The Summer Camp Society Blog
5 Tips for Running the Best Summer Camp Staff Training with Greg Golf
Hi y’all! I am Greg Golf, camp trainer, consultant, former director, and founder/owner of a music production company. If you want to know more about me, check out this video about how one time my counselor gave me a stick and it changed my life.
Below I outline 5 of my favorite tips for running the best summer camp staff training.
OUTLINE AND MODEL
Tip number one: outline and model the behavior you want to see amongst your staff for your counselors. Before orientation starts, go to your leadership staff and tell them, “Hey, these are the five to ten things that we really, really want to impart on our staff. We want to make sure that when we greet them, we are looking them in the eyes and smiling. We want to make sure that when they ask a question, and we answer it, we follow up with, ‘Hey, did that answer your question?’ We want to make sure that people are referred to as the name they prefer to be referred to as, so when you meet someone you say, ‘Hey, do you prefer Julia? Or do you prefer Jackie?’”
Those are all just examples, but modeling how you want your counselors to treat your campers has to come from your leadership team, and how they’re treating your counselors during orientation. Also, something that is a little strange that you can do during orientation, is tell your staff, “Hey, your leadership team is going to specifically wish each of you guys a good night. Is that weird? Since we're all not campers, maybe. But this is to show you guys what we want you to do with your campers.” They will understand, they will learn, and they will know exactly what to do when the campers get there.
SHOW DON’T TELL - As much as possible
My second tip is to do everything you would do, within your power, in a normal camp session, during your orientation. During the first session, your counselor should know everything that's going to happen, ideally, and have seen it with their own eyes. So they're not getting surprised as well. If you have dance night on Wednesdays, have a dance night on Wednesday during your orientation session. If you have big camp games that you do every session, do them during your orientation session. If you do a closing campfire and opening campfire, do those during your staff orientation. Model it the same way a session goes. Staff come, they have a counselor, they get greeted, and they get invested in. They learn how camp works over the first three days, and they get given the tools to succeed. They form lifelong bonds, and then the last night of orientation, knock it out of the park, like with a closing campfire.
USE STORY TO ILLUSTRATE THE BIG TAKEAWAYS
The third tip for running the best staff orientation possible is to think about your most important messages you want to send to your staff over the course of the summer. Instead of saying, “Hey, make sure that the youngest group has sunscreen on,” have a senior leadership member tell a story. For humans, stories stick in our minds so much more than somebody saying, “Hey, I want you to do this.” Use the power of story to drive those things home.
Have all your main messages scheduled out that you want to send during orientation. Have somebody people look up to tell a story that has the message of what you're trying to send. It will go over one thousand times better. Then, during the camp session, if we aren't putting sunscreen on the youngest group of kids, somebody can say, “Hey, do you remember during orientation when this person told this story?” That counselor will remember how it made them feel and it'll come back to them and it's going to land much more than just telling somebody to do something.
HELP STAFF SEE THE WHY
My fourth tip is to make sure staff know “why.” Staff that have grown up at camp inherently know why, but then again, the first years that just got out of leadership programs might need little reminders. However, some of our staff and counselors have never been in a summer camp environment before. I'm sure you're hiring them on the “why” that they want to change kids’ lives, but this is something that you have to continually remind staff throughout the course of the session and orientation.
You're doing ropes training, and a counselor is not paying attention. Tell them why we're doing ropes training: to keep kids safe, to allow kids to try something new, to get out of their comfort zone, and to learn and grow from the disruptive moment of reaching the top of the wall or of going off the zipline for the first time. And in order to do that, the very first thing we need to do is to keep kids safe. That's why we're doing what we are doing.
ADD SOME SCIENCE
My fifth and final tip (it's a little strange) is to bolster all of the fun and community building that you're doing with a little easy, teensy bit of science. Now, I might have just lost you. You might say, “Hey, we're at camp, we are not about science!” You most definitely are about science.
Explaining why certain camp tricks that we all know work, again, explains the why behind when we’re doing something, it helps our college staff realize what's happening in the brain of a camper when we're using some of these tactics that are classic, classic, classic staff tricks. Explain to them the science behind why, when somebody gets up for water and they’re homesick, and you walk them over to the water fountain, it helps them. Their body is more upright, their shoulders are back. Immediately their body is telling their brain, “Okay, I'm doing okay.” They're walking, they're doing an activity, it's distracting them from their feelings, they're drinking water, that sensation of drinking water is soothing. The act of getting up and doing something is just going to make a child feel better.
When you talk about red, blue, and green zones, and how if a camper is in the red zone and is physiologically and neurologically in a heightened state, or if a camper’s in the blue zone and they're in a very down or illogical state, you've got to return them to the green zone prior to getting through to them. Kids can't listen unless their needs are met, they feel cared for, and they're in a stable state, too. So when someone's in the red zone, a camper is upset and is mad and it's red and it's tense.
We calm them down, we go on a walk with them, we get water, we do some deep breathing, we go to a place where we feel safe. Once that camper has gone from the red zone to the green zone, then you can reason with them. You can deliver messages to them, you can build them up and widen that green zone. When a camper is in a blue zone and they're feeling down, we have to spend time getting them back up into the green zone. So if a camper sitting there is looking upset, I would walk up and say, “Hey, it seems like you're not feeling so well. Do you want to talk about it?”
