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Mark Your Calendars for the 2008 American
Camp Association National Conference!
Join a nationwide network of camp professionals and others furthering youth development
in Nashville, Tennessee, for the 2008 American Camp Association National Conference. Mark
February 12-15, 2008, on your calendar.
The benefits of camp are far reaching,
however; we often struggle to communicate
the value to those outside the experience. Our conference theme, "The
Strength of Many Voices," offers us a platform to explore ways to share
what we know, with new and expanded audiences, in a compelling way. Programs,
offered in a variety of learning formats, will address:
Youth Development and Behavior – Preparing
young people, through the camp experience,
for healthy, successful, and meaningful
lives. Topics may include:
exploring participant development and behavior in the areas of health and wellness,
bullying, etc.; program design; and other ways to build on the joy of camp and
link activities to desired outcomes.
Staff Training and Leadership – In
addition to critical areas in human resources
like skillfully recruiting, selecting,
managing, training, and motivating staff
and volunteers, we'll address goal setting,
leadership, outcomes attainment, youth
involvement in decision making, and developing
life skills on the job. Sessions that address
staff health and wellness will be highlighted.
Business and Operations – Learn
about successful fundraising strategies,
best practices in finance, risk management issues, strategic planning, site and
facility management, marketing innovations, environmental issues, food service,
transportation, technology solutions, and public policy.
Emerging Issues, Tools, and Strategies – We'll
devote significant program time to the
Just-in-Time learning needs, their potential
solutions, and the innovations that our
audience provides through highly participatory
sessions. Some
sessions will explore the adaptability of solutions provided by related organizations
to the camp community.
Innovative Programs and Activities – Sessions in this area will highlight
some of the creative and emerging programs that camps offer. You'll
take home some terrific ideas to add or modify your already successful program
design.
First-Time Attendees
— Making it the First ACA National Conference
of Many
We encourage first-time attendees to register
and fully participate in all the conference
has to offer. And, we're willing to
help. A special
session devoted to our first timers is scheduled right as the conference is about
to begin, on Tuesday, February 12. You won't be alone . . . we enjoy a
healthy newcomer group annually—roughly two hundred new participants each
year. Our goal is two-fold. We want you to feel like you've
immediately expanded your professional network. Additionally, we want
this to be a learning opportunity you to enjoy, year after year.
Camp Experts in Print
You don't have to wait until the conference
to browse the bookstore. Many
of our presenters make their works available through the ACA Bookstore, offered
through our exclusive publisher, Healthy Learning. If you prefer to thumb
through before you buy, we've got you covered. An extensive bookstore,
located in the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, will offer exciting new titles, time treasured
favorites, training DVDs, workbooks, CDs, and other must-haves for camp.
ACA
Exhibit Hall —
Learn, buy, eat, chat, see state-of-the-art
industry products, order, make new contacts,
and catch up with your long-time suppliers.
The
Gaylord Opryland Hotel —
A destination unto itself, the Gaylord
Opryland Hotel features a vast array
of entertainment, dining, shopping, and
recreation options, all under one roof—nine
indoor acres in fact! The resort complex includes a championship golf course
and a paddle wheel driven floating restaurant and entertainment venue. Recent
sleeping room renovations provide elegant accommodations at a value. Opry Mills
shopping is just steps away, and provides dining options for every budget. Sleeping
room rates are $160 single or double.
Get
to Know Nashville! We hope
your schedule allows for some time
to really get to know Nashville, through
its many interesting sites, tastes and venues. Visit the Ryman Auditorium, for
an historic and authentic taste of the music Nashville is known for best. Experience
the music at real honkytonks, and sample some of the South's most loved
barbeque, right downtown. Can't wait until spring to golf? We've
got you covered. You can golf just minutes from the Gaylord Opryland Resort.
The Voices of
Students – Join Us!
We're stronger as a community of
camp professionals when we actively seek
the participation of students. Full-time students holding ACA memberships
may register for the national conference at no charge. This is the ACA
way of saying, we want you here, and there's a place for you when your
formal studies end. Student Membership in ACA offers lifelong learning benefits.
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