DOUBLE RECAP: Lessons Learned in Gender Inclusive Housing & Equity and Identity
First of all, we are so impressed at and thankful for all of the people who joined us for our panel debriefs (and for our amazing panelists!). We learned SO much, and it was great to see so many people valuing gender-inclusive housing and equity and identity at camp. We’re so thankful for Transplaining and BLACC for partnering with us to make these panels happen.
As for the recap, in total honesty, panel interviews are pretty hard to boil down like I’ve been able to do for our discussion debriefs. There were so many great nuggets shared, and there were a ton of amazing anecdotes. I’ve got some (not a lot) of ideas put together below, but a) I want to recognize that these are SOME things that stood out to me as a cis white woman who didn’t run camp this summer and b) I want to make sure everyone knows this is NOT all of the important conversations we had (doing tech and helping behind the scenes impacted my note taking more than expected).
SOME THINGS I NOTICED IN GENDER-INCLUSIVE HOUSING
AGAIN, NOT ALL
Chris shared that Transplaining’s survey (with more than 300 results) showed that most of the pushback around gender-inclusive housing came from boards.
There are lots of different ways to do gender-inclusive housing, and logistics are different from camp to camp (spaces, registration systems, etc.).
Calling things “guidelines” does not trick your lawyer into thinking they’re not policies (Thanks, Colleen).
Sometimes campers want to switch their housing assignments after arriving at camp. Are you ready for that? Do you have a plan on how to handle it? Do you know your policy around communicating changes to caregivers?
Staff training (and asking staff their preferences) and really building this into culture takes dedication, time, and effort, and it’s the only way to be really successful.
A lot of camps still want help around how to communicate gender-inclusive/gender-affirming housing to caregivers.
LOOKING FOR MORE INFO?
We have a Gender-Inclusive Housing with Chris in December! It’s going to be awesome! Plus, you can check out Chris's fall lineup (and get a 10% discount) here.
SOME THINGS I NOTICED IN EQUITY AND IDENTITY
AGAIN, NOT ALL
The spaces that our camps occupy (like a lot of spaces in the world) don’t always allow our campers and staffs to feel safe.
Training around allyship is really important, and a lot of people had questions around good resources. S’more Melanin is a great place to start, and we hope to work with our partners to get more good resources out this year!
Educate, educate, educate, and continue educating through conversation and coaching.
To get staff who are aligned with your values, get to know them through the application and interview process. Ask questions that help you find underlying perspectives.
Meena gave an example that they often take campers on trips and have locals/tourists stop by and ask questions because they’re not used to seeing groups of BIPOC people/kids. They mention this in interviews and ask staff how they would explain the program. They listen for words that don’t align with their values (like underprivileged, inner city, low-income, etc.) and don’t move further with applicants who have those underlying perspectives. (Meena, correct me if that’s wrong!)
Pay transparency is important.
As white supremacists get more comfortable out in the open, our BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ campers and staff need more protection and support.
Along with this, as more places ban critical race theory, DEI training, and conversations around race/gender identity/etc., we have to stick with our commitment and get creative in making sure it doesn’t get lost.
I learned more about colorism AND I don’t feel ready to articulate it yet. Here are some resources.
BIPOC campers and staff will feel like they belong at camp when they see more people like them in camp leadership. What can we do to make that happen?
LOOKING FOR MORE INFO?
Makela is AMAZING and pulled some really great quotes to share with us all! Keep an eye out on BLACC’s social so you can continue learning.
HUGE THANKS TO OUR PANELISTS!
GENDER-INCLUSIVE HOUSING
Anna Hopkins Buller - Director, Friends Camp
Chris Murrah - Owner/Director, Ghostlight Theater Camp
Colleen Lowrie - Camp Director, Camp Menesetung
MK Thomason - Camp Director, Stomping Ground
facilitated by Chris Rehs-Dupin
in partnership with Transplaining
Equity & Identity
Kimberly Green - Senior Program Director, YMCA of Florida’s First Coast
Meena Fernald - Associate Program Director, City Kids Wilderness Project
Monia Johnson - Founding Director, Camp Beyond (an affiliate of Change Summer)
facilitated by Makela Elvy
in partnership with BLACC
LOVE THE COMMUNITY AND VALUES AT OUR DEBRIEFS?
We have similar conversations every week with our TSCS members.
Want to start working on some of this in person?
We’ll be talking about a lot of it at our retreat!
RECAP COMPILED BY
Ready to Elevate Your Summer Camp Staff Training?
Empower your camp staff with the tools they need for success.
Visit our dedicated training site for expert resources, training modules, and more.
