Coffee & Camp Chat - 10/25
2024-10-25 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
Coffee & Camp Chat is a bi-weekly discussion among summer camp people! Sip your favorite beverage as we share insights, swap stories, and discuss trends in camping. Cozy into your Friday with fellow camp folk while we brew ideas, forge connections, and remind each other why there’s no place like camp!
Send any questions you’d like to address to bud@acanewengland.org and we’ll include them in the conversation.
ACCESS: C&CC is open to everyone in camping!

Accreditation Volunteer Course
2024-10-22 09:00 - 18:00 | Brookwoods / Deer Run, 34 Camp Brookwoods Rd, Alton, NH, 03809
ACA New England needs YOU to join an amazing team of volunteers!
Join us for our next Accreditation Volunteer Course (formerly known as the Associate Visitors Course).
Due to low enrollment, the 10/22 offering has been cancelled. However, there are lots more opportunities throughout the year (see the application below).
This course is a two part training: AVC PART 1 is a self-paced online pre-course and AVC PART 2 is a live session with trained facilitators. Participants must attend all learning sessions over the timeframe to successfully become an accreditation volunteer. This course requires active participation and engagement.
ACA’s accreditation program is the only national peer review program of its kind for the camp industry. Being an ACA accreditation volunteer (visitor) provides you with the experience to build your network, polish your skills in observation and risk management, and develop mentoring opportunities for both you and the camps you work with. As much as you give to this experience, you’ll gain from new ideas, perspectives, and approaches to the mission-driven work of the camp industry.
To become an accreditation volunteer, please complete these steps:

Submit an Accreditation Volunteer Application (online)

On the form, you’ll indicate which Accreditation Volunteer Course Part II you want to take (formerly known as the Associate Visitors Course) – FREE

Once you are registered for the course, you’ll be enrolled in the required online pre-course work (AVC PART 1 up to 8 hours) a month prior to your PART 2 course. This self-paced, interactive online pre-course work includes the Accreditation Process Workshop so you are up to date as well as roles and responsibilities of an accreditation volunteer, compliance demonstration, scoring, and mandatory standards. This online pre-work must be successfully completed in order to attend the Accreditation Volunteer Course PART 2.
To become an accreditation volunteer, you must fully attend and participate in ALL parts of AVC PART 1 & AVC PART 2 (this is a live in-person session with trained facilitators. During this portion, participants will be engaged in practicing and demonstrating essential skills needed in conducting accreditation visits along with conducting a mock accreditation visit).
Want to become an accreditation volunteer/visitor, but this AVC PART 2 date doesn’t work for your schedule? Complete the Accreditation Volunteer Application and choose from another live virtual or in-person course.
Additional steps (once 1 & 2 are done):

Review the ACA Associate Visitor/Visitor Service Description.
Review and be ready to sign the Volunteer Conflict of Interest and Code of Conduct.
Make sure you are a current ACA individual member (contact us if you have questions about this. We also offer a discounted membership rate for visitors).

Coffee & Camp Chat - 10/11
2024-10-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom

Hot Topics w/EPIC - October 2024
2024-10-07 14:30 - 15:30 | Zoom
Got Hot Topics you want to address? Questions you want to ask? Stories you want to share? email bud@acanewengland.org and we’ll get them on the agenda.
Throughout the “off season”, EPIC New England hosts monthly drop-ins for Emerging Professionals In Camping to connect and share thoughts, questions, information, etc. around the topics that currently affect them in camping.
While hosted by EPIC, these conversations are open to anyone (EPIC, full-time, seasonal, veteran, etc.) who has insights or questions around the Hot Topic of the day.

EPIC, New England
Emerging Professionals In Camping (EPIC) is a kindred group within the American Camp Association for counselors, staff, and other camp professionals to connect and grow their careers in camping.
In January 2019, a group of emerging professionals in New England camping gathered at the ACA, New England office in Lexington, MA. Since then, EPIC, New England has continued to provide support, connections, and opportunities for anyone making that move into a camp career or taking another step towards their goals in the industry.
If you are someone passionate about a career in camping or a current camp pro looking for more growth and development, you are EPIC.

New England Day Camp Tours - Connecticut
2024-09-24 09:30 - 15:00 | Connecticut Camps
ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED. Please call ACA, New England at 781-541-6080 to see if we can accommodate you for this program.
ACA, New England is excited to offer a one-day Day Camp Tours program in Connecticut on September 24, 2024!
Join us to explore the properties and facilities at:

Holiday Hill Camp & Recreation Center (Mansfield Center, CT), day camp, weddings, groups, and events
YMCA Camp Woodstock (Woodstock Valley, CT), day and overnight camp

This is a great opportunity to see camps while also learning about their programming and operational strategies (e.g. transportation and drop-off/pick-up) and networking with your peers. Lunch will be included.
We will start at Holiday Hill (check-in begins at 9:30 am) with the tour beginning at 10:00 am and will finish at Camp Woodstock by 3:00 pm.
Registration includes lunch. Travel is not included (camps are approximately 30-minutes from each other).
2024 host camps are located approximately 30-45 minutes from Hartford, CT, 1 hour from Springfield, MA, 1.5 hours from Boston, MA, 2 hours from Manchester, NH, and 3 hours from Portland, ME.
While this event highlights day camps, folks from all types of camps are welcome to attend (and YMCA Camp Woodstock offers both day and overnight camp)!
Thank you to LifeTRAVELED for their generous sponsorship of this event!

