The following key messages are designed
to help assist you in developing press materials,
including press releases. They can also
be used as your key messages during media
interviews.
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| We are accredited
by the American Camp Association, a
national nonprofit association working
to preserve, promote, and enhance the
camp experience for children and adults. |
| With up to 300 health,
safety, and programming standards,
ACA is the only national association
that accredits camps. |
| ACA has nearly a
century of experience as a national
community of camp professionals dedicated
to enriching the lives of children
and adults through the camp experience. |
| ACA-Accreditation® indicates
that a camp has voluntarily allowed
its practices to be compared with standards
established by professionals in the
camp industry. |
| ACA standards are
recognized by courts of law and government
regulators as the standards of the
camp industry. |
ACA accreditation
is a parent’s best evidence that
a camp is committed to a child’s
health and safety.
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| Adult camps are a
growing segment of the camp community.
Like their counterparts in youth camps,
adult specialty camps can also focus
on team building exercises and self-esteem
issues. |
| Adult camps offer
an oasis of wholesome fun in a hectic
and stressful world. |
Many camps provide
physical challenges and thrilling adventures
for the young at heart.
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| The mission of the
American Camp Association is enriching
the lives of children, youth, and adults
through the camp experience. |
| ACA's over 7,000
members encompass all segments of the
camp profession, including agencies
serving youth and adults, independent
camps, religious and fraternal organizations,
and public/municipal agencies. |
ACA is the largest
association serving the organized camp
industry.
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| An independent research
firm, Philliber Research Associates,
conducted the largest study of camper
outcomes in the United States. |
| The research found
that 96 percent of children said that
camp helped them make new friends and
92 percent of children found that the
people at camp helped them feel good
about themselves. |
| Many young people
who attend camp experience an increase
in their self-esteem and are able to
establish a true sense of independence
apart from their families. |
Camp is an element
in a child’s total development
and it complements the academic skills
that are learned in school with experientially-based
life skills.
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| While fees to attend
camp vary, fees generally range from
$201 to $400 per week for resident camps,
and day camps range from $75 to $300
per week. |
| Ninety percent of
camps offer some sort of financial
assistance to families, usually in
the form of "camperships." Camperships
can cover a portion or all of the camp
enrollment fees. |
| Nearly 65 percent
of ACA-accredited camps offer some
level of financial assistance to over
one million children who are from
underserved or lower-income families,
have special medical needs, or special
situations that might preclude them
from attending camp. |
There is a camp for
every budget.
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| Social and business
networks are critical in the 21st century. |
Camps working with
the corporate world give adults the
opportunity to develop/practice critical
competencies such as trust building,
communication, and critical thinking
to achieve collective success and
teamwork.
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| In the past 15 years,
the number of accredited camps reporting
family camping has increased 215 percent.
The YMCA reports that family camps
have increased more than 500 percent
in the past 12 years. |
| Family camps help
parents who are looking for a healthy,
positive experience to have with their
children, allowing them to bond, grow
closer and build relationships as
a family. |
Family camps offer
cross-generational activities that
produce positive outcomes that continue
after the camp experience.
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| As always, camp directors
are responding to the needs of their
campers in an ever-changing society. |
For generations the
camp community has nurtured the souls
of children, youth, and families.
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| The American Camp
Association is a leader in health and
safety standards for camps. |
| The daily activities
that make summer camps so memorable
offer an added benefit to youth: healthful
exercise. |
| A summer experience
at camp is the perfect prescription
for keeping children active and healthy. |
Camp wellness programs
improve the health habits of the campers
with activities tailored to the age
and developmental levels of the children.
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| Homesickness is,
above all, a normal feeling. It is the
natural result of separating from home
and loved ones. |
| Opportunities for
children to experience healthy, successful
separation, help a child discover
who they are and to recognize their
strengths. |
| In a recent study,
nearly 96 percent of all boys and girls
who were spending two weeks or more
at overnight camp reported some homesickness
on at least one day. |
One way to minimize
homesickness is to involve the child
in the process of choosing a camp. The
more that the child owns the decision,
the more comfortable the child will
feel being at camp.
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| Camp is a great place
for children to unlock their potential
and discover the world. This special
environment helps young people develop
positive self-esteem and enhance their
social skills while having fun! |
| ACA offers resources
to help families find the right camp
for every child. Visit our family-dedicated
Web site—www.CampParents.org
–which not only helps parents
search for the right camp through our
extensive database, but also offers
information on a variety of child and
youth development issues. |
| ACA has CAMP
e-News – an
online newsletter designed to share
the joy of the camp experience with
families and answer their many questions
about how to choose the appropriate
camp for their child. |
ACA has 24 local
offices around the country that provide
help to parents as they search for camps
in that particular region. Parents can
find the office in the region they are
interested in by visiting www.CampParents.org.
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| The industry has
been very responsive to the needs
and interests of our ever-changing
population
– young and adult campers. |
| The diversity of
camps today reflects the diversity
of America. There is a camp for
every interest – from a soccer
camp to weight loss camp. |
ACA values diversity
and inclusion – a community of
camp professionals dedicated to enriching
lives through the camp experience.
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| The camp community
recognizes that the camp experience
should be accessible to all children.
A physical, medical, or mental disability
is not a roadblock for a camp experience. |
| Each year more than
a million special needs children benefit
from summer camp. Some camps specialize
in serving certain groups while other
camps integrate special-needs campers
into the total camp population. |
A camp’s terrain
or activity level may make it difficult
to accommodate children with special
needs. Parents should work with the
camp to determine safety and medical
accommodations, mainstreamed programming,
and appropriate facilities.
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| More than 12,000
day and resident camps exist in the
United States. |
| Each year more than
11 million children and adults attend
camp. |
Nonprofit groups,
including youth agencies and religious
organizations, operate approximately
8,000 camps, and 4,000 are privately
owned independent for-profit operators.
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| Technology at camp
does not need to infringe upon the beauty
of camp independence, but it can give
the parent a means to feel connected. |
Technology at camp
can enhance all the positive aspects
of the camp environment.
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| Camps continuously
discover new and vital ways to promote
learning through partnerships with
parents and children, with home and
camp, and with school and camp. |
In an ACA survey,
75 percent of camp directors reported
adding new activities and programs over
the last few years. The newest program
additions in recent years are challenging
and adventurous activities, including
high and low ropes courses, climbing
walls, zip lines, backpacking, mountain
biking, and cave exploring.
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| Child obesity affects
one in five children in the United States. |
| Each summer, the
more than 5,000 overnight camps and
more than 7,000 day camps provide leadership
and promote healthy, active living
to campers. |
In the camp community,
children and youth participate in healthy
activities that contribute to the growth
of healthy habits.
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