Camp Nor’wester Partners
Camp Nor'wester is proud to be accredited by the American Camp Association and a member of the Western Association of Independent Camps. We also partner with A Thousand Summers. These connections help us maintain high standards for safety and quality across all aspects of our program, while still focusing on what matters most - creating unforgettable summer experiences for our campers.
Partners, Memberships and Affiliations
American Camp Association (ACA)
Nor’wester is proud to be accredited by the ACA. The mission of the American Camp Association is enriching the lives of children, youth and adults through the camp experience.
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The ACA believes:
- Camp professionals care about the successful development of children.
- Camp is for everyone – all interests, ages, abilities, budgets, and personal schedules.
- Camp offers a supervised, positive environment in the outdoors where kids can laugh and grow within a set of controlled boundaries.
- Camp is more than a place; it is an experience that gives kids a world of good.
- Camp experiences provide opportunities to develop key life skills: responsibility, cooperation, courage, and self-esteem.
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 needed policies, procedures, and practices. The camp, then, is responsible for ongoing implementation of these policies.
The second purpose of ACA accreditation is to assist the public in selecting camps that meet industry-accepted and government-recognized standards.
Western Association of Independent Camps (WAIC)
Nor’wester was inducted as a member of WAIC in November 2015. Their mission is inspire and support our members to promote excellence and enduring success of independent camps. To this end, they will obtain and maintain a membership of at least 50 camps.
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WAIC is a wonderful organization of independent camps (not affiliated with a larger agency – ie. YMCA, Girl Scouts, religious groups) that inspires our collective work in the realm of camping.
WAIC believes in:
- Enriching the Lives of Children
- The Value of the Organized Camping Experience
- Integrity – Honesty, Ethical Conduct, Trust
- Collaboration – The more children in camp, the better our world
- Professionalism – Quality, Excellence, Best Practices
- Sustainability – Responsibly building businesses to last
- Having Fun
A Thousand Summers
Nor’wester is proud to be a participating camp partner with A Thousand Summers.
ATS works to remove the barriers to a high-impact, long-term summer camp experience for families who cannot otherwise afford it. They leverage the power of high-quality residential summer camps and mission-aligned youth mentoring organizations to promote the success of underserved youth across the United States.
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ATS’s unique program provides:
Immersive, multi-week youth development opportunities at high-quality wilderness summers camps across the country
Multi-year funding for campers which can cover tuition, travel expenses, camp store, and equipment costs
Dedicated mentoring to support and prepare each camper and their family to extract the greatest benefit from the camp experience
Service-oriented leadership opportunities for campers to “pay it forward” and enrich their communities
But their work is about more than just providing financial assistance.
ATS knows that by breaking down barriers to the camp experience for the youth we serve, we are giving them a gift that has the power to shape the trajectory of their lives.