(Want to see even more camps? Check out our Resident Camp Tours opportunity in Maine on September 9 & 10 too!)
Questions? Reach out to Kerry, ACA New England Director of Education and Professional Development, at kerry@acanewengland.org or 781-541-6080 ext. 104.
Registrations are non-refundable, but may be transferred to another eligible individual prior to the start of the event.

New England Overnight Camp Tours - Maine
2024-09-09 - 2024-09-10 | Maine Camps
ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED. Please call ACA, New England at 781-541-6080 to see if we can accommodate you for this program.
ACA, New England is excited to head to Maine for this year’s Fall Overnight Camp Tours September 9 & 10!
These tours offer attendees a chance to visit six overnight camps in two days including:

Camp Caribou
Hidden Valley Camp
Medomak Family Camp & Retreat Center
Camp Kingswood
Camp Agawam
Kingsley Pines

This is a great opportunity to see a variety of camp properties, experience how other organizations run their programs and facilities, re-energize by networking with peers, discuss lessons learned and hot topics from the past summer, and gain new ideas as your off-season planning begins.
The $179/member; $199/non-member registration includes two lunches. Travel, lodging, breakfast, and dinner are not included.
Day One (Monday, September 9): We will kick off at Camp Caribou at 10:30am with a tour followed by lunch, then head over to Hidden Valley Camp, and finish with a tour of Medomak Family Camp & Retreat Center by about 5 pm. Then, join us for a happy hour at The Pub at Baxter in Lewiston, ME to relax at the end of the day (ACANE will provide snacks).
Day Two (Tuesday, September 10): The day will begin at 9am at Camp Kingswood, followed by a tour at Camp Agawam, and lunch & a tour at Kingsley Pines. We will be wrapping up around 3:00 pm on the second day.
HOTEL INFORMATION:

We have a block of rooms secured for the night of Monday, September 9 at:

Hampton Inn Oxford, Oxford, ME – $129/night + tax for double queen room OR king room. Breakfast and parking is included. Please use this link to book directly or call the hotel at 207-539-6055 and mention the ACA Camp Tours group. (Group rate available until August 26, 2024.) (approx. 30mins from the Pub at Baxter in Lewiston & 40 minutes to Camp Kingswood)
Microtel Inn & Suites, Windham, ME – $197.70/night + tax for double queen room; $227.92/night + tax for single queen suite with a pull-out sofa. To book, call hotel directly at 207-893-8870 and mention ACA New England group. (Group rate available until August 1, 2024.) – free parking and breakfast included (approx. 40 minutes from The Pub at Baxter in Lewiston & 30 minutes to Camp Kingswood)

You can also choose to stay at one of the many other smaller hotels or AirBnBs in the area.
Should you plan to come up early and want to stay somewhere Sunday night, September 8, we recommend looking in the Waterville area, which is 15-20 minutes from Camp Caribou.

While this event highlights overnight camp properties, folks from all types of camps are welcome to attend!
Thank you to Chalmers Camp Insurance and IENA for their generous sponsorship of this event!
(Want to see even more camps? Check out our Day Camp Tours opportunity in Connecticut on September 24 too! And, spoiler alert, YMCA Camp Woodstock offers both day and overnight programming.)
Questions? Reach out to Kerry, ACA New England Director of Education and Professional Development, at kerry@acanewengland.org or 781-541-6080 ext. 104.
Registrations are non-refundable, but may be transferred to another eligible individual prior to the start of the event.

New Camp Director Workshop 6/18/24
2024-06-18 09:00 - 17:00 | Boys & Girls Club of Boston: Berkshire Parnters Blue Hill Club, 15 Talbot Ave, Dorchester, MA, 02124, United States
Are you a new camp director or planning a career in camp ?
Join us for a FAST PACED day focused on the many topics of running camp. Staff training, supervision, hiring, firing, and so many more!
Come prepared to fill your brain and notebook with lots of useful information.
A team of experienced directors and consultants will lead workshops and provide invaluable materials and hands-on training scenarios.

Additional Information

If you are taking this training to fulfill the Massachusetts Camp Licensing requirements for directors, please note you ALSO need to attend the training with the Department of Public Health. This training will be held in conjunction with Massachusetts Camping Association in the Spring.

Summer Staff Saturday
2024-06-01 09:30 - 16:00 | The Farm – Wheeler School Seekonk Campus, 357 Walker St, Seekonk, MA, 02771
Online registration has closed. Please call us at 781-541-6080 by 12 pm on Friday, May 31 if you’d like to sign up and we will do our best to accommodate you.
We welcome all camp staff to this energizing and informative Summer Staff Saturday in-person training day on June 1 at Wheeler Summer’s “The Farm” in Seekonk, MA! There will be two tracks depending on your role at camp:

Leadership – Are you a director or executive? Do you supervise a team who works with campers? Are you someone with a walkie talkie during the summer? If so, this would be the best option for you. It will include some round table conversations, a camp tour, and higher level camp management and operations conversations.

