CHILDRENS ONCOLOGY CAMPING ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

THE CHILDREN'S ONCOLOGY CAMPING ASSOCIATION, INTERNATIONAL'S (COCA) MISSION IS TO STRENGTHEN, SUPPORT AND CONNECT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF CAMPS SERVING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CHILDHOOD CANCER. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE 137 MEMBER CAMPS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. COCA PROVIDES EDUCATION AND NETWORKING FOR CAMP PROFESSIONALS, VIRTUALLY AND AT AN IN-PERSON CONFERENCE EACH YEAR. IN 2025, 290 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE CONFERENCE, REPRESENTING 80 MEMBER CAMPS. OUR PARTNER, CARE CAMPS FOUNDATION, PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR COCACADEMY, AN IMMERSIVE EDUCATION TRACK HELD AT THE CONFERENCE AS WELL AS THE KAREN MCANDREW SCHOLARSHIP TO ASSIST MEMBERS IN SENDING ATTENDEES TO THE CONFERENCE EACH YEAR. COCA OFFERS UP TO 11 CONTACT HOURS FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AT THE CONFERENCE EACH YEAR THROUGH THE VIRGINIA NURSES ASSOCIATION. OVER 85 HOURS OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING ARE PROVIDED TO COCA MEMBERS EACH YEAR, VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON. COCA HAS AN ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEARNING CENTER FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR MEMBERS. OUR PARTNER, NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL SUPPORTS THIS PLATFORM. THERE ARE CURRENTLY OVER 160 USERS OF THIS LEARNING CENTER. COCA ALSO PROVIDES A BEST PRACTICES PROGRAM, GOLD RIBBON ACCREDITATION, TO HELP CAMPS IMPROVE THEIR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SO THEY CAN WORK TO PROVIDE MEDICALLY SAFE CAMPS AND PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER AND THEIR FAMILIES. IN 2025, COCA ACCREDITED 17 MEMBER CAMPS. THE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED BY OUR PARTNER, CARE CAMPS FOUNDATION. SINCE THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION IN 2018, COCA HAS ACCREDITED OVER 75 MEMBER CAMPS, HALF OF COCA'S MEMBERSHIP AND PLANS TO VISIT 65 CAMPS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.