ACA, New England is seeking camps to share their program innovations at our New England Camp Conference all-conference session on Saturday, March 28! Submission deadline is January 6, 2026.
Did you see the presentations on fish printing, banana olympics, axe throwing, nature sculpture, and teaching with LARP presentations at our 2024 Conference?
- If so, maybe you thought, "Wow, I'd love to share something cool we're doing at my camp!"
- If not, hopefully you're intrigued and thinking about an innovative or unique program you're doing at your camp that you'd love to share with the greater camp community.
Either way, we are bringing back our Powered by PechaKucha (PK) presenation format for 2026 and we'd love your program to be featured!
The goal is for attendees to walk away having smiled/laughed and feeling inspired with new ideas they want to try at their camps. Whether you're a long-time director or a newer counselor, programming is near and dear to our hearts and at the core of what makes camp tick, creates culture, and keeps campers coming back year after year!
Who: We want to hear from YOU, our own New England camp professionals doing the work! Bonus points if you can include youth voice such as a camper or young staff member (presenting alongside them is a fantastic growth and coaching opportunity).
What: Program Innovation - Camps thrive on innovation for fresh and impactful experiences. Even better if your idea is something other camps can implement themselves (with a few tweaks to make it their own, of course!)
Why: Because you know your camp best and camps love hearing and seeing what other camps are doing!
When: Saturday, March 28 between 9 am - 10:30 am (plenary session)
How: Using a 20 visual slides x 20 seconds each format to share a 7-minute presentation (a format referred to as PechaKucha)... don't worry, we'll be there to help you with the presentation format.
Wondering about PechaKucha, or PK for short?
The term “PechaKucha” derives from Japanese, meaning “chit chat.” PK represents storytelling that celebrates people, passion, and innovative thinking. The PK 20x20 presentation style involves a slideshow of 20 images, each progressing every 20 seconds. It’s a seamless, 400-second opportunity to narrate your story, with visuals guiding the way. Whether you're a seasoned speaker or someone contemplating presenting but feels daunted by hour-long speeches, PK welcomes everyone!
Want to see this in action? Check out these PKs:
Learning Through LARP by 2024 PK presenter Chris Wiley of The Story School
Going to the Moon in a Black Box Theater by Julia Devine, Interdisciplinary Arts Practitioner
A little more about the process:
- Share your idea with us using this form by Tuesday, January 6.
- New England Camp Conference Committee members will review submissions, reach out with any clarifying questions, and make decisions by January 23.
- ACA, New England Camp Conference Committee members will work with accepted presenters to support the creation of their presentation.
- A practice run-through will be scheduled with all presenters on-site at the New England Camp Conference (exact times TBD).
What do we mean by program innovation? Here are some possible topics to get you thinking...
- All-camp programs
- Evening activities
- Unique or new program offerings
- Fun programs your staff LOVE to implement
- Creating magical theme days
All related expenses for conference registration and session preparation and delivery will be the responsibility of the presenter unless otherwise requested by the presenter and agreed upon with ACA, New England. We do not want cost to be a barrier for first-time speakers or camp professionals looking to share a program innovation, so please reach out if you have questions about this.