Catherine Curry, Director of Latin 360, which includes Summer at Latin, recently received the 2025 Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois chapter of the American Camp Association (ACA), recognizing her outstanding leadership and service.

Since joining ACA’s Board of Directors in 2003, Ms. Curry has volunteered with the Illinois chapter for more than two decades, focusing on improving and expanding camps across the state.

“The Board of Directors is made up of a lot of smart, creative, thoughtful people who are all working towards providing awesome summer experiences for kids, and developing programs that allow staff to grow and learn,” Ms. Curry said.

ACA Illinois is one of the few sections of the American Camp Association that operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. As stated on their website, their mission is “Empowering camps to create quality experiences that build a world of belonging and growth.” Through the Title 20 program—a federal funding initiative—ACA Illinois helps ensure that under-resourced children from around Illinois have equal opportunities to attend camp and experience its many benefits.

“What is most important to me about ACA is that we have the mindset of how we are always thinking about who isn’t there, who doesn’t have the opportunities, and how we can help them,” Ms. Curry said.

Ms. Curry uses this mindset in much of her work at Latin, particularly through the Summer at Latin program. One clear example is Latin’s Camp Trekker program, which Ms. Curry launched 16 years ago, drawing inspiration from camps she observed during her years with ACA. The Camp Trekker program takes students to popular Chicago destinations, using public transportation to explore the city and discover new sights.

“I loved going to camp, but I wish I had participated in the more involved camps, like the Trekker program,” Ilse Monarrez, a sophomore who attended Summer at Latin day camp during her time in the Lower School, said.

Looking to the future, Ms. Curry plans to continue to develop Latin 360 into an engaging program for young students like Ilse with a variety of camps for kids to choose from and even hopes to implement the clubs and summer programs within Latin’s Middle School.

Her son, Ehren Curry, a sophomore at Latin, has attended the summer camps at Latin and seen firsthand the improvements that Ms. Curry has made to Latin 360. “I am so proud my mom was honored with this award,” Ehren said. “She puts so much work into her job and deserves the recognition she got. I can’t wait for what she does in the future.”