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Top 5 Things You Need to Know

1. It’ s Legit. Everything is based on 13 youth development-related core competencies.

2. You Get Credit. For all the hours you spend learning, you get continuing education credits. Track your progress and verify your qualifications for the job you deserve.

3. It’ s 24 / 7. Learn in person at events and conferences or online anytime.

4. The Price Is Right. The education you need to succeed, without burning a hole in your pocket. ACA members receive discounts on courses, webinars, 500 books, and DVDs.

5. It’ s All about You. Education on leadership training or risk management, health and safety or marketing.

For more information about online courses and webinars, continuing education credits, the job center, staff training DVDs, research and outcomes tools, and a calendar of events visit www. ACAcamps. org / PDC.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER

That’ s what Andy Webster, an alumnus and father of two seven-week campers, said to me on opening day of the camp season last year. I was speaking with Andy, who is the head of a college preparatory school, about a topic familiar to camp and school professionals alike: how and when to best communicate with parents in today’ s digital world.

Today, we can text, email, FaceTime, tag, upload, stream, and tweet to a global audience instantaneously. While in the past we might have thought twice about the appropriateness of our communications, current technology makes it so easy to be in touch that we do so instinctively. Digital communication provides advantages for connecting on a personal and professional level like never before, and there’ s no doubt that camps can be more effective by tapping into these powerful tools. But just because we can do all of the above, should we?

Are there times when restraint— not connecting— is in the best interests of the parties involved? I’ m intrigued by the intersection of these two complex realities:

How tricky it is to be a parent in an age defined by the accessibility and immediacy of communication, and

The powerful opportunity camps have— depending on their missions— to communicate with parents in ways that encourage and support them as they navigate the challenging yet necessary art of letting go.

In his recent book, Letting Go With Love and Confidence: Raising Responsible, Resilient, Self-Sufficient Teens in the 21st Century, Kenneth Ginsburg claims that parenting is“… not about managing your child’ s life, [ but ] at its essence, is about providing the right mix of warmth, support, and monitoring so your child learns to manage his own life and make his own good decisions.”

Parenting is like a classic“ push-pull” train with a locomotive on each end,

DOTTIE REED Camp Pemigewassett

one pulling a long line of cars from the front and the other pushing from behind. The challenge is in balancing the stress on the cars, knowing when to lead from the front and when to support from behind to arrive successfully at the destination. How do we protect our precious child while also being mindful of our desire to raise a self-sufficient, well-adjusted, and happy adult? The dichotomy places the heart and the head in conflict, with acts of letting go grating against our deepest instincts to safeguard our children.

Not long ago, I overheard a college professor tell a story about her freshman advisee. The bright 18-year old female came to her office five weeks into the first semester and, while discussing her courses, mentioned a class that hadn’ t been on her original schedule. When asked about this, the student replied that she had switched into it a few weeks earlier, dropping another course along the way. Her advisor asked why.

“ Well, I was having a really hard time. I just didn’ t understand what was going on in the class.”

“ Did you speak to the professor? Arrange a meeting to talk about the content that was confusing?”

The student shook her head.“ No. But I called my parents. They said since I didn’ t like it and it was still within the time period to drop a course that I should just drop it and take something else.”

Her advisor reminded her that the dropped course was a prerequisite for the one she was eager to take the following semester. It wasn’ t going to be offered again for two years.

The flustered student replied,“ But my parents didn’ t know that!”

What more could her advisor say? She said,“ With all due respect, your parents are there for many reasons, but I’ m your academic advisor.”

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