Upcoming Events & Trainings
Calling all members, supporters, friends, and leaders of ACA Illinois! Join us for our quarterly meetings that will provide you with real time updates on matters important to our local membership and supporters.
Each meeting will cover different topics based on the time of year, but you can count on an update each meeting, including:
Who should attend?
Why attend?
Career Advancement: Staying up to dates on what's happening in the camp industry will position you as an active professional and help you stay knowledgeable about current trends and news. Opportunities are often shared that will aid in your career advancement; such as professional development, volunteering, and growing your network.
Camp Advancement: There is a lot to keep up with as a camp! Stay up to date on current trends, news, updates, and more, and position your camp as being prepared and “in the know.”
Accreditation: These meeting will always includes “What’s next!” in the Accreditation timeline. Be sure to attend so you don’t miss important deadlines or steps and can therefore maintain your Accreditation.
DFI Title XX: Each meeting will always include a “What’s next!” for the DFI Title XX Program, as well as other important updates. Attending will ensure you don’t miss any important details or steps.
Location/Style of Event:
This event is a live, virtual event and will utilize the Zoom Meeting platform. ACA Illinois will not record this event.
The Fine Print:
By registering and attending an ACA Illinois event or meeting, virtually or in-person you are agreeing to all the event policies listed here. These policies include the photo release, refund, link sharing, Code of Conduct, and other relative policies.
ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSED. Please email registration@acail.org if you are interested in registering.
Back for its 5th Summit, the Women in Camp Summit is an international gathering of women camp professionals. Perfect for all careers levels, the WICS focuses on centering women’s voices, offering specific professional development opportunities, and building a movement to advance women in the camp industry worldwide.
You can learn more about the summit, including the schedule, hotel information, and more at www.womenincampsummit.com.
Who is the Summit For?
The Summit is for all cis and trans women, as well as non binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women.
Where to Stay!
Staying onsite at the Crowne Plaza Chicago-Northbrook will give you the opportunity to immerse yourself into Women in Camp Summit. Give yourself the gift of being more present and avoid the hassle of commuting (and Chicago area traffic) by staying onsite. We have negotiated an incredibly low price of $99 per night.
You can book your room, one of two ways:
1. Use this special link to book directly online.
2. Call the hotel direction at 847-298-2525 and mention you are with the Women in Camp 2023 Conference to receive the special rate.
Location/Style of Event
This live event will take place in-person.
The Fine Print
You must pay for this event at time of registration. If you would like to pay by invoice/check, please contact registration@acail.org prior to registering.
How to Register
You must have a Member Profile to register for this event. If this is your first event with us, please click here to create a profile. It's free!
*If you registered for WICS 2023 by June 1, you will receive your limited edition fleece at the Summit.
This Information Session is for camps that are considering joining the DFI Title XX Camping Services Program for the first time.
More than 250,000 clients of IDHS have had the chance to attend camp because of the DFI Title XX Camping Services Program. Each year ACA Illinois works with camps who serve clients of IDHS to pay a portion of their camp fees. Join us to learn more about this unique program that has been going strong for more than 50 years!
This session will cover:
Qualifications for camps and agencies to join the program;
How the finances and match funds work;
Timeline and due dates for the application and billing seasons;
Outcome Reporting; and
And other relevant information that will help the participants understand the program.
Sign up today to see if your agency could access these funds!
Agencies that host a summer camp program for 5-17 years old and currently serve, or have a desire to serve, clients of IDHS. The Executive Director/CEO, CFO/Financial Director, Program/Camp Director, and/or Development Director.
Why Attend?
You should attend if you are interested in learning about this subsidy program and how your agency can access these funds.
How To Register
This training session will prepare participants in accessing and applying for DFI Title XX Camping Services Program and funding for the next summer season.
Timeline and due dates for applying;
Accessing and understanding all the documents required for applying;
Timeline for award notifications; and
And other important information needed to successfully apply for funding.
The person or persons responsible for completing the application. The person or person responsible for training frontline staff that will be processing registrations.
Having a clear understanding of the information and documents required for the application process is essential to success. Applications and Registration Forms with missing documents or incomplete/incorrect information may lose out on the opportunity to access funds.
This training session will help folks who are new to an organization that receives funds from the DFI Title XX Camping Services Program.
The #1 reason for camps not receiving partial or full funding that they were allocated is due to incomplete or incorrect documentation and/or missing deadlines. Help yourself by ensuring the people who work directly with registering camps, paying bills, completing the outcomes reports, etc. are properly trained and ready for the billing and application processes.
