Tri-State

“From Nit to Know-How”—The Science. The Search. The Solution to Calm and Effective Head Lice Management
2026-03-11 15:15 - 16:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | Room 417
Head lice can feel like a big disruption at camp, but it doesn’t have to be. In this workshop, lice professionals Laurene Plourde and Jill Bazos, will share proven strategies to keep lice from becoming a stressful memory for campers, staff, and parents. We’ll walk through the science of lice, dispel common myths, and provide a clear, step-by-step process for effective head checks and treatment procedures. Participants will learn what supplies and systems every camp should have in place, how to minimize disruptions when lice are discovered, and how to decide whether to manage checks in-house or bring in a professional. Our goal is to ensure every camp leaves equipped with confidence and actionable steps for a stress-free lice management process.

Fostering Camp Culture Through Data-Driven Program Innovation
2026-03-11 15:15 - 16:15 | Room 322
Creating a safe, transformative camp experience requires more than supervision and policies – it demands intentional design grounded in data and continuous improvement. This session explores how Change Summer uses Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) data and strategies to drive program innovation and cultivate environments where campers thrive and are safe. We believe safety and emotional well-being are directly correlated, and ensure both are incorporated into our camp culture and our program. We’ll share how we created tailored, data-driven camper surveys, how we interpret our data insights to shape programming and culture, and how we are continuing to innovate the way we measure our impact.

Get Active! Vendor Make-and-Take
2026-03-11 15:15 - 16:15
Join us as we gather to make easy and fun projects that you can take with you when you are done. This is a great session to pick up new ideas for quick and easily implemented projects for your camp’s Arts and Crafts, STEM, Nature programs and more.

Preventing Homesickness and Promoting Adjustment
2026-03-11 15:15 - 16:15 | Room 303
Time away from home is always challenging, for campers as well as staff, whether they are new or returning. Why let intense feelings of missing home—which 20% of young people feel—get in the way of enjoying the awesome programs you offer? With the right tools, your camp can prevent debilitating homesickness and promote positive adjustment to time away from home. Learn how to prevent “pick-up deals,” create positive expectations, and help everyone feel like camp is their home away from home!

AI Playground: Hands-On Tools for Camp Professionals
2026-03-11 15:15 - 16:15 | Room 419
Curious about AI but not sure where to start? Already experimenting but want to go deeper? Pull up a chair at the AI Playground, a roundtable session designed for camp professionals at every comfort level. Six tables, six AI tools, six real camp scenarios. Each table is hosted by a camp professional who will walk you through a live demo of an AI tool solving a problem you actually face: drafting parent emails, generating staff training materials, building a rainy day craft project from a photo of your supply closet, creating a custom camp song, and more. No tech background required. Pick a table, watch a demo, ask questions, and rotate to try a second tool. You will leave with practical skills you can use this summer and a handout with links and prompts to keep experimenting on your own.
Hosted by the Tech at Camp Affinity Group. This session is for all levels, from AI-curious beginners to experienced users. Bring a laptop or phone if you have one (but not required).

ACA Virginias Gathering
2026-03-11 16:30 - 17:30 | Room 418

Nonprofit Camps Meet and Greet
2026-03-11 16:30 - 17:30 | Room 403

Outdoor Educators Meet and Greet
2026-03-11 16:30 - 17:30 | Room 419

Playshop: A Workshop of Play and Community
2026-03-11 16:30 - 18:00 | Room 202
This “Playshop” is an interactive introduction to Playworks’ approach—and you’re part of the fun. In 90 minutes of play and community building, participants will explore:

Inclusive games and activities for campers of all ages
Group management and facilitation techniques that promote positive engagement
Staff, equipment, and space systems that support successful programming
Additional Playworks resources to strengthen your team and camp culture

Join Playworks to get moving, connect with fellow conference attendees, and leave inspired—with practical tools and resources to make this your best camp year yet.

Playworks is the leading national nonprofit using the power of play to help children thrive. For more than 30 years, we have partnered with schools and community-based organizations to promote healthy behaviors, strengthen social-emotional learning, and create safe, inclusive environments where kids feel connected and engaged.
We believe joyful, safe play builds more than skills—it builds character. Through play, children develop compassion, cooperation, integrity, and resilience, forming an inner compass that supports lifelong growth. Grounded in fairness, respect, and teamwork, Playworks programs nurture children’s physical, social, and emotional well-being while strengthening the adults and systems that support them.
Playworks offers capacity-building trainings for educators, youth-serving staff, and families. Led by expert trainers, these interactive workshops share proven, youth-development–informed strategies to engage young people, prevent and redirect challenging behavior, strengthen group management, and expand opportunities for learning and resilience.

