Description
Designed in a field-friendly, binder-format, the Accreditation Process Guide (APG) assists camps through the accreditation process. It features ACA’s camp programs and services accreditation standards and implementation guidelines and includes all revisions/corrections to any components of the standards as of November 2025. To the public, ACA accreditation means that ACA has evaluated the entire camp operation. The standards in this guide are designed to do just that—covering all the major services and programs offered. The main purpose of the ACA accreditation program is to educate camp owners and directors in the administration of key aspects of camp operation, particularly those related to program quality and the health and safety of campers and staff. The standards establish guidelines for implementing policies, procedures, and practices. Another purpose of ACA accreditation is to assist the public in selecting camps that meet industry-accepted and government-recognized standards.
The minimum criteria for accreditation are established and monitored by the National Standards Commission (NSC). The NSC is a commission of the ACA Board of Directors whose key responsibility is oversight of the ACA’s standards program. Its members are selected according to defined criteria and operate within an approved operating code. In the development or revision of standards, the NSC follows an approval process, which includes the involvement of authoritative sources, review and input by internal and external audiences, and a review by legal counsel.
