Beyond Akeela receives ACA National Award!

We are excited and honored to announce that Beyond Akeela has been recognized as a recipient of the Eleanor P. Eells Award for Program Excellence by the American Camp Association national office! Here’s an excerpt from the ACA’s website that explains what the Eleanor Eells Award represents:

Eleanor P. Eells Awards for Program Excellence are designed to honor camp programs that:

  • Develop effective, creative responses to the needs of people and/or societal problems using the camp environment,
  • Encourage continued development of such ideas,
  • Stimulate the exchange of creative ideas, and/or
  • Present to the public examples of positive contributions camp has made on the well being of individuals and society.

We hear from so many teens and parents that the challenging part of the transition to college is not keeping up with academic course load, but rather the ability of students to advocate for themselves, build meaningful connections, and stay organized. Beyond Akeela was designed to build those skill sets as our campers transition from high school to college and the workforce. At Beyond Akeela, teens practice self-advocacy, executive function, and practical independent living skills in a college environment, while having the support of their peers and a group of staff mentors to guide them along the way. Beyond Akeela campers are further immersed in a group of teens like themselves with whom they form incredible and life-long social connections with.

We are proud of the success so many Beyond Akeela teens have had as they transition to their post-secondary lives. Beyond Akeela started in 2011 with its roots at Camp Akeela in Vermont and has adapted over the years to best support our teens. We have truly learned from each summer and meeting and sharing with other transition programs, all of which has helped Beyond Akeela turn into the program it is today.

Click here for a full list of this year’s ACA award recipients

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