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About ACA Embrace the World: Grow as a Result Camp is often
described as being a life-changing experience for children. The
Directions research, conducted by the American Camp Association
(ACA) in 2005, documented the significant growth in positive
identity, social skills, thinking skills, and positive values
that occurs during a camp session. Although the same type of
research has not been conducted with adults, similar growth and
change of attitudes has been reported anecdotally by adult
participants in international gatherings. Too often, Americans
are guilty of ethnocentrism — defined as "looking through the
filters of our own experiences, values, beliefs, and behaviors
as the center of our world" (ACA, 2007). Participation in an
international event, at any age, enables us to step beyond our
comfort level and reap the benefits of broadened horizons. Camp
offers an incredibly supportive environment for growth in
cultural understanding. The com