Get them talking a little bit and get them up and moving. Moving around and having somebody to talk to is going to get them back into that green zone. Once they're in that green zone, you can say, “You know, I understand why you were upset or sad about what happened earlier at lunch, but ultimately, we are here for you. Just because you didn't get that third corndog or just because you've spilled ketchup on yourself. It is one of those things that happens. And here at Camp blank, you matter.”
That was a quick example, but teaching the counselors why the red, blue and green zones work will make it stick with them. It'll give them the tactics they need to become the best possible versions of themselves.
Thank you so much. Have a great orientation this year, y’all!
Want some help with your training?
Greg and other trainers are here to help! We offer all different topics in the formats that work best for you and your staff.
Looking for some asynchronous options? We have FIVE virtual courses available as part of a TSCS membership. One membership covers ALL your staff taking the courses. Learn more about membership.
Greg Golf
Staff Trainer
Music Festival Guy
greg@thesummercampsociety.com
ACA Tristate 2023: TSCS Recommendations
Headed to ACA Tri-State? We can’t wait to see you! As many camp pros mention, it is encouraged to scan the program guide to map out your sessions or get a sense of what you want to get while there.
This session guide is 28 pages. Program Director EmJ has taken the time to hand-pick what she’d go to if she was there in New Jersey. (Yes, we wish she was joining too!)
As a TSCS member and program director, here’s her plan and commentary for the conference:
Tuesday, 8:30-9:30
Interrupting Race-Based Microaggressions and Practicing Authentic Allyship at Camp (Kyrah Altman, Zoe Dissanayake)
As a director, people forget that you don’t know it all (you don’t and it's okay, I swear). I like the idea of learning tangible ways to interrupt microaggressions that can happen with a variety of stakeholders and getting to practice myself before bringing tools and training to my camp.
I made it one session block before completely not knowing which I would attend…
Tuesday 2-3
Identifying, Avoiding, and Addressing Staff Toxicity (Emily Golinsky)
One of my favorite takeaways from Scott Arizala on the podcast was the idea that giving 80% is still a passing grade. Emily’s session excites me because I think we are in a phase of changing the narrative at camp. What was once 24/7 all energy, no stops, is now required time off, staff quarters, and making sure your staff are their best selves instead of telling the best counselor horror stories. This is where I think you’re going to learn to listen to your gut and also what to do if things aren’t working out, especially if this is the first year you’re going in with this mindset.
Tuesday, 3:15-4:15
Gen Z Staff Feedback: Giving It, Getting It, and Moving Forward (Allison Krabill)
Normalize feedback. That’s it. Just normalize giving and receiving feedback. It is necessary to talk about performance if we want our camps to be the best they can be and meet set expectations. I would go to this not only for the tools, but to throw in some data and research. Who knows, maybe having data is what makes feedback easier.
Allison Note: I’m flattered, AND EmJ has given away my whole session in her first three sentences…
OR
Momentum Strategies: How to Keep Staff Energy, Commitment, and Initiative High All Summer Long (Deborah Gilboa)
It's not a conference if I don’t see Dr. Gilboa. This is a great way to see her while learning about how to keep staff going for the whole summer. As we get into the deep camp planning season, now is a great time to start building out those staff re-energizing plans and strategies for camp. This may be a great takeaway for you as a leadership team member to get your own takeaways and what you can plan now for yourself and the leadership team to sustain the whole team.
OR
5 Simple Ways to Up Your Music Game this Summer! (Nelson Strickland, Quarius Lucas)
This is a bias pick BUT a relevant one, if you pass me the aux cord, I will panic. One of my favorite things about being a co-counselor with Quarius is that I never had to be incharge of music. He always had music going and it accurately set the tone for each activity. This is a session that is going to help you feel more confident in your tools to have music at camp, make it more inclusive for all AND I bet they will share if it's okay for profanity to be in music.
Wednesday 8:30-9:30
Do You Need a Brand Guide?... Yes, You Do. (Eric Wittenberg)
Consistent fonts, people. See here. I think this is a great non-programming session to go to and will help with the administrative side of things. How many times have you asked for someone to take the lead on an outward-facing document, only to find it doesn’t look consistent with anything your camp has ever made? Get the brand guide. This session is going to make the idea of a camp brand guide less intimidating and hopefully make you realize there is a large ROI if you share common guidelines with your staff.
Allison Note: I cannot agree more. Please go to this. I also think this is great for YMCA camps, Girl Scout camps, 4H camps, etc. who already have a brand guide and constantly roll their eyes thinking about it. This may be eye-opening and help you hate your brand guide less! And as a side note, I’m always happy to talk Y branding.
Wednesday, 9:45-10:45
Not Another Trust Fall: Meaningful Teambuilding Activities for Your Staff (Jed Buck and Roz Buck)
As I hit my 8th year of working at camps, this one really intrigues me. I am looking for fresh team-building activities that aren’t the human knot. I want to show my staff I value them by not making returners do the exact same activities as last year, this will help me keep them on their toes and engaged too. I’m taking this session as a “play” session to get moving and thinking about how to bring these activities back to my team.
