Greetings Young Professionals! 

 I hope everyone had a safe and successful summer! 

I wanted to let everyone know that UW-Stevens Point student organization, Wisconsin Camps, is well underway in preparing the second annual Wisconsin Camps Student Workshop to take place at the end of November. 

We are still looking for presenters, but also topics that are important to be presented on!  As Young Professionals, I hope that you are committed to helping these students be successful in the camp profession.  That said, I was wondering if anyone has specific topics that you feel are important for students.  

What do you wish you had known before you entered the profession?  Are there certain speakers or presentations you have seen that really stuck with you?   Are you interested in presenting a topic at the workshop? 

If you are interested or have ideas, please contact me as soon as possible: annie.hernandez85@gmail.com 

For more information, visit www.uwsp.edu/stuorg/wicamps and click “Student Workshop” 

Thanks for your ongoing support and I hope everyone is well! 

Annie

This fall, we are making changes to the YP Committee and bringing on a number of new people. So, if you are interested and think you have something to contribute, please let us know by filling out this form: http://acacamps.org/youngpros/yp-form.php. What roles are we looking to fill? Take a look at the “Job Descriptions” on the ACA’s YP web page: http://acacamps.org/youngpros/index.php.

We know that summer is approaching when our focus turns almost exclusively to camp, camp & camp. Before it consumes you completely, we wanted to give you an update on what’s happening with YPs now and starting in the fall:
 
The Young Professionals Initiative was created a few years ago as a “grass-roots” effort of many camp people around the country. They goal was to change ACA into an organization that understands how to communicate with the next generation of camp professionals.
 
And that’s what’s happening! Now the Young Professional Initiative is building an even more solid base for operations in the future. We need the help of people who are ready to volunteer and bring their energy and vision to the ACA Young Professionals.

The National ACA Development Committee focuses on raising money and developing strategies for long-term fundraising. Andy Lilienthal is the Chair of the Development Committee and asked us to send this information out to you in hopes of finding just the right person for the job: He is looking for someone who is fairly young, smart, a go getter, has at least some sense of fundraising and if the person has experience using technology, even better.  Go to http://www.acacamps.org/youngpros and click on the link for the Development Committee.

You don’t want to miss this!

So many YPs have already successfully entered the camp profession, but for those of us who haven’t (students, etc.) this is a really useful resource!

In preparation for a Cracker Barrell session at the ACA National Conference in Austin, Diane Tyrrell (ACA Virginias) sent out a survey to camp professionals (particularly directors, executives, etc. who do the hiring for full time positions).  Diane was interested in knowing exactly what skill and experiences these professionals are looking for when hiring camp directors, program directors, and other full time staff.  What she found might come as a surprise to those recreation or child development majors out there (*myself included!)

Attached in the cover letter Diane sent out to these professionals, explaining what she was she was looking for; and also the handout she put together with the information she received back.  Please feel free to look through this and distribute it to people who might benefit from the findings!

Letter to Directors

Balance Your Brillance!

The Young Professionals of the American Camp Association – Illinois Section will be hosting their second annual social event at the Mid-states Camping Conference at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois. The event will begin at 10:00 PM and will include coffee, drinks, and desserts as well as a variety of activities including a Baggo tournament, craft projects, door prizes, and music. The event is open to all conference participants.