Program – Do you work primarily with campers? Do you oversee a program area at camp? If so, this track is best for you. You’ll be able to choose from sessions that will apply directly to things you’ll be doing at camp this summer – think transition times, behavior management, difficult conversations, and games and activities!

Please select the track each attendee would like to join on step 4 of the registration process!
Lunch is included with your registration.
Do I choose the individual or group rate?

If you know who is coming, register each person individually so we capture that info now. Or, if you have 2-4, 6-9, or more than 10 folks coming you can use the individual registration to add additional folks from your team (If the total number of attendees you’re booking is 5 or more, you can apply apply the discount code NESUM20 at checkout to save 20% on each individual’s registration fees!)
If you’re not sure exactly who is coming, but you plan to bring a group, select the group registration rate to reserve 5 or 10 spots and then share attendee names with us in May (the rate listed already includes the 20% discount, so you’ll pay what you see!)

Pricing

Individuals: Member: $35 / Non-member: $50
Group of five (5): Member: $140 / Non-member: $200
Group of ten (10): Member: $280 / Non-member: $400

Daily Schedule (subject to tweaks as the event approaches)

8:45 – 9:30, Coffee and snacks / Check in
9:30 – 9:40, Gathering Activity
9:45 – 10:45, Program Track: Behavior Management / Downtime/Transition with Staff
9:45 – 10:45, Leadership Track: Master Site planning / Environmental site planning
10:55 – 11:55, Program Track: Games / Basic Level Lesson Planning (how to make a lesson plan)
10:55 – 11:55, Leadership Track: Executive Round Table
12:00 – 12:30, Lunch
12:45 – 1:45, Leadership Track: True cost of camp / Strategic Decision Making
12:45 – 1:45, Program Track: Hard Conversations / Day Camp Tool Box
2:00- 3:15, Camp Tour
3:20 – 3:45, Closing / Door Prizes / Evaluations / Thanks for coming!

Additional Information

Registering 5 or more staff from your camp/program? If you select a group registration a 20% discount is already factored in, so pay what you see! If you’re registering using individual registrations, but you have 5 or more total participants from your camp/program, use promo code NESUM20 at checkout (when you get to your shopping cart) to recieve a 20% discount off of individual registrations! (Be sure to hit the little gift box to apply the code before paying.)
Registrations are non-refundable, but may be transferred to another attendee from your camp/organization. If you need to transfer your registration, please reach out to ACA, New England at 781-541-6080.

Coffee & Camp Chat - 5/24
2024-05-24 10:00 - 11:00 | Tradewing
Coffee & Camp Chat is a bi-weekly discussion among summer camp people! Sip your favorite beverage as we share insights, swap stories, and discuss trends in camping. Cozy into your Friday with fellow camp folk while we brew ideas, forge connections, and remind each other why there’s no place like camp!
Send any questions you’d like to address to bud@acanewengland.org and we’ll include them in the conversation.
ACCESS: C&CC is open to everyone in camping. However, we host these gatherings through the New England Camp Community (ACA, New England’s members platform). If you are not currently an ACA, New England member and you’d like to join us for Coffee & Camp Chat, please reach out to bud@acanewengland.org. He’ll help you with your one-time setup, so you can join us for all future chats.
HOW TO JOIN:
How to Find and Access Events (Video with Narration)
How to Find and Access Events (Step by Step Guide)
FOR NEW ENGLAND MEMBERS: If it’s your first time logging into the New England Camp Community, and you need help, please refer to our NE Camp Community page or email bud@acanewengland.org.

What’s the Buzz on Difficult Conversations at Camp?
2024-05-22 13:00 - 14:00 | Zoom
What’s the Buzz on Difficult Conversations at Camp? Peer Discussion Session
As you get ready to welcome staff and campers this summer, join your camp colleagues to consider your camp’s approach to difficult conversations that might arise. During our time together, participants will have the opportunity to:

Identify current events that have the potential to impact camp this summer.
Discuss ways to safely hold multiple staff/camper perspectives while role modeling inclusivity.
Explore how camps can be proactive about their expectations for staff and camper interactions regarding current events.

Jen “Dusty” Clitheroe, Principal Consultant for Strength Perspective, will help moderate the conversation alongside ACA, New England staff. We are not experts on all topics, but through this gathering we want to create a forum for discussion, crowdsourcing, and resource-sharing.
Please come prepared to have your videos on, ask questions, and engage in dialogue. We do expect to use breakout rooms for smaller discussions.
This session WILL NOT BE RECORDED, so please plan to join us live.
When: Wednesday, May 22, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
Where: Zoom (link will be emailed by the morning of May 22, 2024)
Cost: FREE for ACA members; $25/non-members. Pricing is based on individual ACA membership status.
Register HERE.
Questions? Contact Kerry Salvo, Director of Education and Professional Development at ACA, New England, kerry@acanewengland.org or 781-541-6080.
Registrations are non-refundable, but may be transferred to another participant from your camp/organization.
About our facilitator

Jen “Dusty” Clitheroe is the Principal Consultant for Strength Perspective, a consulting firm that works with organizational leaders and their communities, empowering individuals to create more inclusive organizations, environments, and teams. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MS in Organizational Leadership. She has also served on a number of non-profit boards (including the Farm & Wilderness Foundation and Summer Camps) working to support sustainability, providing consultation for Diversity Equity Inclusion & Belonging strategic planning, leadership development, workshop facilitation, and organizational change management. She also serves on the Board of ACA, New England.

