The ACA research team supports and facilitates rigorous research in order to expand the value and visibility of the camp experience and provide research-informed resources for camps. Explore summaries, scholarly reports, research briefs, and research-informed resources from current and past research initiatives.
Innovative Programs
ACA's new three-year grant program is designed to foster evidence-informed planning, testing, and improving initiatives to increase access to and engagement in counselor-in-training (CIT) programs and other qualified leadership programs among young people with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and identities.
Research on Youth & Staff Outcomes and Camp Program Quality
Read about ACA’s ongoing Impact Study, which includes research related to camper, teen, and staff outcomes and how these outcomes prepare camp participants to thrive in college, in their careers, and in their lives outside of camp. This page also includes other reports and research-based resources related to the camp experience.
- Camp Program Quality Initiative
- 5-Year Camp Impact Study
- National Outcomes Study & Program Improvement Project
- Healthy Camps Toolbox
- Research briefs related to camper outcomes and program quality
Research Related to Camp Business Operations
Analyze camp industry trends through summaries of our annual business operations reports. We commission three reports on a rotating basis; the most recent findings are available in day, overnight, and combined reports.
- 2021 CampCounts Report
- 2020 Wisconsin Camp Economic Impact Report
- 2019 Staffing, Compensation & Benefits Report
- 2018 Business Operations Report
- 2017 Site, Facilities, & Programs Report
- Enrollment & Staffing Trends Report
Research from the ACA Research Forum
Access abstracts from peer-reviewed research presented at the ACA National Conference each year, and to learn more about how to submit a research proposal to the Research Forum. Here you can also learn about our two research-related awards, the Marge Scanlin Award for Outstanding Student Research and the Eleanor P. Eells Award for Excellence in Research in Practice.
- ACA Research Forum (overview and downloadable abstracts)
- Submitting to the 2021 ACA Research Forum
- Marge Scanlin Award for Outstanding Student Research
- Eleanor P. Eells Award for Excellence in Research in Practice