Wednesday 2:00 - 3:00 pm
Helping Outsiders Become Insiders: Illuminating the Hidden Curriculum (Nelson Strickland & Jack Schott)
More smiles, less meltdowns. What a great goal to have for new staff and campers. I picked this session to attend because I have been at my new camp for less than a year and I'm still learning the ins and outs of our culture and curriculum. So how do I share this with my new staff and campers? Nelson and Jack to the rescue!
Allison Note: You’ll see this in pretty much all of the slides we show before our presentations, but if something is from our team, it’s most likely interactive, in that we’ll AT LEAST ask you to talk to some people around you. Some people love this, some people aren’t about it, some people have different takes depending on how they’re feeling at the time. Wherever you fall in that, you may want to consider it when planning your sessions.
Wednesday 3:15 - 4:15 pm
Engaging and Maintaining Gen-Z (Justin Pritikin)
I’m on a Gen-Z kick here. I picked this one because the session description got me in the first 2 sentences. I’m not 18 (shocking) so what do I know about being 18 in the year 2023? I want to learn more about the motives and science behind the thoughts and choices this new wave of staff encountered. What perspective can you learn by hearing from this age group? I can’t wait to find out.
And have you heard Justin on the podcast?!
OR
Pass the Aux: A Teen Panel on Belonging at Camp (Makela Elvy and Cameron Bullard)
See above but now it's teens and Makela is chatting about it! I know I would love this because I have wanted to do a camper roundtable for years. This is a great chance to hear thoughts from campers and I think the benefit is that this group will be authentic and not try to save face because you’re their camp director. Unless you are– then how do you get them to share like this??
OR
Song Leading 101 (Ruby Compton)
I’m always here for a Ruby session. This session about how to lead songs and get people out of their comfort zones feels like one that will be applicable for more than campfires. As someone who works with middle schoolers and high schoolers, I would love to know more about how to adapt and get them involved and commit to the bit.
Thursday 9:00-10:00 am
Communicating the Story of Camp in Real Time to Parents (Greg Golf)
If I had a dollar for every Facebook comment about how someone’s kid wasn’t in that day’s photo dump when I was a counselor– I could buy a camp. I am wildly intrigued by this and what tools and methods can be used to automate telling the story of camp in real time. It seems like now more than ever parents and caregivers want to know what’s happening day to day and get a glimpse into their children’s day. If I could improve sharing those moments to gain their trust through this transparency (all while not consuming my day), I’m all ears.
Thursday 10:15-11:15 am
The Science of INTENTIONALLY Planning Programming and Events (Marcie Glad)
Marcie sold me with S.P.O.R.T.Y. S.P.I.C.E. I don’t know what it stands for and I hope someone shares it with me. I think this will be really valuable to directors and staff who maybe do both the purpose setting and planning, or oversee one. As someone who does both, I would love more resources for ages and how to align what we say we do with, well, what we plan to do.
WRAPPING IT UP
There is SO much content for this conference. As a reminder, you’re not going to know it all or learn it all! So take what you can! Reach out to speakers and ask for slides (pss… You can find all the TSCS slides and handouts here)! Check out more tips from our conference podcast (& Allison and Jack debrief ACA Natiotionals) as you travel to Tri-State!
Allison’s takes
First, I love EmJ’s recommendations. Second, I love those social media posts that are like “Plan My Day,” so I want to play that with you at home. Follow us on the TSCS Instagram to help me choose what sessions I should go to.
In addition to EmJ’s picks, some sessions I’m super interested in are:
No Plan, No Problem: How to Teach the Art of Magical Moments - Paige Moffett & Nelson Strickland - Tuesday, March 14 at 8:30-9:30 AM - Room 312
Dining Hall: How to Create Camp Magic through Staff Appreciation - Adam
Grundfast - Tuesday, March 14 at 2:30-1:30 PM - Room 402Doing the Work: How your Frontline Staff Feel about DEI at your Camp - Simone Gamble, Liz Ramirez, Ilyssa Lapp, and Marisa Gershwin - Tuesday, March 14 at 2:00-3:00 PM - Room 415
Project Management 101 for Camps: Planning, Organizing, and Communicating Better - Paige Moffett & Allison Krabill - Tuesday, March 14 at 2:00-3:00 PM - Room 322
Serving Trans/Non-Binary Campers and Staff: How to Move Forward after a Rocky Start - Nick Teich - Tuesday, March 14 at 2:00-3:00 PM - Room 421
DEI Roundtable Work Space - Liz Ramirez - Tuesday, March 14 at 3:15-4:15 PM - Room 415
Parenting and Summer Camp: A Conversation for Caregivers - Hillary Tuesday, March 14 at 3:15pm-4:15 PM - Room 419
Need Staff?: Together We Can Tackle Today's Staffing Challenges - Kim Aycock - Tuesday, March 14 at 3:15-4:15 PM - Room 302
Don't Call Us, We'll Call You - a Guide to Accessible and Inclusive Hiring Practices - Briana Michele Mitchell & Mike Callahan - Wednesday, March 15 at 8:30-9:30 AM - Room 403
5 Lessons I Learned Starting Music Festivals that Made Me a Better Camp
