TSCS PODCAST 6: Making Culture Happen
6 | Making Culture Happen
In this podcast we are talking big ideas, actual and actionable takeaways, and lots of fun with the camp community and professionals!
Bringing people in is a superpower —that is exactly what this episode entails. Jack Schott, Monia Johnson & Murph Hammer assemble like a crew of superheroes to talk through putting staff or campers first, camp culture, and staff time off.
The TSCS Avengers take on creating culture at camp and what to do when you’re new to an existing camp. Camp is full of rich traditions and culture, what do you do when you don’t agree with it? And how do you even start it when the 14 year old campers want to sleep through breakfast? If you’re looking for a staff PTO plan and mic drop knowledge, this is the pod for you.
Producer EmJ’s takeaways:
The shortcut to self-discovery is at camp.
If you’re not 100% into the camp’s traditions, seek to understand before you critique and change (& if/when you change it, get the staff to help rethink it).
BONUS: Be in the moment to learn and then improve.
Still a little lost on who is the chicken & who is the egg between staff and campers.
WANT MORE FROM Monia and murph?
Here’s the thing, they will BOTH be at the Spring 2023 Retreat. They say don’t meet your heroes, this is the one exception — Spring 2023 Retreat
WANT MORE FROM TSCS?
Become a member. The single best way to have more fun and be more effective as a camp professional.
Monia Johnson
Monia Johnson, Founding Camp Director for Camp Beyond, a camp affiliate of Change Summer. Monia holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology, and a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Monia has worked in numerous industries across sectors (Finance, Learning & Organization Development, Education, Youth Development & Advocacy). Through her work at Change Summer, Monia aspires to build robust social-emotional learning opportunities where campers can discover their strengths, test their limits and learn new skills while having fun.
To get in contact, email monia@summercampbeyond.org
Murphy hammer
Murphy Hammer has served in many roles at many camps all across Michigan before joining Camp AGQ, campagq.org / annarborymca.org, as the Executive Director in April 2022. Before camps and in a past life, Murphy was a social worker.
When you ask Murphy for a bio, they will say, “I have a wife and a dog. And I think rubber chickens will change the world.”
To get in contact, email murphyhammer@gmail.com
Jack Schott
Host Jack Schott struggles with bureaucracy, loves fun, and secretly stays up late obsessing over businessy stuff. His unique perspectives come from his varied background. An engineer, Jack took the first few years post-college to travel the country visiting over 200 camps in 47 states. Building on what he saw, he co-founded Stomping Ground, a non-profit sleepaway camp inspiring radical empathy and co-founded The Summer Camp Society. In 2022, Jack trained more than 2000 camp staff at 20+ camps.
To get in contact, email jack@thesummercampsociety.com
The Summer Camp Society Podcast is edited and produced by EmJ Juszczyk.