Camps on Campus Gathering
2026-03-11 16:30 - 18:30 | Room 405/406

Everybody Dance Now!: A 90s Dance Party Celebrating 2SLGBTQIA+ & Allies
2026-03-11 20:00 - 2026-03-12 00:00 | Byrdcage AC, 3426 Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ, 08401, United States
From MTV TRL classics to dance-floor anthems, TRL: Everybody Dance Now! is a 90s throwback celebration of LGBTQIA+ joy, community, and their allies who show up. Bring your best 90s energy and dance like it’s 1999—everyone’s invited, and neon/90s attire is encouraged!
The dance floor is on the 2nd floor. DJ Triple B will begin at 9 pm. Byrdcage AC is a restaurant, so feel free to come early for dinner or mingling. There is also an outside firepit area open all night for anyone looking for a place to hang, without the music.

Campchella
2026-03-11 22:00 - 2026-03-12 02:00 | Kiss Kiss Nightclub, 2801 Pacific Ave Suite 308, Atlantic City, NJ, 08401
Campchella is Tri-State’s late-night celebration! Hosted inside Kiss Kiss Nightclub at the Tropicana, the event transforms a neon-lit nightclub into a high-energy gathering place for camp professionals from across the country.
Attendees can expect a full nightclub experience curated by the Magen Group, complete with DJs, lighting, and an atmosphere designed for connection, nostalgia, and fun. Campchella blends the spirit of camp with the energy of Atlantic City nightlife, offering a space to unwind, dance, and reconnect with old and new friends after a full day at the conference.

Please note the ACA, NY & NJ is not responsible for or a decision maker on this event.

Getting Comfortable With Your Budget: A Crash Course in Fiscal Management
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 301
Let’s be honest – most of us didn’t get into camping because we love spreadsheets. But budgets shape everything we do: what we can build, who we can hire, and how we show up for our campers.
This crash course is for camp leaders who want to finally feel confident talking about money. We’ll walk through what a camp budget really means, then jump into hands-on “what if” challenges. What if enrollment drops mid-season? What if we actually make more money than expected? You’ll practice adjusting, prioritizing, and explaining your decisions in ways that make sense to boards, families, and staff.
You’ll leave with simple tools, real examples, and the confidence to stop dodging the finance talk—because leading well means owning the numbers, not fearing them.

From Hookup Culture to Consent Culture: How to Make the Difficult Transition
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 314
When camp staff arrive at the beginning of each summer, they are not blank slates. Hookup culture, the harmful sexual culture on high school and college campuses today, has far-reaching impacts on the way our staff have learned to conceptualize sex, romance, and intimacy. To foster a healthy, professional culture among staff, camps have the opportunity to address hookup culture and consent in their staff training and cultural expectations. Building a culture that celebrates consent and self-advocacy skills will also allow us to do the most important thing of all: care for our campers better. This session will allow camp leaders to understand the hookup culture their staff are entrenched in outside of camp and build the tools to take tangible steps towards building a consent culture this summer.

Where Does the Soup Go? Lessons Learned From an Anxious Kid... Who Grew into a Teen
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 417
Years ago, my son’s first camp experience came wrapped in tears, fear, and overwhelming anxiety, an experience that changed how my team approached camp. Now older, his worries have grown and shifted, offering new lessons about supporting teens. Back by popular demand, this session expands on the beloved “Where Does the Soup Go?” presentation.
Together, we’ll explore the reality of anxiety for both brain and body, the unique benefits and challenges that summer camps bring for anxious youth, and how staff can adapt their approach as campers grow.
Participants will leave with practical strategies to support anxious campers with empathy and humor, tools to help teens build belonging and resilience, and actionable steps to train and empower staff to better meet the needs of today’s campers.

