit Dr. Brooks’ website at www.drrobertbrooks.com.