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Keeping
Camp Costs Budget-Friendly
Most parents were well aware of the recession
long before the official announcement in
late 2008. Many families have taken steps
to trim any "fat" from their
budgets – the purse strings are simply
pulled too tight to factor in a night at
the go-cart track or that family trip to
the Grand Canyon. Parents may not realize
that even with tightening budgets, the
life-changing experience of camp is still
within reach.
"I'm a great believer in you don't
have to go to the most expensive camp to
have a great camp experience," said
Phil Lilienthal, former camp director of
Camp Winnebago in Maine and Global Camps
Africa CEO. If you're dealing with an experienced
and caring staff of camp counselors, "you
can have a program in a parking lot, and
it can be great," he said.
Parents looking for budget-friendly camps
should keep the following in mind:
- The ACA camp community generates $39
million annually for camp scholarships.
Don't be afraid to call the camp director
and ask if financial assistance is available.
- Contact your area's regional office
of the American Camp Association. Go
to www.CampParents.org and
click on the Local Offices link at the
bottom of the page.
- Check with your church or synagogue.
- Get in touch with social services groups
in your community.
- Visit individual camp Web sites. Most
clearly outline whether or not they offer
financial assistance for their campers.
Contact Public Relations at 765.349.3317
or pr@ACAcamps.org to
interview an ACA
spokesperson for more information about
making camp more affordable. For customizable public
service announcements or article
reprints, visit our Media
Center at http://www.ACAcamps.org/media_center/.
About ACA
The American Camp Association® (ACA) works to preserve, promote, and enhance
the camp experience for children and adults. ACA-Accredited® camp programs
ensure that children are provided with a diversity of educational and developmentally
challenging learning opportunities. There are over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps
that meet up to 300 health and safety standards. For more information, visit www.ACAcamps.org.
ACA Annual Conference
ACA will host its National Conference of over 1,200 camp professionals in Orlando,
Florida, February 17-20, 2009. The conference will bring together some of the
nation's top child development experts to discuss The Power of the Experience.
Keynote speakers include Ned Hallowell, MD, psychiatrist and author of CrazyBusy:
Overbooked, Overstretched, and About to Snap and Linda Perlstein, veteran
writer for the Washington Post and author of two books, Not Much
Just Chillin': The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers and Tested: One
American School Struggles to Make the Grade.
For the complete program lineup, visit www.ACAcamps.org/conference.
During the conference, members of the news media will have the opportunity
to interview keynote speakers and ACA spokespersons. For your convenience,
you can register
online for the conference. For additional information, interview
requests, and press credentials, please contact Dawn Swindle at dswindle@ACAcamps.org,
765-349-3317.
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