The Summer Camp Society Blog

Make Staff Training Easier: How Outside Trainers Make a Big Difference
Staff, Staff Training, Leadership & Staff Development Sarah Kurtz McKinnon Staff, Staff Training, Leadership & Staff Development Sarah Kurtz McKinnon

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

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Camp Kiko Crisis Challenge: A Simulation Activity for Camp Leaders
Staff Training, Camp Operations & Management Sarah Kurtz McKinnon Staff Training, Camp Operations & Management Sarah Kurtz McKinnon

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

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Staff Training: Practicing Coworker Confrontations
Staff Training, Leadership & Staff Development Sarah Kurtz McKinnon Staff Training, Leadership & Staff Development Sarah Kurtz McKinnon

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.

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10 Ways to Build a Foundation of Mutual Respect During Staff Training
Staff Training, Leadership & Staff Development Sarah Kurtz McKinnon Staff Training, Leadership & Staff Development Sarah Kurtz McKinnon

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.

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