ABOUT

History

In 2020, COVID-19 changed much for the way we all live.  As it pertains to camps and out-of-school education businesses, we realized a few things:

1. As DCEO was working on COVID-19 operational guidance, camp owners did not know who to call at the state or how best to communicate with decision makers.  While some industries had access to help craft specific rules, neither overnight nor day camp had existing lines of communication. 
2. Camp owners have an interest in building relationships and establishing open communication with state regulators and legislative decision makers in IL.
3. We can learn from camps and out-of-school educators in other areas of the country, and bring what’s working well back to IL.

The Illinois Camp Operators Guild was founded to provide camps a way to influence the laws and statutory requirements that impact camps in Illinois. Camp professionals realized that lobbying efforts was needed in Illinois so camps can effectively operate.

To meet this need, the Guild was formed as a 501(c)(6) in 2022.

Initial Priorities:

• Establish and maintain open communication with state regulators and legislators
• Advocate for the relevance and future of camp