The Summer Camp Society Blog
5 Tips for Running the Best Summer Camp Staff Training with Greg Golf
Greg Golf shares expert advice on how to make staff training more impactful, including using stories, explaining the "why" behind tasks, and adding elements of science to build better engagement
ACA Tristate 2023: TSCS Recommendations
The recommendations aim to provide camp leaders with practical tools and insights for improving camp experiences, staff management, and camper well-being. Sessions are carefully selected to address current challenges in the camping world and inspire innovative solutions.
ACA National 2023: TSCS Recommendations
A curated list of key sessions from ACA National, focusing on mental health strategies, inclusivity, and camp culture.
Make Staff Training Easier: How Outside Trainers Make a Big Difference
Thinking about bringing in an outside trainer for your summer camp staff? Fresh eyes, new ideas, and a professional touch can elevate your team's skills and dynamics to the next level. Discover how an external expert can transform your camp culture and training outcomes
Resume Walk
Planning Staff Training is Hard
Level Up Your Facilitation Game
5 Keys to Being a Great Camp Counselor
5 Rules for Running Great Meetings at Camp
Spark Phrases: Training Staff on Play
Camp Kiko Crisis Challenge: A Simulation Activity for Camp Leaders
For this reason, I have developed a new simulation activity that camp leaders can use for an in-service training: The Camp Kiko Crisis Challenge. In this challenge, you will pretend you run a camp where four campers have gone missing on a field trip. Allegations of drug use swirl and transportation to the field trip location (a remote island) make things even worse. What will you do in the face of these issues? Test your skills by trying out our new exercise
Five Under-Utilized Strategies to use During a Camp Crisis
Here are the top four underutilized tactics I have learned from our CampMinder Crisis Challenges that are essential during any sort of camp emergency that unfolds over time
25 Ways to Make More Impact this Summer
Kurtz's favorite icebreaker questions
Kurtz’s Communication Tips for New Seasonal Leaders
Working with Parents: A Demonstration for Camp Staff Training
A demonstration activity perfect for staff training that helps camp counselors understand what it means for parents to leave their kids at camp!
Staff Training: Practicing Coworker Confrontations
Our staff will inevitably have conflicts with each other. Without training, our staff members tend to ignore these issues or rely on a leadership team member to fix the issues for them. This training module will teach staff how to respectfully and effectively approach each other when they have an issue.
10 Things You Need to Know Your First Summer as a Camp Leader
This article provides valuable insights for first-time camp leaders, covering leadership challenges and tips to successfully transition into new responsibilities
10 Ways to Build a Foundation of Mutual Respect During Staff Training
The camp counselor said, “We respect our director because we know she respects us.”
That’s the goal, isn’t it? Respecting our staff might not be hard to do. But where camp leaders often stumble is figuring out how to get their staff to recognize that they are respected.
Jack and I believe that this process starts well before the campers arrive.
10 Things to Do to Prepare for Camp Staff Training
There are a few things that camp leaders can do now to make sure their staff training is the best it can be!