ACACamps
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Mar 28, 2005, 7:57 PM
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Trend Fact Sheet
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Data and Statistics - More than 12,000 day and resident camps exist in the U.S.
- Each year over ten million children and adults attend camp.
- Nonprofit groups including youth agencies and religious organizations operate approximately 8,000 camps, and 4,000 are privately owned independent for-profit operators.
- Camps employ more than 1,200,000 adults to work as counselors, program/activity leaders, unit and program directors/supervisors, and in support services roles such as maintenance, administration, food service and health care.
- Most camps have an average of 40 to 50 percent returning staff.
- In the past 10 years there has been an increase in the use of international staff to expose campers to different cultures.
- Of the estimated 12,000 camps in the U.S., approximately 7,000 are resident camps and 5,000 are day camps.
- The number of day camps in the U.S. has grown by nearly 90% in the past 20 years.
- About Trip Camps: Approximately one third of ACA-accredited camps offer trips of at least three or more nights away from camp.
- Less than one fourth of ACA-accredited camps operate either a resident or day camp only.
- Approximately 53% of ACA-accredited camps run short-term, residential sessions and/or rent their facilities to other groups in addition o operating day and/or resident camps.
- Camp Costs: While fees to attend camp vary, fees generally range from $201 to $400 per week for resident camps, and day camps range from $75 to $300 per week.
- Nearly 65% of ACA-accredited camps offer some level of financial assistance to over one million children who are from economically deprived families, have special medical needs or special situations that might preclude them from attending camp.
Child and Youth Statistics - The poverty rate of children was at 22% in 1993 and has decreased to about 16% in 2000 (U.S. Census)
- The proportion of children living in families with high income increased from 17% in 1980 to 25% in 1997, while the proportion of children living in extreme poverty grew slightly from 7 to 8% over the same period
- One in three children born in 1997 were born to a single mom and one third of those mothers are teenagers (DHHS)
- About 28% of families are headed by a single parent (US Census)
- One in two will live in a single parent family at some point in their childhood.
- Only one in three children born in the United States today is from European heritage. One in five has a foreign-born mother
- The US Census reported that in 2000, 25% of the total population is African American, American Indian, Alaskan native, Asian, native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or a combination of two or more races. The largest minority of under- 18 age group is the Hispanic or Latino population at 35% (US Census). Over one half of this population is in California and Texas
- Over 42% of the people who reported 2 or more races were under 18 years old
- Between 1993 and 2000, the violent crime victimization rate for youth ages 12 to 17 has decreased by 63 percent and the violent crime offending rate for youth ages 12 to 17 has decreased by 67 percent (Childstats)
- In 1997, 78% of the schools reported having some type of formal violence prevention or violence reduction program or effort. More children have experienced violence in their lives and are responding aggressively
- Children today are the video generation. Although the percentage of students watching television is decreasing, children still spend nearly half of their discretionary time watching television (Child Trends, Inc. USDHHS)
- More children are coming to camp with medications and allergies. The rates of asthma and chronic bronchitis in children increased from 3% in 1981 to 6% in 2001 (Child Trends, Data Bank)
- ADHD affects 3 to 5% of the children in this country (Health Guide on Line/USDHHS)
Trends - 88% of ACA-accredited camps offer swimming and 45% offer horseback riding
- In an ACA survey, 75% of camp directors reported adding new activities and programs over the last few years. The newest program additions in recent years are challenging and adventurous activities, including high and low ropes courses, climbing walls, zip lines, backpacking, mountain biking, and cave exploring
- Over 50% of ACA-accredited camps offer ropes course activities or have other constructed adventure/challenge facilities
- In an ACA survey, over half of the camps reported having community service or good deed programs incorporated into their programs. The top projects conducted at camps were community clean-ups, food drives, recycling programs, and volunteering with senior citizens and hospital patients
- School Trends: Nearly 4% of all students attend school year-round. Camps are extending the season and diversifying their services. The 1999 ACA-accreditation standards program changed from accrediting just the summer program to accrediting the year-round operation. New partnerships with school systems are emerging as a way to help children retain learning over the summer
- Technology: Computers are now used not only for camp registration and financial records but also for program scheduling and client data. Use of the Internet as a marketing tool continues to increase. ACA's Web site receives an average of over 40,000 hits a month and in the winter/spring season that number peaks at over 70,000 visitors a month. Of the approximately 2,250 ACA-accredited camps, over two-thirds have their own Web site
- In 1986, Americans spent on computers less than 2% of what they spent for food and beverages; but by 2006 consumer spending on computers will be as much as 84% of their total food and drink expenses (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Over the next five years, the use of technology, combined with other measures, will dramatically change the nature of the teaching/learning process
- The number of potential summer staff from ages 18 to 24 declined from the peak of 30 million in the early '80s to approximately 25 million at the turn of the century. This age group will begin growing and continue to grow to reach 30 million again by 2010. However, 22% will be non-white by demand in 2010, compared with 20% in 2000 (U.S. Census)
- Currently over 35,000 of the summer camp staff are international staff on J-1 visas placed through international placement organizations
- The number of school age children (ages 5 to 14) will continue to rise over the next several decades, reaching 77.6 million by the year 2020 (U.S. Census). Camps are currently operating at an average capacity of 91%
What Do Parents Think About Camp? - Parents cite the following as the most important reasons for sending their children to camp:
- Camp helps build self-confidence and self-esteem
- Camp is a safe environment
- Camp is a place to build social skills and make friends
ACA's opinion research reveals:
- Parents see fun and safety as most important to the camp experience
- Parents have very definitive perceptions of the value of camp for their children, believing developmental value is important - social and emotional growth - but this is secondary to providing their children with safe and secure facilities, along with positive and fun activities
- Parents were also surprised to learn that there is no government oversight of camps; they assumed that because camps involved children that some form of regulation was taking place. Most parents did not know that ACA accreditation was voluntary
For More Information: ACA Trend Fact Sheet
The "Camp Trends" article was reproduced with permission from the American Camping Association.
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American Camp Association
5000 State Road 67 North
Martinsville, IN 46151-7902
Map to ACA
Phone: 765-342-8456
Fax: 765-342-2065
Web: www.ACAcamps.org
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(This post was edited by ACACamps on May 16, 2006, 8:52 AM)
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