Director - Greg Golf - Wednesday, March 15 at 9:45-10:45 AM - Room 301Equity and Justice at Summer Camps: The Kids are Ready! - Simone Gamble - Wednesday, March 15 at 9:45-10:45 AM - Room 419
So, You Want to Be a Camp Director? - Dan Weir, Jay Jacobs, Mary Lee Dinski, Dayna Hardin, & Genna Singer - Wednesday, March 15 at 9:45-10:45 AM - Room 412
Self-Assessing Your Own Camp - Steve Maguire - 9:45-10:45 AM - Room 302
Dining Hall: Ask the Expert: All Things LGBTQIA+ - Chris Rehs-Dupin - Wednesday, March 15 at 12:30-1:30 PM - Room 405/406
Dining Hall: Finding Comfort Navigating Uncomfortable Conversations - Makela Elvy & Eleazar Adjehoun - Wednesday, March 15 at 12:30-1:30 PM - Room 419
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Power of Reflection at Camp - Paige Moffett & Monia Johnson - Wednesday, March 15 at 3:15-4:15 PM - Room 404
Make a Splash! Aquatics Program Centering Inclusion - Briana Michele Mitchell - Wednesday, March 15 at 3:15-4:15 PM - Room 313
How to Work with your Boss - Dan Weir - Wednesday, March 15 at 3:15-4:15 PM - Room 417
Learning from the Journey: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Stumbles & Solutions - Chris Rehs-Dupin & Emily Golinsky - Thursday, March 16 at 9:00-10:00 AM - Room 311
Moving on Up: Thinking Like a Non-Profit Exec - Allison Krabill - Thursday, March 16 at 9:00-10:00 AM - Room 309
We bought a camp! Mistakes and lessons learned - Jack Schott & Laura Kriegel - Thursday, March 16 at 9:00-10:00 AM - Room 408/409
Modern Marketing Messaging with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Chris Rehs-Dupin and Lee Biear - Thursday, March 16 at 10:15-11:15 AM - Room 311
Use Your Fall Season Strategically - Dan Weir - Thursday, March 16 at 10:15-11:15 AM - Room 304
Building a Culture of Partnership with Your Campers - Laura Kriegel - Thursday, March 16at 10:15-11:15 AM - Room 314
CAMPCHELLA: Wednesday, march 15 at 9:30pm - kiss kiss at the trop
An epic party? Thrown by a camp director/music festival expert? WHOA!
Greg Golf (Shabang Music Productions) is throwing an INCREDIBLE party for us on Wednesday! There’ll be music, costumes, and SO MUCH FUN. Everyone is invited. No need to be a TSCS member. Bring your co-workers and friends!
looking for more conference advice?
EMJ JUSZCZYK
tscs podcast producer
program director, project kindreD
(POSSIBLY UNOFFICIAL) COnference consultant
EmJ can be reached at eajuszczyk@gmail.com.
ACA National 2023: TSCS Recommendations
Next week is the American Camp Association National Conference, and I asked EmJ (our incredible podcast producer and podcast enthusiast) to go through the program guide and make some recommendations. Just like so many conferences, there are SO many really awesome sessions. Find the sessions that are right for you, AND use EmJ’s as a jumping-off point!- Allison
WOW WOW THERE ARE SO MANY SESSIONS!
The Frame
There are 10 session times and Allison asked me to highlight 10 sessions, so I did one per time slot (mostly…). The thought here is: what is the schedule I would map out as a TSCS member? For reference, TSCS members are typically year-round camp professionals at varying levels (some execs, some program directors, some camp directors, some other staff members) who have a commitment to innovation, social justice, gratitude, joy, and professionalism.
GRoup 1:
If You Don’t Debrief It Didn’t Happen: Telling the Story of Your Campers and Your Camp (Ryan Gagnon, Clemson University; Barry Garst, Clemson University)
Camps have been around for a LONG time and that can sometimes make things tricky when it comes to owning the past. I think this would be a great session to go to for camps with long-standing traditions and history and newer camps to see how they own their impact and move forward in a changing world.
Touchy subjects are great to learn about at conferences because I bet this group has a story about their goof-ups and how they navigated this firsthand.
group 2:
Teaching Others How to be a Great Follower (Deb Jordan, East Carolina University)
Camp is a GREAT place to learn and practice how to lead. But when was the last time you learned how to follow? This sounds super intriguing for how to incorporate it into staff training, with your campers, AND yourself as a leadership person. Camp directors always think they have to be leading, but what happens when someone else is? How do I, as someone with a habit of taking charge, step back and support them?
group 3:
“Staff Are So Different Now!” – Top Tools to Support, Supervise, & Train 2023 Staff Who Present Newer Needs & Challenges (Michael Brandwein, Educator/Author/Staff Trainer)
This is picked specifically because Allison is a Brandy Gal and MB is a must when you go to these conferences.
ALSO– this is so true! Staff are different, always have been, and always will be! So now, as we get into the staff training planning and support, I bet he is going to have great ideas and plans for what you can do proactively for staff
group 4:
Name It Now Frame It: Techniques to Build a Culture of Communication and Self Care at Camp (Sterling Leija, Roundup River Ranch)
Communication and self-care are so important for all to do and respect at camp. I think this could play off of Michael Brandwein’s Session 3 and add in campers and leadership staff, too.
