Latest news with #HenryDeHart
The Hill
14-07-2025
- General
- The Hill
Camp Mystic not accredited nationally, eight others in Kerr County are
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The words 'American Camp Association Accredited' are what several parents tell KXAN investigators they look for before deciding on a summer camp. 'I have personally considered ACA accreditation a must for considering a camp for my own kids to attend,' one parent wrote to KXAN, adding that he likes the numerous checks around safety measures. The American Camp Association, or ACA, is a nationwide voluntary accreditation program for day and overnight camps across the country. The association said 76 camps operating across Texas are accredited, including eight in Kerr County, but not Camp Mystic. The all-girls Christian summer camp lost more than two dozen campers and counselors after the deadly Independence day flooding on the Guadalupe River. 'Our mission is to support those that operate camps, to advance practices around health, safety, risk management and program quality and so, you know, our hallmark program around that is our accreditation program, which is the only set of national standards around health and safety for camps,' explained Henry DeHart, interim president and CEO of ACA out of Indiana. DeHart added that the association encourages camps to work with local emergency responders and allow them to review safety measures. He said to become accredited, which includes annual fees, a team is sent to work with each camp and review safety practices in detail. According to ACA, there are an estimated 20,000 camps nationwide. DeHart explained more than 2,300 have the ACA accreditation. 'We have standards specifically around, 'Do you have an emergency plan, and have you thought through all of your location-specific potential risks around that emergency plan? Have you trained your staff around it, and do you rehearse it before campers get there? And so, what is your communication plan in a crisis? Oftentimes cell services are down, so do you have a backup plan?'' DeHart explained. Camp Mystic, which is licensed by the state, is a member of the Camping Association for Mutual Progress, or C.A.M.P. The state association said online that its goal is to 'raise health and safety standards for all camps.' KXAN investigators reached out to C.A.M.P leaders, but they have not yet been able to provide details about safety standards. 'Our hearts are with everyone affected by the devastating floods in Kerr County. We are deeply saddened by the loss of so many in our state, and our camping community,' said a recent post on the C.A.M.P. website. The post further explained that the association does not govern or accredit camps and members are regulated by the state. Additionally, it said C.A.M.P. serves as a resource for education and support to strengthen the camp community through the spirit of cooperation, collaboration and the collection of ideas. 'The safety and well-being of every camper is, and always will be, the top priority of camps,' said the post. 'Right now, our focus is on supporting the camps, campers, and families impacted by this heartbreaking event. We also remain ready to work closely with state and local leaders to ensure every child who visits our camps is safe, supported, and cared for.' State inspection reports for Camp Mystic obtained by KXAN investigators show the camp had just finished its annual inspection two days before the deadly flash flood. The Department of State Health Services found the camp had the required emergency plans, including written ones in case of a disaster. The state agency said youth camps are required to have those plans posted clearly in every building. DSHS reviews emergency plans onsite during an annual inspection. Camp Mystic has yet to respond to emails asking for comment. ACA said this is a good time for camps to review emergency procedures and see if there are any details which need to be tweaked. DeHart added if parents are feeling anxious, they should ask about what happens if the camp has to be evacuated and how the camp will stay in touch with local emergency service teams, especially if cell service is down. 'Parents have reasonable questions right now,' DeHart said. 'All across the country, camps are proactively trying to reach out and connect with parents, help them understand the planning that they have done, the procedures they have in place.' He urges parents to reach out to their camps directly and learn more about emergency plans in place including communication with families during a disaster. 'I worked at camps in North Carolina, so we had to worry about hurricanes. We actually had to evacuate for a hurricane once, but we had all of those things in place. We had busses, we had location, we had supervision, we had a way to feed the campers. So, parents can ask questions like that, and camps will be eager to share those details with the parents,' he said. DeHart said a team has already met with Texas Sen. John Cornyn about ways to support Texas camps during this time. He added that it's been encouraging how other camps have stepped up and are willing to help. He's heard stories of camps offering to take in campers from impacted areas saying, 'We have some open spaces. Let us work with your parents to get your campers to our camp … so your camper still get a camp experience.'
