Woo hoo!  We just received our accreditation letter.  We are now officially an accredited from the American Camp Association, the industry leader for advocacy, education and sets the operating standards for camps across the country. We worked hard this past year to ensure that we were in compliance with over 300 health, safety and program quality standards.  Only about 1 in 5 camps is accredited and we are very proud to be in that top 20%.

Now we can proudly display the ACA logo on our website and printed materials.  We hope it will be a reassuring symbol to all parents and guests letting them know that our programs have been reviewed by camp professionals and that is operated according to the industries best practices.

Some of our staff also have plans to become ACA site visitors themselves.  As visitors our staff would be certified to travel to other camps to evaluate their operations.  This will keep us up to date on industry standards as they are updated and keep the safety and quality on the forefront of our minds as we welcome our campers each summer.

This process, although rigorous, did not change the goals of our programs.  We still hope to help campers learn self-sufficiency and independence as they try new things, we hope they develop confidence and creativity, as they recognize how God is working around and within them.

Ferncliff has always been a great camp and we knew that before our accrditation but it sure feels great to know that outside professionals think we are doing a great job.  Thanks to all the volunteers, donors, staff, guests and campers that make Ferncliff a special camp doing special things.