We often talk about how important self-care is and are often the worst about doing it. So how can we frame it and put it into our culture for staff.
OR
There Is More to Marketing Than Social Media (Cheryl Goldstein, Campfire Creative Marketing)
This one seems really great for those in a rut with their marketing and expanding the lens of what that is. We often flock to the trends, but they’re trends because they’re fleeting. What are other ways you can utilize your skills and people to have a better marketing plan to achieve your ideal outcomes (more staff? More campers? Better staff? More money?)
If you want social media tips– follow @thesummercampsociety (:
group 5:
From Strategy to Action: Bringing Your Strategic Plan to Life (Allison Krabill, The Summer Camp Society; Paige Moffett, Change Summer)
ALLISON IN THE HOUUUUZZZ. You know we have to go to this one! Not only is it a great duo, but this is such a practical and needed session to attend. When you dream big, you have to act big too and that part can be tricky and often overwhelming. You’ve got your plan. Now what? This is something where Allison and Paige are for sure going to have the tools, spreadsheets and the organization you need to get your plan in action!
group 6:
Mission, Vision, Values: Speaking to You, Speaking Through You (Kim Aycock, Kimspiration, LLC; Deb Jordan, ReD, East Carolina University)
ITS KIM! Another great person to check out at conferences if you’ve ever seen her weekly Kimspirations. This seems like a feel-good session that invites people to share their values in a way that makes it feel authentic and honest.
group 7:
Reimagining Our Ecosystem(s): A Comprehensive MESH Approach (Tracey Gaslin, Alliance for Camp Health; John Hamilton, Alliance for Camp Health; Victoria Povilaitis, Tim Hortons Foundation Camps; Ellen Utley, The JED Foundation; moderated by Dave Brown, Mountain Camp/Fence Post Learning)
I am a sucker for Tracey Gaslin. The Mental, Emotional and Social Health Approach is another hot topic as we navigate post-covid and life in general. This group is going to offer a wide range of insight, education, and tools for how to bring a MESH lens into your programming and logistics. I think this is important for all camp professionals to hear from medical researchers and get their info from the source that has been studying it for their careers.
This looks like a panel, which can be a great mid-conference “break” for a sit and get.
OR
“When You Carrot Matters" Tips and Tricks on Menus, Staffing, and More from a Seasoned Kitchen Director Rayette Friar, Green River Preserve)
I think it’s important to go to sessions that wouldn’t normally be in your range of responsibilities at camp. This gives a new perspective and helps you appreciate and bring back info for your team. I love the idea of this session and what it will teach camps about meals and dining hall menus. Food is a basic need and often a stress point of uncertainty when going to camp (for anyone, not just campers).
The staffing part is really cool, too, and maybe plays into some cool topics like supporting kitchen staff, hiring people under 18, etc. If I couldn’t go to this one, I would make one of my friends go to this for notes.
group 8:
What Not to Say and How Not to Say It: Teaching Staff to Have Difficult, Important Conversations with Campers and Each Other (Deborah Gilboa, MD)
DR. GILBOA IS GOING TO BE HERE? AS I LIVEEE AND BREATHE! Wow YOU HAVE TO GO TO HERS! I am biased because I love her work with resilience, but this is a GREAT resource for the idea of camp circles and restorative justice. We know the importance of having hard conversations, but having to do them? * gulp *. Teaching others and giving them the confidence to have them? Send me all the help. This sounds amazing for not only camp, but for your personal life and many other relationships we have.
OR
11 Smart, Easy, and Affordable Ways to Get More Donors (Allison Krabill, The Summer Camp Society; Jack Schott, The Summer Camp Society)
We all need more Jack! We love simple and easy. This session is inviting as a camp professional because we’re always looking for funding and how to expand our reach. You may have a dedicated grant writer or fundraising person, but you might not be tapping into all of your resources. If I couldn’t go, I would ask for your notes (and if you just fill out this form, you’ll get all the TSCS notes from the conference).
group 9:
Leave No Trace: Education and Inclusion Approaches to Strengthen Your Camp Program! (Andrew Leary, Leave No Trace)
This is another one I would see as an out-of-the-box session to attend with Leave No Trace. I think it could be fun to go to since we spent so much of the last few years with single-use items for safety and health concerns (all valid, but can we adapt that now?). I would want to attend this as a new perspective and way to see how I and my camp could play a role in the land management that we work on.
group 10:
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Power of Reflection at Camp (Nelson Strickland, The Summer Camp Society; Paige Moffett, Change Summer)
Camp is SO much! And how can people make it MORE? I would attend this to get a better understanding of balancing reflection and the fun of camp. I think we want to avoid camp feeling like school and sometimes reflections are a piece of curriculum and can be seen as such. But why is it so important and why are so many camps looking to jump on the reflective train? People will probably leave empowered to want to add this into their programming
OR
High Level Executive Director Skills (Jalisa Danhof, Camp Newaygo; Anne Izard, Green River Preserve; Amber Grundy, Camp Tannadoonah; Elizabeth Shreckhise, Camp Alleghany for Girls)
I am a big advocate for stepping out of your comfort zone and expanding your professional skills. Something I admire about conference friends is they will sit in on sessions that are “above their title” to learn more about the positions and get that perspective. Especially if you are looking for what your career path looks like, you can learn from those in these ED sessions and what they are thinking about, planning and etc.