The training will cover:
Accessing resources, forms, and information;
Timeline and due dates for the program;
Processing bills for funds;
Brief overview on how allocations and financing work; and
Other pertinent information required to administer the program at your agency.
It is required that the person with the overall responsibility of the camp attend this training. It is strongly recommended that any new employees who will be assisting in completing the documents, working with the payment process, registering campers, etc., also attend. These folks may include the Registrar, Finance Director, ED/CEO, Camp Director, Program Director, Office Manager, Funds Development Director, etc.
Develop an understanding and comprehension of the required steps, documents, and policies to receive and/or maintain DFI Title XX Program funding.
Accreditation from the American Camp Association is the only national program for accreditatng summer camps in the United States. It offers families and parents the opportunity to see that the camp values and prioritizes the health and safety of both their campers and staff. Accreditation also offers the camp tools, resources, and best practices for creating policies and procedures centered in health and safety.
In this short session, we’ll cover:
What Accreditation is and why it matters,
The value and cost of Accreditation,
Process and timelines,
Why membership and Accreditation with ACA Illinois is unique and different, and
Some time for Q&A!
We look forward to sharing this opportunity to share more about the ACA Accreditation process and all the value it provides camps!
Do you know what the number 1 rated volunteer and professional development experience in ACA is? Being an Accreditation Visitor! Join us and learn more about this popular volunteer role in ACA Illinois that can increase your professional skills, give you access to new ideas, and provide a critical service to the camp community.
Why Visitors are essential to the Accreditation program,
The benefits to serving as a Visitor to both your camp and your career advancement,
Qualifications to become a Visitor (we know you probably have them!),
Process and timelines, and
We look forward to sharing this excellent opportunity that can help your camp continue to excel and your career continue to advance!
Don’t worry! There is no obligation to become a visitor when you attend to learn more.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT REGISTRATION:
Please note that this session is intended for potential volunteers and future Visitors for ACA Illinois. If you are from outside of ACA Illinois but interested in learning more about how to become a visitor where you live/work/summer locally, please reach out to Colette at colette@acail.org.
This session will cover the ins and outs of allocations, match components, and financial requirements to receive and access DFI Title XX funds.
How to read an Allocation Memo and understand funding award;
Timeline and due dates for allocations and funding awards;
Overview of how match funds work; and
And other pertinent information required for the allocation of funds.
The person who is responsible for both budgets and financials should attend. This may include the CEO/ED, Finance Director/CFO, and/or the Camp/Program Director.
This program is not a grant and the financial requirements can often cause confusion as they differ from most funding programs. Attending will ensure that the agency understands how the finances work, details about match funds, and a clear understanding of allocations vs grant funding.
Being prepared and educated about how this program operates will aid you in successfully serving the clients and accessing these funds.
Successfully submitting the required documentation and match funds for bills speed up the process for camps to be paid. The #1 reason for delays in payments is due to camps submitting incorrect or incomplete paperwork.
How to complete and access all required billing paperwork;
How to submit bills and match payments;
Timelines and due dates related to bills and match; and
Other pertinent information required for billing processes.
The person who will be collecting the documents and submitting them for reimbursement. This may include the Office Manager/Registrar, Bookkeeper/Finance Director, and/or Camp/Program Director.
The #1 reason for camps not receiving partial or full funding they were allocated is due to incomplete or incorrect documentation and/or missing deadlines, particularly around billing. Failure to submit your bill properly will result in rejection of your request. Help yourself and avoid frustration by ensuring you have a clear understanding of what is required to submit a bill.
Plan your most awesome staff training! You know you’re going to spend hours on designing this year’s camp training—let us help you do it faster, with less stress, and turbocharge its quality with the expert guidance of a world-renowned master trainer.
Give yourself a huge helping “hand” with Michael’s Five Fingers of Fantastic training, including a unique, step-by-step checklist for successfully building the precise essential elements of terrific training
Use terrific, precise and practical methods to greet staff, begin training to focus on mission and motivation, set expectations, and build a community of positive relationships—all while modeling how staff can use this to do the same with their campers
Grab attention & motivate full participation—even from returning staff who “have heard it all”
Maximize learning with Michael’s creative, highly acclaimed teaching techniques that get people involved instead of listening to “lectures”
Boost professionalism and responsibility, even in young staff for whom this may be a first job—and teach the core skills all staff need for success
Learn outstanding, original activities you won’t find elsewhere to boost your training effectiveness
A total of 6 hours of time-saving, quality-boosting methods and materials taught in Michael’s trademark “use-it-immediately,” fun, and highly energetic teaching style.
