BY KIRSTY & LAUREN
PALS Program Coordinator
PALS Recruitment Coordinator
Last summer, PALS worked hard to become accredited by the American Camp Association. This is important for a number of reasons. One of the greatest benefits of being an ACA-accredited camp is access to a wide network of resources and opportunities that enable us to further our mission by connecting with and learning from other camps and industry leaders. This year, our Recruitment Coordinator, Lauren Gibeault, and our Program Coordinator, Kirsty McDonald, attended the American Camp Association’s National Conference in Orlando, FL. The focus of the conference was “Building Communities of Belonging,” which aligns perfectly with our mission to “inspire a world of belonging”.
Throughout the conference, we engaged in meaningful conversations, attended thought-provoking sessions, and collaborated with hundreds of camps who are also committed to making camps as inclusive and as welcoming as possible. We opted to attend sessions that aligned with our mission and our plans for the future of PALS.
Kirsty prioritized sessions with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Simone Gamble, an expert in the field of creating inclusive camp experiences, gave particularly helpful insights about creating equity and justice at summer camp and supporting young people through a trauma-informed, responsive, and anti-racist lens. She emphasized the need to meet young people where they are and to support them in navigating hard conversations - we must not underestimate them or their power to build a better world.
Lauren was able to attend sessions that focused on communications best practices, especially for our Gen Z volunteers. There was excellent guidance on how to support our Volunteer Leaders and Peers and create a strong PALS community. One major takeaway for Lauren centered on the idea that, as we look towards the next generations, multi-generational programs are vital to our success. Leaders must listen in order to build relationships, and this takes practice and intentionality. The next generation should be seen AND heard!
Each one of these sessions allowed us to think critically about our programming and the work we can do to continue to improve our programs for everyone in our community so that every identity is welcomed and celebrated. We are looking forward to putting into practice all of the things we learned from the sessions we attended (over a dozen!) and share them with our community this summer.