Allison’s takes
I LOVE EmJ’s recommendations. AND there are some people/sessions that I just couldn’t NOT recommend to you. You may also want to consider:
25 Innovative Program Ideas from Coast to Coast - Jack Schott - Tue, Feb 21 at 4:00-5:15 (Group 1) - Salon 2
Lessons Learned in LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Practices - 2022 - Chris Rehs-Dupin & Kelley Freridge - Wed, Feb. 22 at 8:30-9:45 (Group 2) - Salon 9
Helping Outsiders Become Insiders: Illuminating the Hidden Curriculum - Jack Schott & Nelson Strickland - Wed, Feb. 22 at 1:15-2:30 (Group 3) - Salons 13-14
Centering Equity & Justice at Summer Camp: The Kids are Ready - Simone Gamble - Wed, Feb. 22 at 2:45-4:00 (Group 4) - Salon 4
Close Encounters of the Weird Kind - LeeKeshia Williams & Carri Burgjohann - Wed, Feb. 22 at 4:15-5:30 (Group 4) - Salon 1
YES! INTERACTIVE RISK TRAINING!
How to Communicate & Say No to Us (Gen Z) - Gwynn Powell, Joy James, Teresa Tucker & Panel - Wed, Feb. 22 at 4:15-5:30 (Group 4) - Salon 4
I heard Gwynn’s Clemson student panel at ACA Southeast, and I haven’t stopped talking about it. I imagine this is going to be SO GOOD.
The Art of Managing Up: How to Work with Your Boss - Dan Weir - Thurs, Feb. 23 at 8:30-9:45 (Group 6) - Salon 11
Trans* Inclusion in Overnight Programs - Chris Rehs-Dupin - Thurs, Feb. 23 at 10:30-11:45 (Group 7) - Salon 4
Stop Driving without a Roadmap — How to Use Fall So You Aren’t In This Position Again - Dan Weir - Thurs, Feb. 23 at 2:00-3:15 (Group 8) - Salon 8
Responding to the "Panic Zone" Through a Trauma-Informed, Responsive & Anti Racist Lens - Simone Gamble - Thurs, Feb. 23 at 2:00-3:15 (Group 8) - Salons 13-14
Training Staff to Curate Choice - Jack Schott & Chris Rehs-Dupin - Fri, Feb. 24 at 8:00-9:15 (Group 9) - Salon 2
All the Research Forums
I don’t exactly understand how these will work, but in general, I think we could all benefit from some research!
TSCS Hangout: Tuesday, feb. 21 at 6:30pm
Orena sports bar
Come hang out with us! Jack, Allison, Paige, and some other TSCS friends will be hanging out at Orena Sports Bar, and we’d love to see you there. Have a beer, don’t have a beer, talk camp, don’t talk camp - just have a good time! This is a great way to get to know people at the start of the conference.
Everyone is invited. No need to be a TSCS member. Bring your co-workers and friends!
looking for more conference advice?
EMJ JUSZCZYK
tscs podcast producer
program director, project kindreD
(POSSIBLY UNOFFICIAL) COnference consultant
EmJ can be reached at eajuszczyk@gmail.com.
Make Staff Training Easier: How Outside Trainers Make a Big Difference
My first summer working at camp was 2006 (OMG–am I that ancient?!?!--yes.). I don’t remember much at all about staff training that first year. I do remember:
Feeling really weird when I figured out that I was one of two new staff members (the camp where I was hired had an incredibly high return rate)
Feeling really weird about having to do a swim check moments after I first arrived
Assuming these two counselors were dating each other and being mortified when I found out they were actually siblings.
What I don’t remember is a single educational session–EXCEPT I very clearly remember the half day that Scott Arizala came in as a guest trainer.
Seventeen years (again, OMG) later–I remember a half day of camp staff training. I remember how he taught us to talk with kids in a positive voice (this session of his is called “Don’t Think About the Rules”). I also remember:
The team-building exercises he did
The stories he told (for those of you who have listened to Scott, you’ve probably heard Cat Girl).
The feeling of being pretty intimidated by just about everyone at camp (Don’t worry, they are now all my friends! But it was a rough start)
The 15 minutes I got with Scott on the dining hall steps to get some advice and assuage my fears
If you look back at my diary from that week (actually, don’t do that–take my word for it), you’ll see that 15 minutes talking with Scott made the difference from me wanting to jet out of there and quit to me being willing to give the summer a try. And I’m glad I did! Here I am, almost two decades later, working on helping emerging camp staff in the same way that Scott helped me.
As you plan your summer, I hope you’ll remember Scott’s lasting impact on me as a young camp counselor. I also hope you’ll think about the following benefits to yourself, your team, and your overall program as you consider making the investment in an outside trainer and/or convince your supervisor/board to agree. This type of commitment is so, so worthwhile.
10 Reasons to Hire an Outside Trainer
10. Planning a great staff training day takes time. When you delegate some of that planning to a guest trainer, you save preseason time and energy for everything else you have to do.