Creating a Camp Culture People Want To Be A Part Of
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 310
The best camps intentionally build cultures where campers and staff feel seen, valued, and inspired to return year after year. This session explores practical ways to create a positive, inclusive, mission-driven camp culture through strong values, intentional onboarding, meaningful traditions, and authentic leadership. Learn how to foster belonging, promote staff ownership, and prevent burnout or culture drift. Help your camp become a community people are proud to be part of long after summer ends.

From Florida Man to The Bear - Lessons Learned in the Kitchen
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 315
For 29 summers, Iain has lived the camp and camp kitchen life from washing dishes to running a resident camp. In this lively session, he shares lessons learned along the way: the meals that worked (and didn’t), camper feedback, silly traditions, and how his kitchen evolved into one of the highest-rated parts of camp. Discover what makes a camp dining experience truly memorable, explore your own non-negotiables, and leave inspired with a few new ideas and maybe a craving for Taco Tuesday.

Responding to Racially Charged Language Among Campers using the "Speak Up Superpowers" Framework
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 311
“Go back to Mexico or I’ll report you to ICE” one of your counselors overheard their camper jokingly say this to a Latinx camper and is asking for your help to address it. As adults in charge of camper safety, we need tools and strategies to address racially charged language among campers. In this interactive workshop, we will begin by recognizing how unconscious beliefs can influence interactions and interpretations. Using real-life camp scenarios, we’ll then apply the “Speak Up Superpowers” framework along with an understanding of applicable frameworks, and a sense that addressing racially charged incidents is an ongoing learning process that requires active participation and continuous growth.

Painted Projects for All
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00
Paint, painting, painted can be so many different things. Come explore different uses of paints, and different types of simple paints. Join in the fun as we colorfully paint our way to making several unique crafts with string, paper, water, rocks, and paint. Participants can expect to create 2-3 crafts in a supportive, fun environment and leave with directions and ideas for many more painting projects.

The Power of the Narrative: Using Storytelling to Transform Your Camp
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 322
In this session, we will move beyond treating stories as simple anecdotes and instead learn how to craft and deploy them to solve concrete challenges. Participants will learn how storytelling can transform a camp’s identity into a compelling brand, communicate a unified vision to staff and stakeholders, elevate routine training into memorable, impactful lessons, enrich program areas to foster deeper camper engagement, and build an unshakeable bond of trust with parents. Specifically, this workshop will provide staff with a practical toolkit of narrative frameworks and prompts, enabling them to tell powerful stories that inspire action, build community, and foster a deeper connection to instructional objectives and the camp’s mission. By the end of this session, attendees will not just understand the theory of storytelling; they will have a practical toolkit to immediately implement, creating a more cohesive, engaging, and successful camp community.

The Inside-Out Camp: How to Prioritize Your Staff
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00
What is the true engine of an unforgettable camp experience? This session explores the powerful “Inside-Out” leadership model, a framework built on one core principle: a thriving camp starts from within. Leo, a camp leader with over 15 years of field-tested experience, will demonstrate how prioritizing the staff journey—their growth, well-being, and sense of purpose—creates a powerful ripple effect across the entire camp. Discover practical strategies to build an exceptional staff experience that directly translates into higher staff retention, deeper camper engagement, and a vibrant, self-sustaining culture. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to focus on their team and unlock their camp’s true potential.

How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Camp Operations
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00
This session explores how emerging technologies are already reshaping the way camps operate, with examples like automated medical form processing, camper intake profiles that surface important insights, time-saving email and communication tools, and AI-assisted staff hiring processes. Attendees will see how “Efficiency AI” can streamline operations and how “Opportunity AI” can open new frontiers in safety, camper experience, and personalized parent engagement. Participants will leave with clear, actionable ideas for integrating AI into their own camp operations.

From Interview to Arrival: Building a Strong Staff Onboarding Experience Before Day One
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 408/409
At Woodmont Day Camp, onboarding our staff doesn’t begin at orientation—it starts the moment they are invited to interview. In this session, we’ll walk through the systems and strategies we use to initiate communication and subsequently prepare our staff before they even arrive at camp. From interview tools to pre-season emails, and even an online introductory “course,” learn how we’ve designed our onboarding process to build excitement, confidence, and connection long before our staff ever sets foot on camp for orientation.

