Identify Your Level

The Director’s School has three levels that focus on business competencies for professionals at particular stages of their career and camp journeys. In some cases, your years of experience may easily match with a particular cohort level. However, camp professionals tend to have knowledge crossing over positions, years and areas of expertise. This guide is meant to help identify the most appropriate level for application and attendance.

Level 1

Early-career camp professional; professional new to camping field with other career background or expertise; does not need to be in a leadership role to attend.

Consider your current position, knowledge, skills, and abilities. If you have any of the following areas of responsibility, Level One is a good fit for you.

• You directly supervise staff
• You are responsible for program budget(s)
• You are responsible for purchasing and tracking any or all expenses
• You are responsible or involved in the process of assessing risk for one or more program areas
• You moved up into a full-time position from a seasonal position within the past two years
• You worked in a different field (ex: education, non-profit, anything else!), are new to the camping field, and hold a supervisory or leadership position

Level 2

Camp professional with 3+ years of year-round experience in the camping industry.

Consider your current and past camp positions, knowledge, skills, and abilities. Level 2 will be a fit if any of the following areas of expertise are true for you right now.

• You create, or significantly contribute, to the camp’s overall budget
• You supervise multiple groups or levels of staff
• You report directly, or frequently present, to a camp board
• You, alone or as part of a leadership team, make administrative decisions regarding the camp’s operations
• You train other staff how to assess programmatic risk at your camp
• You have a working knowledge of evaluation
• You understand the role of maintenance and property management at your camp

Level 3

Camp professionals with 5+ years of year-round leadership experience in the camping industry.

Consider your current and past camp positions, knowledge, skills, and abilities. Level Three will be a fit if any of the following areas of expertise are true for you right now.

• You are responsible for direct financial oversight of the camp budget
• You are the supervisor for all, or nearly all, camp staff
• You report directly to a Board of Directors, or related camp board
• You recruit individuals to serve on the camp’s board
• You make significant decisions affecting the camp’s operations
• You engage in fundraising efforts for the camp
• You serve as a primary representative of the camp on community, agency, or industry-related committees, taskforces, or commissions

Unsure which level to apply for? Contact us at registration@acail.org and we’ll get you connected with the director of The Director’s School to help you navigate identifying how to proceed.

Deposit

A $500 deposit is required at the time of application. Online payments are the preferred method. If your organization requires an invoice, please contact registration@acail.org. Deposits must be received by October 31, 2026.*

If you have questions or are having difficulty with the deposit, please reach out to registration@acail.org.

*Deposits will be refunded should the applicant not be accepted into the program.

Fees

The fee for The Director’s School is $2,000 and includes:

• 4 nights in a private room.
• 12 meals! All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners + snacks!
• 5 days of program, practitioner textbooks, and resources.

Please note: The above fee does not include travel or any additional nights at the Q Center.

Full payment will be due, if accepted, by December 1. 2026.

Completing the Application

All application materials must be uploaded as pdf files. Applicants will be asked to submit the following in their application:

• COVER LETTER - Explain your interest in attending The Director’s School and how attending at your identified level addresses your current and future career interests. Maximum one page.
• RESUME - Resumes should include educational background, work experience (position & responsibilities), and other relevant experience (ex: volunteer roles, skills or competencies). Maximum two pages.
• LETTER OF SUPPORT - The Letter of Support should be from a supervisor, previous supervisor, teacher, mentor, or another person who can speak to your skills, experiences, and interest in the program. The person’s name and email address should be included at the end of the letter alongside their signature. Maximum one page.
• SHORT WRITING SAMPLE - You will be asked to provide answers to the following questions:
• How long have you been working in a camp-related position?
• If you have a university/college degree, what was your major?
• What is your goal for attending The Director’s School?
• Job Title (or most recent job title.)
• Organization/Camp

During the application process, you will also be asked a series of questions for registration, including:

• Name, address, and additional contact information.
• Specific diet and food allergies.
• Specific learning and accessibility needs.
• If you would like to add additional nights to your stay at the Q Center.

Once your application and deposit have been received, you will receive an email confirmation that tells you we have your application and the status of your deposit.

Decisions about acceptance are made by the Advisory Board for The Director’s School. You will be notified of the decision mid-November.

If you are accepted, you will receive further instructions on how to prepare and an invoice to pay the balance of your fee by December 1, 2026. If you are not accepted, your deposit will be fully refunded to the original form of payment. Refunds will be issued the first week of December.

If you have questions, please reach out to registration@acail.org.

Complete Application Process