This live webinar received rave reviews from coast to coast in 2022—attended by multiple people from 30 different U.S. states and Canada!
“An absolute must-do.”
“This training was simply AMAZING! It helps make the planning process of staff training so simple yet ensures staff training will be engaging for new and returning staff!”
“Exciting, engaging, meaningful, well-planned, exceptional execution: a MUST-DO for anyone involved in training people for anything.”
“This was a fun and exciting event that provided a ton of easy to use and relevant information for making your staff training both informational and engaging.”
“An incredibly practical expert approach to planning the most effective staff training for your camp.”
“Extremely helpful! I can't wait to use these techniques to revamp my training.”
“Practical, feasible! This approach was exactly what every Director needs to wrap their head around staff training goals and execution.”
“I don’t even have the words for how helpful, inspirational, and reassuring this event was.”
“Michael is an incredible presenter.”
“A practical step-by-step approach to staff training that gives you the blueprint for your best staff training ever.”
Michael Brandwein is one of the most famous names in camp. He is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning staff and Leadership Team trainer who has presented in all 50 states, on 6 continents, and served on the national board of the American Camp Association. He is the number one bestselling author of staff training and leadership books in the camp field, including Training Terrific Staff (Vols. 1 & 2), Skill of the Day: What Great Leaders of Young People Do & Say, Learning Leadership (CIT/LIT), Super Staff SuperVision, and Growing Great Qualities in Kids: The L.A.S.E.R.B.E.A.M. Technique for Bringing Out the Best in Young People.. (www.michaelbrandwein.com/store) He does both in-person and online training for camps.
Who Should Attend?
This program is ideal for anyone who prepares, plans, or presents part or all of their staff training.
How will your camp benefit from you attending this program?
Camp leaders spend many dozens of hours preparing for training. How much are those hours worth to you? You will save valuable time from this webinar because you’ll get “ready-to-go,” highly acclaimed, original activities and techniques that you can plug into your existing training or use in developing new training. Even more importantly, this content will dramatically increase the effectiveness of your training, which motivates staff, establishes an environment of professionalism and responsibility, and prepares them for success.
How does your career benefit from you attending this program?
One of the most important roles at camp is setting up and presenting the training. When you can do so as an expert, using outstanding techniques and materials that make your training fresh, exciting, and highly effective, you will be—to be blunt—one of the superstars of your camp team. You’ll have a terrific toolbox for professional success now and in the future.
What to Bring/ How to Prepare
This is an interactive training course. Each person should be prepared to have their camera on, access to audio (including ability to speak and hear,) and interact within the Zoom room via a computer. Bring a notebook/paper and pen for activities.
There will be a short break for lunch during the event.
This is a per person fee event. This event requires camera, computer, and audio access for the participants as it’s designed to be interactive. Any user that has additional persons in attendance that are not registered will be automatically removed from the event without refund.
The purpose of the DFI Title XX Camping Services Funding is to help clients of IDHS (campers) grow and develop in the four required growth areas.
This session will:
The Camp/Program Director responsible for program development and training of camp counselors.
The DFI Title XX Program has a goal to help clients of IDHS develop and strengthen skills around personal development and relationship building with others. Maintaining positive growth is also required for camps to receive these funds. Attending will help your agency prepare and manage the outcomes development to ensure that you are both meeting the requirements and helping the clients grow.
ACA’s accreditation program is the only national peer review program of its kind for the camp industry. Being an ACA visitor provides you with the experience to build your network, polish your skills in observation and risk management, and develop mentoring opportunities for both you and the camps you work with. As much as you give to this experience, you’ll gain from new ideas, perspectives, and approaches to the mission-driven work of the camp industry.
Next Steps after Registering
You will receive a confirmation email with a link to complete the “application.” Once we have your application we will issue you a code to order yourself a free copy of the Accreditation Process Guide and be enrolled into the pre-course online. This will take about 2-4 hours prior to the onsite training but can be completed online and at your own pace.
As you gear up for camp to start, grab a meal with others in the camp community before you head off to camp for the summer! We’ll network and celebrate a year of planning, doing, and so much more.
Highlights include:
Currently active visitors and committee members can attend for free. Please reach out to your Committee Chair or the Standards Chair if you would like to attend. They will help qualified volunteers register.
Career Advancement: Networking is an essential part of your career. Take advantage of this opportunity to connect with new contacts and re-engage with others.