Lifeguard Instructor r.24 Update
2024-05-19 09:00 - 17:00 | North Suburban YMCA, 137 Lexington St, Woburn, MA, 01801
Are You (Or One of Your Summer Staff) a Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor in Need of the r.24 Update?
ACA New England is offering the blended learning Instructor recertification course. This course is required course for all Red Cross Lifeguarding Instructors to re-certify. During this course Lifeguarding Instructors and Instructor Trainers will participate in an in-water practice and polish skills session and practice teaching in addition to a classroom-based review of Red Cross administrative policies and procedures.

Additional Information

Specifics for the day will be sent to you about a week prior.
Be sure to complete your online update through the Red Cross Learning Center prior to the day of the in person class.
Please bring a lunch for the day.

EPIC Summer Send Off – Campy Hour
2024-05-16 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
Our partners at ACA Inc. are hosting an online opportunity for EPICs to connect before the summer takes us in our various directions. Their invitation says:
“Join EPIC for a fun Summer Send Off! You’ve put lots of time, stress, and energy into preparations for the upcoming summer season, and now is a great time to celebrate what’s ahead. You will have the opportunity to make connections with others you can lean on during the summer. Join us with your favorite beverage to share, learn, and connect with other EPICs across the country!”
Great chance to meet some new friends and perhaps reconnect with some familiar faces!

EPIC, New England
Emerging Professionals In Camping (EPIC) is a kindred group within the American Camp Association for counselors, staff, and other camp professionals to connect and grow their careers in camping.
In January 2019, a group of emerging professionals in New England camping gathered at the ACA, New England office in Lexington, MA. Since then, EPIC, New England has continued to provide support, connections, and opportunities for anyone making that move into a camp career or taking another step towards their goals in the industry.
If you are someone passionate about a career in camping or a current camp pro looking for more growth and development, you are EPIC.

Coffee & Camp Chat - 5/10
2024-05-10 10:00 - 11:00 | Tradewing

New Camp Director Workshop 5/10/24
2024-05-10 09:00 - 17:00 | Cedar Hill Day Camp, 265 Beaver St, Waltham, MA, 02452
Are you a new camp director or planning a career in camp ?
Join us for a FAST PACED day focused on the many topics of running camp. Staff training, supervision, hiring, firing, and so many more!
Come prepared to fill your brain and notebook with lots of useful information.
A team of experienced directors and consultants will lead workshops and provide invaluable materials and hands-on training scenarios.
Members: $105
Non-members: $125
Inquire about FREE membership with bud@acanewengland.
MASSACHUSETTS PEOPLE PLEASE NOTE: If you are taking this training to fulfill the Massachusetts Camp Licensing requirements for directors, please note you ALSO need to attend a training with the Department of Public Health. The DPH trainings are normally coordinated with the Massachusetts Camping Association and this year are taking place on April 24 & 25. ACA, New England’s New Camp Director Workshop satisfies the requirement for Director training discussed at the Massachusetts Camping Association’s DPH meeting.

Hot Topics w/EPIC - May 2024
2024-05-06 14:30 - 15:30 | Zoom

The Branding Masterclass: Attracting Legions of Irrationally Loyal Fans to Your Brand (e-Session)
2024-05-06 11:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
The Branding Masterclass: Attracting Legions of Irrationally Loyal Fans to Your Brand (e-Session)
Irrational Loyalty is the condition where customers are so bonded to your brand they’d think they were CHEATING on it were they to choose an alternative. Brands that enjoy this condition scale more rapidly and more profitably and spend less on marketing than brands that don’t. In fact, recent customer research conducted by Sol Marketing yielded the finding that brands that have irrationally loyal customers make, on average, about 40% more revenue than brands in their category that don’t.
In this fast-paced workshop, Bestselling Author and branding expert Deb Gabor shares the secrets to creating a powerful brand that bonds with your most important and highly predictive of success audiences. Participants will walk out with tangible, actionable tools to use on the job the very next day to up-level and bring relentless focus to marketing, sales, and camper experience.
Takeaways:

Define what is a “brand” and the concept of Irrational Loyalty
Understand the importance of branding for informing marketing strategy
Learn how the most valuable global brands create Irrational Loyalty and how you can use those practices to your brand’s own advantage
Walk out with powerful, actionable tools you can use on the job the very next day to create marketing that grows your company’s brand.

