Camp is just around the corner, and you’ve still got to pack! You might be a pro at packing for camp, but there are always a few things you might forget. That's why The Clorox Company is partnering with the ACA to bring you a simple list of great suggestions for what counselors and staff should make sure is on their packing list this summer. Take a look – it just might save you from leaving something really important off your list!
Learn the skills you need to succeed. Camping Magazine is your primary source for the most recent trends in the camp industry, the latest research in the field of youth development, critical management tools, and innovative programming ideas. The July/August 2010 issue features articles that address programming, history, 20/20 Toolbox, and more.
Children and youth need a community that: encourages achievement and builds self-esteem; promotes healthy lifestyles, fitness, and activity; teaches in a classroom without walls; instills appreciation, respect, and responsibility for the natural world around them; and inspires the confidence and courage to become the leaders of tomorrow.
ACA's Because of Camp…™ outdoor advertising campaign officially launched in early January. Since that time, orders have been arriving daily for billboards, posters, and transit shelters. Several orders have been placed already, and are being shipped to vendors nationwide. Visit ACA's Say It Big Web page to view a map of advertising placements as they are confirmed.
Preserving the rich history of the camp experience is essential for the future. The American Camp Association (ACA) is proud to celebrate our 100th Anniversary in 2010 and the 150th Anniversary of Organized Camping in 2011, and to honor our past with this Web-based tribute.
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H1N1
Influenza (Swine Flu) Much of the following information
has been provided by Linda Ebner Erceg,
R.N., M.S., P.H.N.
Start Preparing Your Camp Now for H1N1
Make sure your camp is prepared for H1N1
this summer. Visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/camp.htm for tips and recommendations on how to
prevent and plan ahead for the virus.
The camp community is a preparedness community
practicing protective behaviors and relationships.
Click
here to view innovative protective
behaviors from the camp community
A message from Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary
of Health and Human Services, Janet Napolitano,
Secretary of Homeland Security, and Arne
Duncan, Secretary of Education, who are
leading the efforts to prepare our Nation
for the coming flu season.
Fellow Americans,
This spring we were confronted with an
outbreak of a troubling flu virus called
2009-H1N1. As the fall flu season approaches,
it is critical that we reinvigorate our
preparedness efforts across the country
in order to mitigate the effects of this
virus on our communities.
Today, we are holding an H1N1 Influenza
Preparedness Summit in conjunction with
the White House to discuss our Nation's
preparedness. We are working together to
monitor the spread of 2009-H1N1 and to
prepare to initiate a voluntary fall vaccination
program against the 2009-H1N1 flu virus,
assuming we have a safe vaccine and do
not see changes in the virus that would
render the vaccine ineffective.
But the most critical steps to mitigating
the effects of 2009-H1N1 won't take place
in Washington — they will take place
in your homes, schools and community businesses.
We are making every effort to have a safe
and effective vaccine available for distribution
as soon as possible, but our current estimate
is that it won't be ready before mid-October.
This makes individual prevention even more
critical. Wash your hands regularly. Take
the necessary precautions to stay healthy
and if you do get sick, stay home from
work or school.
I talked to a representative from the CDC today. We understand that there are a great deal of conflicting messages circulating about the H1N1 virus. To clarify, at the present time the CDC have not changed their guidance and are not aware of any State Department of Health that has done so. It is acknowledged there is a great deal of study and consideration around H1N1 guidance BUT TO DATE there have been NO modifications of the CDC guidelines.
As a national association, we will continue to promote the CDC guidelines.
I continue to field many media calls about summer camp and the flu. Each time I have an interview, I stress that the health and safety of children is of paramount importance to camp professionals. I express to them that as professionals we have all heightened our standards and due diligence in regards to screening, monitoring, training, and best practices around sanitation and hygiene. I have shared with them our commitment to partner with parents and health officials in order to ensure children and youth are able to have these extraordinary camp experiences.
I recognize and appreciate all the hard work that each of you are doing in order to manage this health threat. Your response is admirable.
Thank you,
Peg Smith, ACA CEO
Updated 7/7/09
Join
ACA's H1N1 Message Board (ACA
Members Only). Share your questions and
solutions regarding H1N1 at your camp with
fellow directors. Ask questions...get answers
and advice...from others who are experiencing
outbreaks at their camps.
Updated 6/24/09
Parents are asking questions this summer
regarding H1N1 and camp. ACA CEO Peg Smith
addresses parent concerns and encourages
families to work with their individual
camp directors on specific questions in
this short video.
>
Updated 6/16/09
The American Camp Association® (ACA)
is working with the Association of Camp
Nurses and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention to carefully monitor the
H1N1 Influenza situation, and provide regular
updates and information to our camps. ACA
health and wellness standards require accredited
camps to have an established procedure
in practice to carefully screen for illness,
injury, and communicable diseases. In addition,
ACA-accredited camps are following best
practices for universal precautions, including
hand washing and site and facility sanitation.
