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What's in it for Me?
15 Knock-out Rewards for ACA-accredited Camps

1. Continual pipeline of expert advice
Experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Red Cross, etc. continually work with ACA to improve our camp standards program. ACA accreditation expands the expertise of your board of advisers. You can have access to experts in risk management, child development, aquatics, and health care to name a few.

2. Round-the-clock reassurance
All summer long ACA-accredited camps have access to a Crisis Hotline. Trained staff help you work through your options in a serious situation and offer a supportive ear right when you need it.

3. Encouragement and mentoring
The standards process provides encouragement. Seasoned standards instructors and visitors become your peers and lend you their own personal experience with ACA accreditation. They want you to succeed. Meeting standards is a process of continual learning and encouragement from your initial training through your standards visit.

4. Risk management
The accreditation process equips you to identify and manage your specific risk areas, evaluate your practices, and establish critical thinking for you and your staff. ACA's industry-accepted standards measure your camp's performance against identified best practices.

5. Savings on staff training
Accredited camps receive discounts on most educational events and ACA Bookstore items, and enjoy open charge account privileges. Many ACA training opportunities offer reduced prices for your entire staff.

6. Exclusive business discounts
ACA has negotiated special rates for accredited camps on a variety of essential business services. Credit card processing, staff recruitment services, long distance, pre-paid phone cards, and more. Many camps recoup their investment in service fees.

7. Ready-made template for quality
Parent expectations are high. They expect you to reach far beyond minimum requirements. The ACA Accreditation program offers an on-going tutorial in best practices.

8. Just-in-time knowledge
Ready-to-use knowledge on crucial issues like employment law, vehicle safety, camper violence, foreign registered nurses, staff screening, and more is available now. Plus, nearly every month you can receive either Camping Magazine or CampLine.

9. A friend in Washington
ACA's legislative monitoring and action has only one focus -- the camp experience. What's it worth to have the language clarified so camps aren't bound by unnecessary regulations? What's it worth to gain access to U.S. Forest lands when others are kept out or pay exorbitant fees? What's it worth to maintain your international staff exchange program?

10. Millions heard the camp story in a single year!
ACA's investment in the nationwide "Camp Gives Kids a World of Good" public awareness campaign has paid off big. Both the quantity and quality of the camp media coverage has increased dramatically since 1994. Better yet, camps report a 28 percent increase in camper enrollments over the past five years.

11. Dynamic staff services
Job openings can be listed in the Summer Jobs @ Camp and in the Year Round Jobs @ Camp year-round job service. Thousands of job seekers look at these services each month. High praise is coming in from both camps and job seekers.

12. ACA's Camp Database visited by families
ACA's Web site averages over 50,000 visitors each month and our ACA Camp Database features only ACA-accredited camps. Not only do families trust these camps, they can also find many ways to search for the ideal camp experience.

13. Use of ACA's trusted mark
The ACA-accredited sign is backed by fifty years of parent trust. This sign acknowledges parent concerns and provides proof positive of your accountability, credibility, and commitment.

14. A network of other professionals
Camp professionals come together at local meetings, regional and national training events. There are many ways to network with other people interested in the camp community.

15. More staff training with less of your time
You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Ensuring excellence can require weeks of one-on-one training. The accreditation process is a powerful substitute for a good portion of this personal training time. Accreditation is a disciplined management style that results in professional integrity and quality.

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