Boston Globe
10-07-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Heroics of Texas camp counselors cast spotlight on those who oversee millions of US kids each summer
More than 160 people still are believed to be missing, and at least 118 have died in the floods that laid waste to the Hill Country region of Texas. The riverbanks and hills of Kerr County are filled with vacation cabins, youth camps and campgrounds, including Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 campers and counselors died. Officials said five campers and one counselor from the camp have still not been found. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency planning just two days before the catastrophic flooding. The specifics of the plan weren't released, but under state law it had to include instructing campers what to do if they need to evacuate and assigning specific duties to each staff member and counselor. Advertisement Henry DeHart, interim president and CEO of the American Camp Association, said counselors typically receive training in areas such as risk management, emergency procedures, child development, abuse prevention, and supervision. Over the years, they've stepped in during emergencies, from wildfires to medical crises, while grabbing few headlines, he said. Advertisement 'What happened in Texas is a profound reminder of the immense responsibility camp counselors carry and how seriously they take that duty,' he said. A counselor describes the responsibility of the job As Helen Hardymon watches the news stories about Texas, the 19-year-old wonders what she would have done if the tragedy had struck her camp, Westview on the James. The summer camp sits on a portion of the James River about a 40-minute drive from downtown Richmond, Virginia. 'On paper, yeah, I'm prepared,' she said. 'I know the protocol. I know our meeting place. I knew who to call, who to radio. But in the moment, especially with an environmental concern or emergency, like, it is so unpredictable.' There has been a lot of rain this summer, and she knows what it is like when kids are cold and wet. Her campers had just gone to bed as she spoke. They had to miss their evening showers in the bathhouse because there was so much thunder. They were calm, but she has seen worried kids cry or simply shut down. 'It reaches a point, an emotional point that they might have never experienced without a parent there,' said Hardymon, now in the hiring process to become a firefighter. From camper to counselor Hardymon's training started two week before campers arrived. The camp used to make the first week of training optional, a time to certify people as lifeguards or to work the zip line. But starting this year, both weeks become mandatory to cover all the material, which ranges from homesickness to how to safely put a child into a harness for the high-ropes course, said Camp Director Anthony Gomez. Advertisement The training can start years earlier. Gomez said many camps — his included — offer programs to turn campers into counselors. Hardymon, herself a former camper, is an example. In some places, young teens pay a discounted rate to attend a counselor-in-training program. The teens then might work at the camp part-time or volunteer for a few more summers, the tasks assigned to them gradually increasing before they become full-fledged counselors. 'They are back at the camp that they love, they are participating in the program, but now their participation has shifted into paying this forward onto the next generation of folks,' Gomez said. By the time they are in senior, paid positions, most are in college and deeply rooted in their camp's culture, said Barry Garst, a former camp director of several years and current professor of youth development at Clemson University. 'They understand your expectations for supporting youth, understand the camp's mission and philosophy,' Garst said. 'It's a lot harder to teach those things as opposed to having individuals come into the program that already understand it.' Jim Sibthorp, a professor at the University of Utah who researches summer camps, said one of the things that makes these camp counselors so powerful is that they are seen as closer to peers than parent figures. The relationships are further strengthened by bunking together at night. 'Even in normal camps, they're leaders because there are decisions to be made,' Sibthorp said. 'And, you know, these children are looking up to them to make those decisions.' Advertisement
Winnipeg Free Press
10-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Heroics of Texas camp counselors cast spotlight on those who oversee millions of US kids each summer
As floodwaters rose in Texas, camp counselors hoisted children onto rafters, carried them to dry ground and sang with them to keep them calm. Some died trying to keep their campers safe. These heroics have cast a spotlight on the people who fill these roles. Often teenagers, some just a year or two removed from being a camper themselves, counselors are a staple of the summer camp experience for the more than 25 million children whom the American Camp Association estimates attend camp annually. 