Awesome Activities: Teaching Staff (and Campers!) to Handle Challenges and Make Decisions with Flexibility, Confidence, and Creativity
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 303
Join us to play, learn, and take it all back home to your staff team! Staff leaders are frequently reporting that many (not all) of our team members have increased difficulty with “solving problems on the spot”. To their credit, many staff don’t move forward for fear of doing things “wrong” or when they haven’t been given explicit directions about what to do in a specific situation. In response, Michael has designed some great ways to use “playing with a purpose” to boost their skills in approaching challenges with greater initiative, skill, creativity, calmness, and confidence. Learn how to get them to ask for support even when reluctant to do so. Most importantly, he’ll demonstrate with the concept of “point of concentration” how to explain to staff the one key secret to improvising solutions when we haven’t been told exactly how to handle something. These are quick bursts of experiential learning that can be used and practiced in staff training before and after campers arrive.

The "Unknown Known" Magic of the Campfire: The Serious Work of Making Fun
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 309
We all know that getting camp culture right is one of the critical factors that lead to lasting success or closing our gates. Too often, we rely on what we’ve always done or chase after the newest trend without ever looking at what research actually tells us. We know what we’re doing even if we struggle to articulate what we know, but frankly, we don’t have time for academics. However, there are scholars—some with camp backgrounds—who take camp culture seriously. They test what we assume, study what we don’t fully understand, and uncover insights we might never see on our own. Their work often lies hidden in academic journals, but it has practical lessons that can strengthen and evolve our programs. This session introduces scholars whose research sheds light on camp culture. Participants will leave with clear, usable takeaways to get camp culture right.

Health Center Staffing: Diversity in Roles and Needs
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 421
Camps have diverse profiles, locations, and operations. This means that there is no one particular health service model that works for everyone. This session will discuss the many variables that impact the decision of camp leadership on how to most effectively and safely staff health services.

Helping Camp Parents Thrive: Supporting their Campers, Setting Expectations, and Letting Go
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 302
As summer camps increasingly serve as crucial developmental experiences for children, parents are navigating more complex emotions around separation, trust, and control. This session, led by a Psychotherapist, Camp Wellness Advisor, and former Camp Director, will explore how camps can play an active role in supporting not just campers, but their parents as well.
Participants will learn how to communicate with families in a way that validates their concerns while reinforcing boundaries that protect the camper experience. We’ll discuss strategies to help parents prepare for the emotional transition of camp drop-off, manage their need for control, and avoid over-involvement that may undermine their child’s independence. The session will also address why more communication, updates, or access isn’t always better-and how to help parents understand and respect this.

CIT Program Development = Strong Future Leadership
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 308
We all know and have experienced the staffing challenge. Each year, we look for a new and creative solution to add to our hiring strategies. and camps mustn’t overlook the importance of building and maintaining a strong CIT Program. Your best staff is there, in camp, in the making. Camps need to ensure their CIT Program is effective and producing future staff. Most importantly, the CIT participants need to experience and feel their summer experience is one of professional and personal growth, and that being a camp counselor is an important step into their future endeavors. Come ready to evaluate, share, and build your CIT program. You will walk away with a clearer direction and incentive to spend time evaluating and building this essential feeder program.

Growing a Camper and Staff MESH Program - A Case Study
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 313
This roundtable chat will explore one camp’s progression of MESH (Mental, Emotional, Social Health) support for staff and campers. From sporadic virtual consulting to the development of an on-site MESH department, Frost Valley YMCA has continued to invest in the well-being of its stakeholders and has seen the benefits. You’ll hear from Frost Valley’s mental health consultant, who has been working with the camp since the inception of the program, as well as its new on-site MESH Director. You’ll also hear insights from members of the Frost Valley director team, who can share about some of the successes and setbacks faced over the years. They’ll share about prioritizing MESH in the budget, thoughts on creating and implementing intentional policies, and more! Camp leaders who are considering making an investment in the mental, emotional, and social well-being of their campers and staff can’t miss this! Folks who have created MESH programs and roles are encouraged to come share their stories and experiences.

We Get to Do This: Increasing Retention through Staff Engagement
2026-03-12 09:00 - 10:00 | Room 402
When the day starts, does your staff think “I have to go to work” or “I get to go to work”? Getting to go to work means our staff members understand the purpose of their jobs, they feel appreciated, and they have fun! This highly interactive session includes a mix of thought-provoking discussion as well as dynamic activities to encourage camp leaders to increase the engagement level of the staff they lead as a key tool to help increase staff retention.
