Pre-Conference
Our pre-conference day takes place on the Monday before the conference begins and allows attendees to focus on a specific topic of interest for an extended amount of time outside of the general conference session blocks. Attendees can take a deep dive into various topics including mental health, camp jobs, being a new director or matters important to EPICs (Emerging professionals in camping). They can also take the time to take become an ACA Visitor by taking the Associate Visitors Course.
EPIC Pre-Conference
Mastering Managing Up
Elevate your professional relationships by mastering the essential skill of “managing up” in our dynamic pre-conference workshop. Featuring inspirational presentations by seasoned camp professionals and practical sessions, you will discover how to effectively align with your supervisors while honoring your own professional boundaries. Learn how to navigate diverse communication styles, conflict resolution strategies, and authentic self-advocacy. You will leave equipped with tangible takeaways and the confidence to level up your working relationships and unlock your full career potential.
Price: $45 per person
Time: 1:30pm – 5:00pm
New Director’s Orientation
Are you a new director at camp? This eight hour interactive ACA National course will provide an overview of key aspects of the camp director’s job and is intended for seasoned or new camp directors, assistant directors, program directors, or people who have been in other administrative positions and are considering directing camp in the near future. The course will cover many areas with a special focus offered on leadership, risk management, camper behavior, staff training and staff supervision. Upon completion of this one-day course, the ACA National office will mail you a certificate of completion, suitable for framing. Join Jackie Brethel and several experienced camp directors for this informative course.
Facilitated by Jackie Brethel
Price is $125 per attendee regardless of membership status.
Staffing Strategy Lab: Strengthen & Fill in the Gaps of Your 2026 Staffing Process
Project Real Job
Staffing Strategy Lab: Strengthen & Fill in the Gaps of Your 2026 Staffing Process
Staffing challenges look different for every camp—and every camp professional. This pre-conference session is built for leaders across experience levels, camp modes, and backgrounds who want practical, immediately usable staffing tools for the months leading up to summer 2026 (and beyond).
Using a “choose-your-own-adventure” format, participants will work through a flexible framework to strengthen recruiting, hiring, belonging, and retention practices. Through self-assessments, targeted micro-learning and work sessions, and coaching support from Project Real Job team members, attendees will develop individualized, actionable plans that can be implemented right away.
With limited time and bandwidth in mind, this session focuses on leaving with something finished: clearer priorities, concrete next steps, and proven strategies based on what camp pros need most—creative recruiting, inclusive community-building, streamlined hiring, and meaningful retention.
Whether you’re looking for fresh messaging for today’s emerging leaders, more effective interview techniques, ways to build belonging leading up to the start of camp, or year-round strategies to grow and keep your best people, this session meets you where you are and helps you move forward with confidence.
Price: $59 per person
Time: 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Youth Mental Health First Aid USA is a public education program that introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds an understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Mental Health First Aid uses 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.
Workshop costs $35 per attendee.
BIPOC Pre-Conference Workshop
More details coming soon. This pre-conference is for anyone of any racialized experience/of any continuously marginalized culture. Starting with a group activity, Surviving to Thriving, and then breaking into smaller groups covering Being a Staff of Color at a PWI, Advocating for Campers of Color, Organizing and more. This will be a time to connect, network, learn and grow within an affinity space.
Price: $29 per person
Associate Visitor Course
Becoming an ACA Standards Visitor is one of the best ways to give back to ACA and the camp community! It also allows you the opportunity to see other camps and gain new ideas for your program. We are offering this course in a 1-day in-person format that can easily be added for free to your Tri-State week. In the Associate Visitor Course, participants identify the purpose and structure of ACA’s accreditation program and become familiar with the legal implications of visitor actions, as well as develop skills in information gathering, making compliance decisions and consistently applying the standards in a variety of situations. Attendees must be at least twenty-one years of age, a current ACA member and have completed an ACA Accreditation Process Workshop.
Presented by TQAMP in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign
Joy is the Agenda: A Gathering for Queer, Trans & Allied Camp Pros
Join us for a joy-filled Pre-Conference designed specifically for Queer, Trans*, and Allied camp and youth working professionals. In this 5-hour immersive session, we’ll begin in joy — building connection, community, and laughter — and end in advocacy, learning how to tell our stories for impact using Human Rights Campaign’s Voices for Equality: Storytelling to Change Hearts and Minds curriculum combined with insights from their Welcoming Schools Advocacy Guide for LGBTQ+ youth-serving adults.
Whether you’re hoping to shift hearts and minds, elevate your own journey, or simply be held in the power of shared experience, this space is for you. Together, we’ll center:
- Joy – as a source of resistance, resilience, and connection
- Community – because we heal and grow best in spaces that see us
- Storytelling – to equip you with tools to share your truth with purpose
Come as you are. Leave with new tools, new community, and renewed energy for the work ahead.
Workshop is FREE, thanks to the generosity of the HRC.
Presented by Emergency Care Health & Safety
First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor Course
Become a First Aid / CPR / AED Instructor and train your own staff after being certified.
Course is run by Emergency Care Health and Safety. ACA, NY & NJ has no oversighted or decision making authority over this course.
Runs on Monday March 9, 2026 from 11:00am to 5:30pm and Tuesday March 10, 2026 from 8:00am to 10:00am.
Price is $300 per person
No pre-registration required
First-Timer’s Orientation
First time at Tri-State? Make the most of your conference time by attending the First Timer’s Orientation where you will have a brief overview of Tri-State, Atlantic City and the must-do events of the conference. This program will help you to determine what goals are most important to you and your profession while at the conference and will also give you the opportunity to meet other first timers that you can look forward to seeing around the conference! Don’t miss the opportunity to be in the know before the conference even begins!
FREE TO ATTEND and no pre-registration required