'Thank goodness for the brave counselors,' said Keli Rabon, a Houston mother whose 7- and 9-year-old sons were rescued from Camp La Junta. She said the counselors who saved them were 'really just kids themselves.' More than 160 people still are believed to be missing, and at least 118 have died in the floods that laid waste to the Hill Country region of Texas. The riverbanks and hills of Kerr County are filled with vacation cabins, youth camps and campgrounds, including Camp Mystic, the century-old all-girls Christian summer camp where at least 27 campers and counselors died. Officials said five campers and one counselor from the camp have still not been found. Texas inspectors signed off on Camp Mystic's emergency planning just two days before the catastrophic flooding. The specifics of the plan weren't released, but under state law it had to include instructing campers what to do if they need to evacuate and assigning specific duties to each staff member and counselor. Henry DeHart, interim president and CEO of the American Camp Association, said counselors typically receive training in areas such as risk management, emergency procedures, child development, abuse prevention, and supervision. Over the years, they've stepped in during emergencies, from wildfires to medical crises, while grabbing few headlines, he said. 'What happened in Texas is a profound reminder of the immense responsibility camp counselors carry and how seriously they take that duty,' he said. A counselor describes the responsibility of the job As Helen Hardymon watches the news stories about Texas, the 19-year-old wonders what she would have done if the tragedy had struck her camp, Westview on the James. The summer camp sits on a portion of the James River about a 40-minute drive from downtown Richmond, Virginia. 'On paper, yeah, I'm prepared,' she said. 'I know the protocol. I know our meeting place. I knew who to call, who to radio. But in the moment, especially with an environmental concern or emergency, like, it is so unpredictable.' There has been a lot of rain this summer, and she knows what it is like when kids are cold and wet. Her campers had just gone to bed as she spoke. They had to miss their evening showers in the bathhouse because there was so much thunder. They were calm, but she has seen worried kids cry or simply shut down. 'It reaches a point, an emotional point that they might have never experienced without a parent there,' said Hardymon, now in the hiring process to become a firefighter. From camper to counselor Hardymon's training started two week before campers arrived. The camp used to make the first week of training optional, a time to certify people as lifeguards or to work the zip line. But starting this year, both weeks become mandatory to cover all the material, which ranges from homesickness to how to safely put a child into a harness for the high-ropes course, said Camp Director Anthony Gomez. The training can start years earlier. Gomez said many camps — his included — offer programs to turn campers into counselors. Hardymon, herself a former camper, is an example. In some places, young teens pay a discounted rate to attend a counselor-in-training program. The teens then might work at the camp part-time or volunteer for a few more summers, the tasks assigned to them gradually increasing before they become full-fledged counselors. 'They are back at the camp that they love, they are participating in the program, but now their participation has shifted into paying this forward onto the next generation of folks,' Gomez said. By the time they are in senior, paid positions, most are in college and deeply rooted in their camp's culture, said Barry Garst, a former camp director of several years and current professor of youth development at Clemson University. 'They understand your expectations for supporting youth, understand the camp's mission and philosophy,' Garst said. 'It's a lot harder to teach those things as opposed to having individuals come into the program that already understand it.' Jim Sibthorp, a professor at the University of Utah who researches summer camps, said one of the things that makes these camp counselors so powerful is that they are seen as closer to peers than parent figures. The relationships are further strengthened by bunking together at night. 'Even in normal camps, they're leaders because there are decisions to be made,' Sibthorp said. 'And, you know, these children are looking up to them to make those decisions.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Global Foundation supports the American Camp Association (ACA) with Grants to Strengthen Camp-School Partnerships
MARTINSVILLE, Ind., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Camp Association (ACA) is proud to announce a $500,000 grant initiative, made possible by the generous support of the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Global Foundation, part of SMBC Group. The Camp-School Partnership Project will award one-year grants to qualifying nonprofit camps during the summers of 2025 and 2026. This initiative is designed to help camps expand their capacity to implement and sustain high-quality programming in collaboration with schools, districts, and other community-based partners. The goal: to increase access to meaningful camp experiences for youth, particularly in communities that have historically lacked access to such opportunities. "ACA's research shows that camp-school partnerships (CSPs) are a proven strategy in getting children to camp who otherwise would not attend," said Henry DeHart, ACA interim president/CEO. "The support of SMBC Global Foundation for this initiative is paramount in helping camps reach more children. Students participating in CSPs often leave camp with lasting memories of their experience which can, in turn, be leveraged to support their classroom learning." For summer 2025, ACA is awarding $280,000 to eight outstanding organizations. This year's grant cycle saw a highly competitive pool, with nearly 120 applications and 