9. The chance for inspiration: Trainers have the stories that tug on your heartstrings; that are a call to action; that remind camp staff why they’re doing this important work.
8. Oftentimes, staff members (especially new ones) don’t ask critical questions to their supervisors because they don’t want to “look stupid.” They sometimes feel more comfortable getting advice from a guest trainer.
7. From songs and games to dealing with homesickness, camps around the country have great new ideas. Guest trainers get to see the best of the best. Trainers share this information as we go from camp to camp.
6. Oftentimes guest trainers can say the same message that you’ve been saying for forever, and the staff will start to listen. They realize that your message about supervision, time off behavior isn’t just your thing but an important reality.
5. Let’s face it: the days leading up to camp are filled with staff training and getting everything else ready for opening day. When you turn time over to a guest trainer, you can participate alongside your staff, which is symbolically very powerful–and also gives you the opportunity to observe them and get to know them with a new lens.
4. It’s another way to show your staff you care about their growth and professional development—evidence for Project Real Job —and provides them with a lasting connection in the camping world. We often hear from counselors who saw us at their camps during training when they are looking to make decisions about grad school, are seeking full-time camping jobs, or need help with a new initiative or a problem at camp.
3. A trainer looks at your way of doing things from a different angle. Trainers don’t just give advice to staff; they help you refine multiple aspects of your program simply from being embedded with you for part or all of a day.
2. If you're looking to shift gears on an aspect of your camp's culture, trainers can sow the seeds of cultural change (seriously, we have session designed just for that). Culture shifts can be hard for returning staff to get on board with because they feel like they know you, they know camp, and they know the direction. Bringing in an outsider trainer shakes things up and shows a commitment to something new.
1. It shows camp staff that they are part of not just one camp but the entire camping movement. And that’s a powerful thing.
the math
A Note From Allison
Outside trainers obviously cost money to bring in BUT there are trainers at so many different price points and they are so worth it. Not only from the benefits listed above, but they can actually make your camp money in the long run. How? Let’s crunch some numbers.
Let’s use these numbers for example:
Cost of Trainer: $2,500
Average Amount Campers Pay for Camp: $750
Hard Cost Per Camper: $450
Profit from Each Camper: $300
Okay, I know what you’re thinking - “That profit is already budgeted to somewhere else. It’s all budgeted.” Sure, I’m a Y person, I get it.
BUT what that doesn’t take into consideration is that unless you’re completely full and can’t fit another bed anywhere (call me, we’ll fit some beds in), you have room to make more money. AND if you are already full, you have a lot on the line to fill the same number of beds next year.
If an outside trainer is $2,500 and I make $300 per camper, I just need NINE campers to either come for another week of camp, recruit a friend, or be locked in for next summer to make it worth it. Nine campers isn’t that hard, and it is WAY easier if you have an awesome staff that an outside trainer helped make more awesome.
If ONE counselor goes from meh to awesome because of an outside trainer, the math makes sense.
Want to train with us?
We have an awesome team of trainers with different price points, in different areas of the country, and with different experiences. Reach out to Allison at allison@thesummercampsociety.com to start the conversation.
Resume Walk
As seen at Camp Chief Ouray – YMCA of the Rockies
Before training, have a leadership staff member or two compile a list of resume facts from the counselors at the camp. You can easily take them off of job applications or offer a simple online survey to the staff. During staff training (perhaps the first night), have everyone sit in a circle or horseshoe-style formation. Then, the exercise leaders read off the resume facts. If the resume fact applies to a counselor (or counselors), he or she stands up to applause.
At CCO, this exercise started with about 10 lines about camp experience — "Together, we have 65 years of camp counseling experience” — and then all of the returning staff stood. It continued — "We have 14 years of outdoor trip leading experience", ”We have 93 years of experience as CCO campers", etc.
And then the process gets into awesome nitty-gritty facts about staff, such as accomplishments, awards and talents:
"We've won high school cross country championships" (at CCO, about 8 people stood up!!)
“We're national Science Olympiad qualifiers"
"We are peer mentors in our college's engineering program"
"We won the RA of the Year Award"
"We have eaten an entire pizza in a single sitting"
Not only was it a great getting-to-know-everyone exercise for the greater staff, it was the start of a tone of staff appreciation and appreciation of diversity.
Note: this is a great exercise for an emerging leadership team member to facilitate!
When I saw this at CCO, I learned the camp has two staff members who are fluent in German, an editor of a literary journal, a decorated collegiate baseball player, and a staff member who started a surfing program for kids with autism. Wow! The appreciation, inspiration, and awe for all of the counselors as they stood up for their particular shoutouts set a tone of respect. And it was pretty easy to do!
Allison Note: What if we re-used this at the end of camp? We could ask everyone for skills they think they learned this summer and repeat the exercise (with our own list for support) and do it near the end of summer at a staff meeting or in-service. It’d bring things full circle, help support the idea that camp is a real job, and give staff ideas of what they can add to their resume!
SARAH KURTZ MCKINNON
CO-FOUNDER, TSCS
TRAINER, FACILITATOR, & COACH
CAMP DIRECTOR AT HEART
Planning Staff Training is Hard
Staff training is THE BEST–but planning staff training is really hard. It’s actually always been hard — but this year seems in some way different. I tried to put my finger on what’s going on:
So much has changed since you really had time to plan it.
