American Camp Association

Setting high standards

The Coleman Family of Camps are accredited by the American Camp Association, a community of camp professionals dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults through the camp experience. The ACA currently accredits less than 25 percent of the 12,000+ camps nationwide. ACA accreditation is a rigorous process that requires camps to comply with approximately 300 standards - going beyond basic sanitation and food service concerns. ACA Standards address specific areas of programming, staff hiring and training, camper health care and well-being.

The Coleman Family of Camps meet all of these standards and exceeds many, including minimum staff-to-camper ratios, staff training (content and duration), and staff screening practices. Accreditation is voluntary - every three years, we open up our summer camps to an outside team of trained professionals who observe our program, and review our paperwork to verify compliance.

Known as the knowledge center for the camp industry, ACA also plans and delivers educational opportunities, researches outcomes specific to our field, and offers suggestions for how to improve our camps to better benefit children. Our summer camps take full advantage of everything ACA offers. In addition, each member of the Coleman Family has an active role within ACA (Marla is immediate past president!), underscoring our commitment to learning (we practice what we preach). We believe that our participation with ACA allows us to maintain our excellence - and help lead the way for a positive camp experience.