REGISTRATION COMES WITH A FREE 2ND SEAT – So, bring a colleague along with you. Make sure you don’t pay for the second registration by selecting the “FREE 2nd Attendee” option on page 2 of check-out. Not sure who will join? You can also come back later and add the second person this way. This offering WILL NOT BE RECORDED, so please plan to join us live!
When: Monday, May 6, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM ET.
Where: Live on Zoom (this session WILL NOT be recorded)
Cost: $25 for ACA members/$40 for non-members. Each registration comes with two seats for the e-session.
Make sure you don’t pay for the second registration from your camp/program by selecting the “FREE 2nd Attendee” option on page 2 of check-out. Not sure who will join? You can also come back later and add the second person this way.
You will earn 1 CEC for joining this e-session.
While hosted by ACA, New England, members of all regions are welcome to attend and join us!
About the presenter:
Deb Gabor, Founder & CEO, Sol Marketing
“Leading Expert” doesn’t come close to describing Deb Gabor’s passion for brands. More accurate? Brand Guru. Brand Impresario. Brand Evangelist. Deb’s written the book on branding (three times!) with bestsellers Branding is Sex, Irrational Loyalty, and Person-Ality. She’s the founder and CEO of Sol Marketing, a strategy-led marketing firm obsessed with solving major business and branding problems for clients in every industry. Deb and her team at Sol Marketing have introduced her revolutionary brand strategy for organizations ranging from international household names like Allrecipes, The Associated Press, Dell, Microsoft, NBC Universal, NPR, NTT Data, and Siemens, to exciting emerging brands like hint water and Indagare. Deb also lends her brand authority with frequent contributions and commentary to major news outlets such as Entrepreneur, Forbes, FORTUNE, Inc., MediaPost, New York Times, NPR, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Business and marketing organizations regularly call on Deb as a keynote speaker and workshop leader, relying on her as an inspiration for executives to embrace the power of branding to create Irrational Loyalty.

Confidence, Self-Esteem, Understanding & Conflict Resolution: Fostering Positive Mental Health at Camp
2024-05-03 09:30 - 16:00 | Camp Joslin, 150 Richardson Corner Rd, Charlton, MA
Confidence, Self-Esteem, Understanding & Conflict Resolution: Fostering Positive Mental Health at Camp
Michael Brandwein and Bob Selverstone are coming to New England for an in-person one-day training on Friday, May 3rd!
**If you register after 3:00 PM on Thursday, May 2, please email kerry@acanenwengland.org to let her know you have signed up so she can forward you the relevant confirmation email.**
It’s a hot topic now: Directors have noted differences in levels of staff and camper confidence, ability to problem-solve, handle stress, conflict, and more. How can we proactively train to deal with these challenges and develop positive self-images and empathy that lead to success? Save prep time and take home expertly designed, practical, participatory activities and materials that efficiently address these issues, will fit right into your 2024 training, and be useful throughout the season.
Psychologist and therapist Bob Selverstone has spent decades developing and facilitating these highly acclaimed activities for individual camps and at professional conferences. Now he has worked with master trainer and #1 best-selling camp training author Michael Brandwein to build this unique workshop in which you’ll learn top tools from Bob’s repertoire and be able to present these at your own camp with Michael’s expert touches. Plus: Michael will present the newest version of one of his essential training pieces, “How to Teach Problem-Solving & Responsibility to Campers.”
Included:

Keys to creating “safe” places for camp communication
Affirming that all people “matter” so they are seen, respected, and valued
Enhancing empathy and understanding of others
Handling different views and values and managing conflict
Solving problems with greater confidence—what to say and do
Practical self-reflection that works
Gratitude and Positivity

When: Friday, May 3, 2024, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM. Check-in and networking will be from 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM and the day’s program will begin at 9:30 AM.
Where: Camp Joslin, 150 Richardson Corner Rd, Charlton, MA
Cost: The first person per camp/organization is $150 for ACA members ($180 for non-members). Second and additional registrations from each camp are $120/each for ACA members ($150/each for non-members). Registration rates are based off of individual membership status. Send multiple people from your camp to save!
Lunch will be provided and you will earn 6 CECs for your participation in the workshop.
A minimum of 20 registrants will be required for this program to run.
While hosted by ACA, New England, members of all regions are welcome to attend and join us!
About the presenters:
BOB SELVERSTONE, Ph.D. has been a licensed psychologist in private practice in Westport, CT, for 40+ years – overlapping his 35 years as a public-school counselor and high school (and Graduate School) teacher of courses in Values Clarification and Human Sexuality. He has conducted over 1,000 workshops and presentations to professional and parent groups on issues of social and emotional health, values, communication, self-esteem, relationships and sexuality. This includes 400+ on-site trainings for summer camps. He has been featured in a dozen award-winning educational videos and has appeared on many radio and TV programs. Bob co-authored one of the first articles in Camping magazine that called for human relations training of camp staff. In 1918 his grandfather, Harry Sperling, founded one of the first private summer camps in the nation, and his father, Arthur Selverstone, ran it until his death. In one way or another, Bob and his family have been involved in camping for over 100 years. He and his high school sweetheart (of 62+ years) have two children and four adult grandchildren.
MICHAEL BRANDWEIN (michaelbrandwein.com) is an internationally acclaimed expert on camp, youth development, and education. A frequent national keynoter, he has presented in all 50 states and on six of the seven continents. Michael trains camp leadership teams and staff, teachers, and youth program leaders throughout the world. He is the number one best-selling author in the camp training and leadership field, with six books, including : Training Terrific Staff (Volumes 1 & 2), Super Staff SuperVision, Skill of the Day: What Great Leaders of Young People Do and Say, and the latest, Growing Great Qualities in Kids: The L.A.S.E.R.B.E.A.M. Technique for Bringing Out the Best in Young People. He wrote and presented three Emmy® award-winning TV programs on youth communication that have been broadcast on PBS stations throughout the United States.
Michael has won two American Camp Association national awards and many regional awards. He is a former ACA national board member. Michael lives in the Chicago area with his wife Donna, an ASL interpreter. They have two adult sons: Dave, a touring musician, and Benjamin, a special education teacher in the Chicago Public Schools.
Use of Images and Audio by ACA, New England: Through my registration, I give American Camp Association, New England (ACANE) full rights and permissions with respect to any photographs, video, and audio recordings taken during the ACANE event. These images and recordings may be used by ACANE and its agents in any format or medium and for any lawful purpose.
Registrations are non-refundable, but may be transferred to another attendee from your camp/organization. If you need to transfer your registration, please reach out to ACA, New England at 781-541-6080.

