CampWell 101

CampWell harnesses the practice of internalization and explores a layering of content that will teach participants to feel safe, supported, connected, and create a culture of well-being. Made by camp people for camp people, CampWell is an ACH and ACA collaborative training experience. In this webinar we’ll highlight the foundational content within CampWell, our journey around level setting across the organization, what we’ve learned from the research, and offer context for how you can obtain practical resources to benefit your camp. Join us as we unpack how to reimagine camp through the lens of well-being.

Learner outcomes:

1. Build a foundational understanding of the elements of well-being at camp.
2. Understand how to focus CampWell outcomes to improve care and align language with other summer programs.
3. Learn tools and techniques to begin fostering a culture of well-being at your camp.

Presenter Bios

John Hamilton, MA Chief Strategy Officer, Alliance for Camp Health 

John is a strategic leader in the camp, out-of-school time (OST) and youth development fields. He currently serves as Chief Strategy and Engagement Officer for the Alliance for Camp Health (ACH). John has a deep understanding of mental, emotional, and social (MESH) health needs of youth, national program expansion and a hope-filled perspective. Prior to ACH he served as the National Director for Camp HOPE America where he collaborated with city/county government, national leaders, clinicians, psychologists, and community-based organizations. 

John has an MA in Leadership and Cultural Justice, has been named ACA’s Subject Matter expert on MESH and Trauma-Informed Care at camp and is a former Executive Director of a camp near Lake Tahoe. With perspective from hands-on experience overseeing fifty-plus programs around the country, being onsite at an average of ten different camps per summer, and consulting organizations, his voice will help restore belief in the future of our work and guide us to discover ways to create healthier summer learning communities.

Laurie Browne, PhD Sr. Director of Innovation and Learning  

Laurie Browne serves camps and their communities through her work as the Senior Director of Research and Education at the American Camp Association.  In that role, Dr. Browne supports a team of researchers and grant managers who gather insights from the field and translate them into practice.  She is passionate about the transformative role evaluation can play in a camp organization and enjoys working with camp professionals as they work develop a culture of continuous improvement at their camp.  Prior to joining ACA, Dr. Browne was on faculty at California State University, Chico and prior to that she was a day camp director in Salt Lake City, Utah.  She earned her doctorate in parks, recreation, and tourism from the University of Utah.