Rockmont is committed to the growth and well-being of children, and as the Coordinating Director one my chief responsibilities is to supervise all of our efforts to foster health and safety in this adventurous place. We have learned that child safety is best fostered in a broad conversation, including parents, staff, the campers, and other community leaders. To that end, I am beginning a regular feature on this important aspect of our work.
In weeks to come, I want to focus on particular aspects of our work in health and safety, including:
• How we work with parents, staff, campers, and the larger community to protect campers from sexual abuse.
• How we swim and supervise campers around water.
• How we prevent and treat viruses and communicable diseases.
This week I want to introduce the topic by focusing on our accreditation with the American Camp Association (ACA).
For over 100 years now the ACA has worked with camp professionals to insure the quality of camp experiences. They provide extraordinary training and resources, and (perhaps their most important contribution to your child’s health and well-being) an extensive set of standards which every accredited camp must meet. Rockmont has maintained accreditation with the ACA for decades, and these standards help inform the multiple practices and overlapping procedures we employ to foster health and wellness at camp.
Every ACA-accredited camp regularly undergoes a thorough review of our operation, measured by up to 190 standards. ACA standards go beyond state requirements in health, cleanliness, and food service, and they reach into specific areas of programming, staff training and qualifications, emergency management plans, health care, and management. ACA applies separate standards for activities such as waterfront, horseback riding, adventure, and travel.
This past week Mike Peckham, Dan Davis, Chuck Flournoy, and I traveled to San Diego for the annual ACA Convention. Yesterday we gathered the rest of our staff to report what we learned and review our compliance in various areas. It is encouraging and energizing to be around other camp professionals, who share our commitments to the growth and health of young people.
You should know that the ACA is a terrific resource for you. They want every child to find the right camp for them, and they have information to help parents prepare for and evaluate camp. We encourage you to visit their website (https://www.acacamps.org/campers-families) as you consider sending your son to camp.
I look forward to sharing more about the ways we work to promote health and wellness. Please know that any of us would be glad and grateful to hear any question you have about health and safety at Rockmont. We cannot do this work without you!
Sincerely,
Stan Wilson
Coordinating Director
Director of Risk Management