Summer Sendoff with EPIC, New England - ME
2024-05-02 13:00 - 16:00 | Fernwood Cove, 350 Island Pond Rd, Harrison, ME, 04040
2024 EPIC, New England Summer Sendoff – ME
Join MSC Community Connections & EPIC (Emerging Professionals in Camp) for a dog walk at Fernwood Cove. Furry friends optional! We hope you can join us for our last gathering before summer 2024. We will take a tour around Fernwood Cove and chat about how we are preparing for summer, any anticipated big changes, what we are most excited about, how we feel about staffing going into the summer, etc.
What – Gathering before we all part ways for the summer
Who – EPICs, friends of EPIC, people curious about EPIC
Where – Fernwood Cove, 350 Island Pond Road, Harrison ME
When – 1pm – 4pm on Wednesday, May 2
Why – . The summer is long, and you’re not alone. It’s important to remember that and reaffirm the hard but necessary work we’re all about to engage in throughout the camp season.

EPIC, New England
Emerging Professionals In Camping (EPIC) is a kindred group within the American Camp Association for counselors, staff, and other camp professionals to connect and grow their careers in camping.
In January 2019, a group of emerging professionals in New England camping gathered at the ACA, New England office in Lexington, MA. Since then, EPIC, New England has continued to provide support, connections, and opportunities for anyone making that move into a camp career or taking another step towards their goals in the industry.
If you are someone passionate about a career in camping or a current camp pro looking for more growth and development, you are EPIC.

Summer Sendoff with EPIC, New England - NH
2024-05-01 13:00 - 16:00 | Tuckerman Brewing, 66 Hobbs St, Conway, NH, 03818
2024 EPIC, New England Summer Sendoff – NH
Join EPIC and friends for on last gathering before we all set sail for summer. We’re congregating at Tuckerman Brewing for a few hours of good conversation about how we are preparing for summer, any anticipated big changes, what we are most excited about, how we feel about staffing going into the summer, etc. Meet some new people and see some old friends. Then, have an EPIC camp season
What – Gathering before we all part ways for the summer
Who – EPICs, friends of EPIC, people curious about EPIC
Where – Tuckerman Brewing, Conway, NH
When – 1pm – 4pm on Wednesday, May 1
Why – . The summer is long, and you’re not alone. It’s important to remember that and reaffirm the hard but necessary work we’re all about to engage in throughout the camp season.

EPIC, New England
Emerging Professionals In Camping (EPIC) is a kindred group within the American Camp Association for counselors, staff, and other camp professionals to connect and grow their careers in camping.
In January 2019, a group of emerging professionals in New England camping gathered at the ACA, New England office in Lexington, MA. Since then, EPIC, New England has continued to provide support, connections, and opportunities for anyone making that move into a camp career or taking another step towards their goals in the industry.
If you are someone passionate about a career in camping or a current camp pro looking for more growth and development, you are EPIC.

ChatGPT Made Simple for Camp Success (e-Session)
2024-04-30 10:00 - 11:00 | Zoom
ChatGPT Made Simple for Camp Success (e-Session)
Explore the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform your camp with ‘ChatGPT Made Simple for Camp Success.’ This virtual session is tailored for camping professionals seeking to harness AI with ease. We will demystify ChatGPT, showing how it can boost your camp’s efficiency, engagement, and creativity—no technical expertise required. From revitalizing program design to enriching content creation, discover how AI can elevate your operations and impact, all while maintaining an ethical and responsible approach. Participants will leave with not only an understanding of how to get started with ChatGPT but also practical applications that can be immediately implemented. Ready to transform your camp with AI? Join us to see how artificial intelligence can be a force for social good in the camping industry.
This session is designed for all levels. Attendees are neither required to have a ChatGPT account, nor expected to have any experience with the tool. We’ll be sure to address both of those things in the training session.
If you can’t join us live, this session will be recorded and available for viewing for 30 days once it is made available.
REGISTRATION COMES WITH A FREE 2ND SEAT – So, bring a colleague along with you or register them so they can watch the recording! Make sure you don’t pay for the second registration by selecting the “FREE 2nd Attendee” option on page 2 of check-out. Not sure who will join? You can also come back later and add the second person this way.
When: Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 10:00 am – 11:00 AM ET.
Where: Zoom
Cost: $25 for ACA members/$40 for non-members. Each registration comes with two seats for the session.
Make sure you don’t pay for the second registration from your camp/program by selecting the “FREE 2nd Attendee” option on page 2 of check-out. Not sure who will join? You can also come back later and add the second person this way.
You will earn 1 CEC for joining this e-session.
While hosted by ACA, New England, members of all regions are welcome to attend and join us!