At this time, parents are encouraged to
contact camps directly with specific questions.
Additional information on H1N1 can be found
at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/camp.htm.
Updated 6/15/09
Camp is Opening: Suggestions for Responding
to Influenza-Like Illness (ILI)
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
(CDC) has released guidelines for day and
resident camps about influenza-like illness
(ILI) management. These guidelines,
along with those issued by your State’s
Department of Health, form the basis of
your camp’s preparedness plan to
address ILI. Click
here to read more.
Updated 5/27/09
Going into the Summer with H1N1: Information
for Camp Professionals
As the summer camp season arrives, H1N1
influenza continues to pass from person-to-person.
Camp professionals are attempting to articulate
a balanced response to this ever-changing
disease profile, a response that acknowledges
the risk profile of H1N1 with the benefits
of camp for millions of children and the
staff who work with them. Some of us must
now make decisions for our camp season
and/or refine those that have already been
made. This information is provided to help
that balancing process. Read
more about this.
Updated 5/19/09
Centers for Disease Control Offers H1N1
Flu Guidance to Organizations Hosting Summer
Camps
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) would like to provide H1N1 flu guidance
to organizations that may host summer camps.
Please distribute this information widely
to all organizations and individuals.
The World Health Organization has moved
the H1N1 Influenza threat from Phase
4 to Phase 5. This means that H1N1 is increasingly
more adaptive to humans and more established
within the human population. When I consider
the impact upon our camp community, this
tells me that we should (a) increase our
personal protective behaviors and (b) become
more intentional in our plans. Read
about recommendations and key messages.
The H1N1 Influenza challenge is currently
a "moving
target." There aren't
firm answers for a lot of our camp questions
but, nevertheless, there are some things
we can do to keep ourselves in the best
position to address the problem. Currently,
these include:
Access to reliable information
in order to effectively respond to parent
and/or staff questions as well as make
decisions that are appropriate for one's
camp. Suggested resources are:
General information about
Pandemic Flu Preparedness, for home and
work, available at the CDC
Web site.
Awareness – now – of campers
and staff who live in areas currently impacted
by the H1N1 threat. Depending
on how the illness tracks in that country/location,
things could get interesting. This
is a "know about but wait and see
before taking action" placeholder.
For camps currently hosting clients
and/or user groups: Consider where
these folks are from and the load of illness
in that area. Contact the local Department
of Health if concerned about bringing this
group to camp; local officials can help
make a decision regarding feasibility.
At this point, the load of illness in the
U.S. is currently small and segregated
to specific geographical locations (although
I expect that to change).
Staff Resources
Current recommendations
are that people who shows signs of flu
(fever, achy body, no appetite, cough,
etc) should stay home and contact their
MD if concerns arise. If it's
actually H1N1, the person was probably
contagious for the 24 hours prior to
feeling symptomatic. We'll
get that clarified as the Powers That
Be become more specific about this strain.
Preventive care includes
effective hand-washing and, since this
is transmitted via droplet, keeping clear
of people who cough and sneeze in the
office/street/home environment. Tell
your staff to watch www.CoughSafe.com – now! Start
scoring one another. If this threat
ratchets up, we may add strategies such
as wiping common office surfaces – like
phone keypads – with a disinfectant.
Consider your supply of protective
equipment, especially access to facial
masks, gloves and sanitizing options for
both hands and surfaces. If the Swine
Flu threat starts to increase, consider
providing protective equipment to help
minimize potential impacts. These
recommendations are based on what we currently
know; they may change as we learn more
about this flu.
This page will be updated as more information
becomes available.
American Camp Association | Summer camps enrich children's lives!
Camp is just around the corner, and you’ve still got to pack! You might be a pro at packing for camp, but there are always a few things you might forget. That's why The Clorox Company is partnering with the ACA to bring you a simple list of great suggestions for what counselors and staff should make sure is on their packing list this summer. Take a look – it just might save you from leaving something really important off your list!
Learn the skills you need to succeed. Camping Magazine is your primary source for the most recent trends in the camp industry, the latest research in the field of youth development, critical management tools, and innovative programming ideas. The July/August 2010 issue features articles that address programming, history, 20/20 Toolbox, and more.
Children and youth need a community that: encourages achievement and builds self-esteem; promotes healthy lifestyles, fitness, and activity; teaches in a classroom without walls; instills appreciation, respect, and responsibility for the natural world around them; and inspires the confidence and courage to become the leaders of tomorrow.
ACA's Because of Camp…™ outdoor advertising campaign officially launched in early January. Since that time, orders have been arriving daily for billboards, posters, and transit shelters. Several orders have been placed already, and are being shipped to vendors nationwide. Visit ACA's Say It Big Web page to view a map of advertising placements as they are confirmed.
Preserving the rich history of the camp experience is essential for the future. The American Camp Association (ACA) is proud to celebrate our 100th Anniversary in 2010 and the 150th Anniversary of Organized Camping in 2011, and to honor our past with this Web-based tribute.