40 finalists. The following recipients were selected: Fiver Children's Foundation (NY) Guided Discoveries (CA) Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco — Camp Mendocino (CA) Camp Herrlich (NY) Camp Abilities Tucson (AZ) Camp CENergy (TX) Camp Fire Long Beach (CA) Princeton-Blairstown Center (NY) Grants will directly support programming that reaches an estimated 550 campers each summer, with a focus on youth from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The next application window, for summer 2026, will open in fall 2025. ACA encourages applications from camps nationwide, with priority consideration given to those serving youth in New York, New Jersey, Arizona, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas — communities where SMBC employees live and work. The SMBC Global Foundation, in addition to supporting Camp-School Partnership, is also supporting camperships at camps mentioned in the above regions to increase access to meaningful camp experiences. For more information about the Camp-School Partnership Project, visit About the American Camp Association The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization serving the more than 15,000 year-round and summer camps in the US who annually serve 26 million campers. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accreditation provides public evidence of a camp's voluntary commitment to the health, safety, risk management, and overall well-being of campers and staff. For more information, visit or call 800-428-2267. About SMBC Group SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 150 offices and 120,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and ADRs on the New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization's extensive global network. The Group's operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Canada, Ltd., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit View original content: SOURCE American Camp Association
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Global Foundation supports the American Camp Association (ACA) with Grants to Strengthen Camp-School Partnerships
MARTINSVILLE, Ind., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Camp Association (ACA) is proud to announce a $500,000 grant initiative, made possible by the generous support of the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) Global Foundation, part of SMBC Group. The Camp-School Partnership Project will award one-year grants to qualifying nonprofit camps during the summers of 2025 and 2026. This initiative is designed to help camps expand their capacity to implement and sustain high-quality programming in collaboration with schools, districts, and other community-based partners. The goal: to increase access to meaningful camp experiences for youth, particularly in communities that have historically lacked access to such opportunities. "ACA's research shows that camp-school partnerships (CSPs) are a proven strategy in getting children to camp who otherwise would not attend," said Henry DeHart, ACA interim president/CEO. "The support of SMBC Global Foundation for this initiative is paramount in helping camps reach more children. Students participating in CSPs often leave camp with lasting memories of their experience which can, in turn, be leveraged to support their classroom learning." For summer 2025, ACA is awarding $280,000 to eight outstanding organizations. This year's grant cycle saw a highly competitive pool, with nearly 120 applications and 40 finalists. The following recipients were selected: Fiver Children's Foundation (NY) Guided Discoveries (CA) Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco — Camp Mendocino (CA) Camp Herrlich (NY) Camp Abilities Tucson (AZ) Camp CENergy (TX) Camp Fire Long Beach (CA) Princeton-Blairstown Center (NY) Grants will directly support programming that reaches an estimated 550 campers each summer, with a focus on youth from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The next application window, for summer 2026, will open in fall 2025. ACA encourages applications from camps nationwide, with priority consideration given to those serving youth in New York, New Jersey, Arizona, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas — communities where SMBC employees live and work. The SMBC Global Foundation, in addition to supporting Camp-School Partnership, is also supporting camperships at camps mentioned in the above regions to increase access to meaningful camp experiences. For more information about the Camp-School Partnership Project, visit About the American Camp Association The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization serving the more than 15,000 year-round and summer camps in the US who annually serve 26 million campers. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accreditation provides public evidence of a camp's voluntary commitment to the health, safety, risk management, and overall well-being of campers and staff. For more information, visit or call 800-428-2267. About SMBC Group SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 150 offices and 120,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and ADRs on the New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization's extensive global network. The Group's operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Americas Holdings, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities Canada, Ltd., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. For more information, please visit View original content: SOURCE American Camp Association