About the presenter:

Aaron Proietti, Founder, Today’s Innovator
Aaron Proietti is the author of the book Today’s Innovator, and founder of a coaching and training company of the same name. He is an innovation expert with 20+ years of experience innovating in complex organizations. Aaron has spoken at many camping conferences on topics related to program design, organizational values, disruption, innovation, customer-centricity, and more. Through Today’s Innovator’s Shout.Camp program, Aaron and team advises camps on strategy, program design, and more.

Registrations are non-refundable, but may be transferred to another participant from your camp/organization.

Coffee & Camp Chat 4/26
2024-04-26 10:00 - 11:00 | Tradewing

Upcoming Trainings and Certifications
2024-04-26 - 2024-06-11
Upcoming Trainings and Certifications

THE LIST
At the New England Camp Conference, folks post and share upcoming training and certification opportunities their camps are hosting. We’ve compiled that list along with other trainings folks are offering including:

Challenge Course/Ropes
First Aid and First Responder
Lifeguard and Water Safety
Computer Competency
Programs
Shooting Sports
Watercraft
Horses

If you know of a training not listed, please email bud@acanewengland.org, and we’ll add it.
Thanks again!

Associate Visitor Course
2024-04-25 09:30 - 18:00 | Wheeler School Farm Campus, 357 Walker St, Seekonk, MA, 02771
ACA New England needs YOU to join an amazing team of volunteers! Join us for our next Associate Visitor Course.
This course is an in-person training. Participants must attend all learning sessions over the timeframe to successfully become an accreditation volunteer. This course requires active participation and engagement.
ACA’s accreditation program is the only national peer review program of its kind for the camp industry. Being an ACA visitor provides you with the experience to build your network, polish your skills in observation and risk management, and develop mentoring opportunities for both you and the camps you work with. As much as you give to this experience, you’ll also gain new ideas, perspectives, and approaches to the mission-driven work of the camp industry.
Additional Information

Contact Elizabeth Snell, Director of Accreditation Services, with questions.
Course will be held in person.
Preregistration for this course is required.
Lunch is provided.
There is an online portion that must be completed prior to the in person portion of this course.

Coffee & Camp Chat 4/12
2024-04-12 10:00 - 11:00 | Tradewing
Send any questions you’d like to address to bud@acanewengland.org and we’ll include them in the conversation.
Coffee & Camp Chat is a bi-weekly discussion among summer camp people! Sip your favorite beverage as we share insights, swap stories, and discuss trends in camping. Cozy into your Friday with fellow camp folk while we brew ideas, forge connections, and remind each other why there’s no place like camp!
ACCESS: C&CC is open to everyone in camping. However, we host these gatherings through the New England Camp Community (ACA, New England’s members platform). If you are not currently an ACA, New England member and you’d like to join us for Coffee & Camp Chat, please reach out to bud@acanewengland.org. He’ll help you with your one-time setup, so you can join us for all future chats.
HOW TO JOIN:
How to Find and Access Events (Video with Narration)
How to Find and Access Events (Step by Step Guide)
FOR NEW ENGLAND MEMBERS: If it’s your first time logging into the New England Camp Community, and you need help, please refer to our NE Camp Community page or email bud@acanewengland.org.

Accreditation Process Workshop (Hybrid)
2024-04-09 09:30 - 12:30 | ACA New England Office, 80 Westview St, Lexington, MA, 02421
This course is designed to provide an overview of the ACA Accreditation Process.
Every camp being visited in 2024 must have at least one person who completes this course on behalf of the camp; that person must actively assist in preparation for the accreditation visit, be engaged in on-site operations during the camp season, and participate fully in the on-site accreditation visit.
The April 9th Accreditation Process Workshop will be offered in a Hybrid format, You may attend the session in person or virtually via Zoom. Multiple people from a camp are encouraged to take this course.
Participants feel excited, engaged, and ready to manage the accreditation process for their camp. They know where to find and how to use information, resources, and technology provided by ACA. They can navigate the Accreditation Process Guide v.2019 to understand compliance and applicability of standards, including how to maintain accreditation through the visit and non-visit years and the purpose and steps of preparing written documentation.

Additional Information

It will be offered in a Hybrid format, You may attend in person or virtually via Zoom.
Please indicate how you will attend in the registration.

