One of the many, many things that I love about the work that we do in the camp industry is the convenings that we are so fortunate to attend together. The camaraderie that is fostered when we gather in community at industry-wide events is truly unmatched.

And . . .

I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone when I say that camp conferences, by and large, all too often center similar voices at the front of the room.

Engage in a little exercise with me, if you will. I want you to reflect on the last camp conference you attended. Close your eyes and really try to take yourself back. What were some of the featured sessions? Who were some of the featured speakers?

Who was at the front of the room?

Maybe your reflection instantly brought you back to experiencing dynamic presentations from a diversity of speakers! Maybe you noticed a pattern of presenters from the dominant paradigm who, brilliant in their own right, represent the dominant perspective. Or, maybe your reflection brought you somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. I know that when I reflect on my time in the industry and the countless camp conferences I have attended, I so often find myself craving to hear from new voices . . . from the voices who aren’t represented at the front of the room.

I asked the crew at The Summer Camp Society (TSCS) to help me ideate on a way to not only elevate different individuals at industry events, but to actively support those individuals in feeling confident and comfortable on the main stage. The incredible team at TSCS delivered, and in a big, big way.

The Facilitator Elevator

Jack Schott (he/him), Allison Krabill (she/her), and Nelson Strickland (he/him) dreamed up the Facilitator Elevator, a two-day experience that brought together nine camp professionals in a supportive environment focused on creating community around the work of facilitation; sharing and growing skills; and engaging in conversations about what it means to be a facilitator.

When I heard the recap of the experience . . . about the connections that were forged, the ideas that were shared, the presentations that were given . . . I was, and am, truly blown away, both by the amazing group of participants and by the artful way the team at TSCS created and held space.

I am so excited to share the story of the Facilitator Elevator. I hope, like me, you’ll find awe and inspiration in what happens when we simply step aside, make room, and elevate new voices.

Let me set the scene

An intimate group of camp professionals gather around a small stage at a camp in the foothills of the Catskills mountains. The group, engaged in spirited collegial conversation, slowly falls to a hush as a presenter takes to the stage. The room is quiet as the presenter begins speaking, confidently and deliberately.

“Somebody once told me, the world was going to roll me. I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed.”

A small, orange ball wearing black headphones made for a human head rests on a chair beside the presenter as he continues.

“Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming. Fed to the rules, and I hit the ground running.”

Children of the 90’s and pop culture aficionados, you might already be singing along to the tune of Smash Mouth’s “All Star,” which the presenter continued to recite to an increasingly jubilant (and hysterical) audience.

At first impression, this may sound like a scene from an improv skit or an open mic night. But, in fact, this was just one of the many scenes that took place during The Facilitator Elevator.

Two days in community

The Facilitator Elevator went down April 25th - April 27th in Huguenot, NY at the headquarters of Camp Reimagined, who created the workshop in collaboration with TSCS. Participants included a variety of camp professionals, from Directors and Consultants to folks in between. What unified the variety of participants who hold a variety of roles was a deep desire to learn more about how to create and hold space as facilitators.

The goals of the inaugural Facilitator Elevator were threefold:

To get better at facilitation and presentation together
To make connections with badass camp folks doing progressive work
To dream about what is possible in reimagining camp with action through compassion.

One aspect of reimagining camp that the Facilitator Elevator was designed to address is shifting the paradigm of who traditionally commands presence at industry events.

“Most of the voices at American Camp Association (ACA) events tend to be white men, like me. Our hypothesis is bringing together and elevating folks who normally aren’t seen in the front of the room at ACA is one of many ways to help change that. It is important to change that,” shared TSCS Co-Founder Jack Schott, who helped facilitate the Facilitator Elevator.

Jack, along with TSCS Executive Director Allison Krabill and Faculty Member Nelson Strickland, focused on building the Facilitator Elevator as a container for participants to feel comfortable trying new things and stepping outside of their comfort zones. Instead of regurgitating the thousands of books, articles, podcasts, and “How Tos” on being a great facilitator, the Facilitator Elevator focused on creating a community where each participant felt great about helping one another take steps towards being the kind of facilitator that they aspire to be.

“An experience within an experience.”

So, what exactly does a community-focused, dynamic facilitation workshop look like? The Facilitator Elevator began with more heavily-facilitated sessions by Jack, Nelson, and Allison before transitioning into planning and facilitation by the participants.

“We sat in circles, worked at tables, and presented for each other,” shared Bradley Henry (he/she/they). Bradley, the Training Specialist for Transplaining for Camps and a participant at the experience, continued, “The room was covered in posters of questions that we could answer, creating opportunities to opt in to an experience within an experience. It was cozy and intimate. I loved it. Activities all revolved around getting to know each other, exploring facilitation and feedback as concepts, and facilitating.”

Participants shared their hopes for the experience before cultivating some levity by pulling silly presentations out of a hat and acting them out on the fly. A day of tangible takeaways, conference prep, facilitation frameworks, and discussion on getting comfortable in front of the room preceded a day of planning badass sessions, and presentation practice and feedback.

Dynamic presentations

Over the course of the two-day experience, participants gave a series of dynamic presentations in a supportive community container. Simone Gamble (they/them), who is a TSCS Faculty Member and the Founder of OAAARS, delivered a presentation on vulnerability and how to handle microaggressions via a roleplay of a family dinner with a racist grandpa, as inspired by a TikTok trend. Lolo Castro (she/her), the Director of Welcoming + Belonging at Camp Reimagined, used the classic childhood game, “the Floor is Lava,” to demonstrate how to use your space. Al Murray (they/them), the Director of Transplaining for Camps, explored how to handle scary situations via the analogy of encountering a bear in the woods. Allison addressed the topic of accessibility by presenting a world without gravity. Quarius Lucas (he/him), the Marketing Director for Camp Stomping Ground, poetically recited 90’s pop music lyrics. All as a means to bolster each participant’s confidence and creativity as facilitators.

“The Facilitator Elevator was an excellent opportunity for me to not only sharpen my skills as a facilitator but to truly experiment with different styles and elements,” shared Simone. They continued, saying “This experience allowed me to reimagine how I can combine play and games with the discussion of social justice and equity with groups. I was so glad to have this incubator to try out some new concepts and get feedback from a truly amazing group of camp professionals in a way that felt constructive. I look forward to attending this again in the future!”

Sparking widespread change

From shared moments of humor and beauty to quiet moments of reflection and growth, the Facilitator Elevator was an exploratory, educational, collective, collaborative container of learning that elevated an incredible group of camp professionals.

Gatherings like the Facilitator Elevator are vital to sparking widespread industry change. We know there are voices missing from the professional development arena in the camping industry, and we know these voices often belong to young, marginalized, brilliant people. The desire was to bring these folks together, build belonging, community, and confidence so that we can work together to change how Professional Development is done in the camping industry.

TSCS and Camp Reimagined are so, so very grateful to the camp professionals who joined the Facilitator Elevator, each of whom showed up fully, presently, vulnerably, and courageously. It was truly an honor to be witness to each of their unique brilliance and gifts and I absolutely cannot wait to see the waves they make in the industry, and in the world.

Be on the lookout for these amazing humans and their work, and stay tuned for opportunities to engage in a Facilitator Elevator coming to a camp near you!