SOLO Wilderness First Aid (THREE OFFERINGS)
2024-04-06 08:00 - 2024-04-07 17:00 | Function Hall @ Wasserman Park, 116 Naticook Rd, Merrimack, NH, United States
Do you like to spend time outdoors? Accidents happen; if you or someone in your group got hurt, would you know what to do? People get hurt, sick, or lost. Many back country emergencies are preventable and even when bad things happen, sometimes the wrong care can make things worse.
Wilderness First Aid is the perfect course for the outdoor enthusiast or trip leader who wants more than basic level of first aid training for short trips with family, friends, and outdoor groups. The 16 hour long (two-day) program focuses on the skills of: Response and Assessment, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Environmental Emergencies, Survival Skills, Soft Tissue Injuries, and Medical Emergencies.
Those who complete the course and pass the written and practical skills will receive a Wilderness First Aid certification from SOLO which is valid for 2 years.
Optional CPR Training
An optional Adult CPR Certification Course will be offered on Saturday evening for an additional fee of $50.00 for those who would like to get certified. While certification is recommended; it is not required.
Certification Received: Participants successfully completing the course will receive
This 2-day course is being offered three times: 4/6-7, 4/27-28, 5/25-26

2024 ACA, New England Annual Meeting
2024-04-05 09:00 - 10:00 | Zoom
This is your Association. We hope you can join us, participate, and hear about what’s happening around New England and how we’re working on the wants, needs, and questions most relevant to shaping a better path ahead for all camps.

State of the Association
Introduce New Board Members
Hear from Board Leadership
Celebrate and Recognize Members
Survey First Takes
What’s Next for New England?

April 5, 9am-10am
Should you have questions regarding the Annual Meeting, please reach out to Michele@acanewengland.org or ianmoorhouse@wheelerschool.org

Hot Topics w/EPIC - April 2024
2024-04-01 14:30 - 15:30 | Zoom

Youth Mental Health First Aid (Blended Course) (FULL)
2024-04-01 09:00 - 14:30
As of 3/8/24 this course is FULL and cannot accept any additional registrations.
ACA, New England is not offering additional courses this spring focused solely on camp professionals, but additional spring dates are available through this link: https://www.collaborative.org/event/youth-mental-health-blended/
Youth Mental Health First Aid
(BLENDED COURSE: Online pre-work and live in-person course)
This is an 8-hour education program that teaches partcipants how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 12-18.Youth Mental Health First Aid uses group activity, role-playing and simulations to demonstrate how to assess a mental health crisis; select interventions and provide initial help; and connect young people to professional, peer, social, and self-help care. The course covers:

Common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and substance use challenges in this age group.
How to interact with a child or adolescent in crisis.
How to connect the youth with help.
Expanded content on trauma, substance use, self-care and the impact of social media and bullying.

This course is offered in a two-part format and both components must be completed to earn your certification:

2.5 hours of pre-work must be completed by Thursday, March 28
5.5 hour live, virtual course from 9:00 am – 2:30 pm on Monday, April 1

What will participants learn? This course teaches participants the risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health challenges common among adolescents, including anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders, AD/HD, disruptive behavior disorders, and substance use disorder.
Participants do not learn to diagnose, nor how to provide any therapy or counseling – rather, participants learn to support a youth developing signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in an emotional crisis by applying a core five-step action plan. The Youth Mental Health First Aid USA curriculum is primarily focused on information participants can use to help adolescents and transition-age youth, ages 8-18.
Who should take this course? The course is designed for any adults who regularly interact with adolescents who are ACA, New England members or who work at camps located in Western Massachusetts. *We are able to provide this course free of charge to ACA, New England members thanks to a SAMHSA grant.*
Who created the course? Who created the course? The National Council for Mental Wellbeing was instrumental in bringing Mental Health First Aid to the U.S. Mental Health First Aid USA worked with experts at the National Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Mental Health at the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development to develop the youth program.
Mental Health First Aid Instructors through Mental Health First Aid:

Kayla Crowe
Joanne Dreher

This course is FREE for ACA, New England members and folks who work at camps in Western Massachusetts. You MUST register by March 6 and complete your pre-work completion by March 28 receive access to the live virtual course on April.
*Because this course results in a certification, attendees must fully participate in the entire program.*
Space is limited to 30 participants!
Register: As of 3/8/24 this course is FULL and cannot accept any additional registrations. If you are already registered, additional communication about the course will come from the course instructor/ the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. You will receive a Zoom link for the live portion of the course 24 hours prior to the session.
Registrations are non-refundable, but may be transferred to another eligible individual prior to the start of the event (provided there is enough time for that individual to complete the mandatory pre-work).
Once you register through ACA, New England, you will receive an email with additional details on how to access the pre-work through the Mental Health First Aid Portal. Please allow time to receive that email. All pre-work must be completed by Thursday, March 28 to ensure you are qualified to attend the in-person component of the program.
A minimum of 10 and maximum of 30 registered participants is required for the program to run.
Questions, reach out to Kerry Salvo, Director of Education and Professional Development at kerry@acanewengland.org or 781-541-6080 ext. 104.

Coffee & Camp Chat 3/29
2024-03-29 10:00 - 11:00 | Tradewing