I’m guessing the last time you really gave a good look at your overall staff training plan was 2019. For most of us, 2020 didn’t happen. Last year, 2021 was consumed by covid-related preparations as camps began to open again for the first time in two years.
In talking with dozens of camp directors from all over the country, I learned that camps were extraordinarily ready for physical health-related response caused by the pandemic (yes — go us!!), but wholly underprepared for social-emotional health needs that emerged because of the pandemic and racial reckonings that occurred between Summer 2019 and Spring 2021. Heck, when camp started last summer, we weren’t even so sure what their needs were!
And yes — we learned so much more last summer about what kids needed, but these new learnings made so much of what we had planned in 2019 and before completely moot. Add the Russian-Ukraine war on top of that, and our national and global climates are completely different than the last time we planned. It’s overwhelming to think about what kids (and staff) need now and how we can change what we have to create new, impactful trainings that make a difference for the summer ahead. This planning is taking some serious brainpower and some serious compassion.
Your 1-hour “Diversity” session is not enough.
Perhaps ten or fifteen years ago, it seems like camps started having a session on diversity or inclusion during their staff training weeks. Camps skated by on this for a while. Folks like myself who were part of the dominant culture (see: white, cis) at our camps felt like it was enough. But, through listening and learning over the past few years, I have learned that it absolutely was not enough. Having designated time to focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEI-J) topics is critical — AND it’s time to incorporate DEI-J lessons into almost every aspect of camp programming. As my friend Chris Rehs-Dupin likes to say, DEI-J issues are safety issues. And just like we talk about safety in almost every aspect of our training, we need to incorporate DEI-J issues in almost every aspect of our training. But this is new, and this is hard. Doing it right takes deep thought and time. You might be able to skate by on what you did in 2019 for diversity-related topics, but at whose expense? This new lens means that we should be taking a critical look at absolutely everything that we do for staff training.
So much else is going on right now.
We’re guessing that you’re searching tirelessly for those last few staff members to fill final positions; you’re chasing down parents for camper information forms; you’re communicating with the fire inspector; you’re scheduling your ACA visit; you’re managing your waitlist and you’re filling out the paperwork to get your well tested— and that was all before lunch. Sometimes, things that seem more urgent than planning staff training, but that are equally important, jump the line. We wait to plan staff training sessions until it’s incredibly urgent — this is when we’re up until 2 a.m. on the third day of staff training or we’re running copies 5 minutes after our session was supposed to begin. This has always been the case, but the increased attention you need to pay to staffing issues and covid preparations means that you have even less time than you did before.
What’s A Camp Director to Do??
Here are three things I think that all camp directors can do now to take some of the last-minute pressure off of planning staff training:
Calendar staff training planning time NOW: If you’re like me, you might want to block out a few mornings where you can crush getting a LOT done, kind of like a writer’s retreat. Or, you might want to reserve a one-hour or two-hour session each day for several days. Just like you would schedule an interview or another non-negotiable, hold this time sacred and chip away at your staff training plan before you’re forced to do it all at once.
Work with others: I love staff training, so I get it if you want to do it all yourself. It is SO FUN! It’s also impossible to do it all yourself and do it well. Can you invite others into your planning process? Join our staff incubator groups? Delegate some of the planning to seasonal staff who can work on it remotely? Host a daylong retreat with staff (or with contacts from similar camps?) where you plan the whole thing? Try not to take it on alone.
Use free resources: We are constantly updating our website with staff training sessions and ideas that you can use. Check out a few of them here.
SARAH KURTZ MCKINNON
CO-FOUNDER, TSCS
TRAINER, FACILITATOR, & COACH
CAMP DIRECTOR AT HEART
Level Up Your Facilitation Game
We spent four days last week at The Summer Camp Society’s annual retreat. It. Was. Awesome. It was one of the few times I’d gotten to facilitate in person over the past two years. Even though at times I felt a little bit *rusty*, it was mostly like riding a bike. In addition to brushing off my own facilitation skills and working with my pal Jack, I also thoroughly enjoyed learning from and collaborating with our embedded facilitators (Simone Gamble, Chris Rehs-Dupin, Briana Mitchell and Makela Elvy) and their expert facilitation styles. Which got me thinking: How can any camp leader make a few simple changes to up their facilitation game in time for summer camp staff training? Here are five ways to make it happen:
1. COMPOSE A DESIGN DOC FOR EACH SESSION
I didn’t used to rely on these in person as much, but then when everything got moved online, I found I had to lean heavily on my minute-by-minute plans for facilitating. They have now become a must-have for me for in-person facilitation, too. A simple design doc, although somewhat daunting to build at first, provides a foundation for what you are doing. It also is one of the best ways to ensure accurate timing. Now, whether in-person or online, I create a design document for all facilitations and all facilitators. It looks something like this:
I work in Google Docs for this and move around components as we go. I then like to work off of a printed copy. Essentially, having the time, the length of the activity, the point people, directions, supplies and location for each item helps me make sure as a facilitator that I have everything I need–and keeps my plan in one place so I don’t have to reinvent the wheel the next time around.
2. ALMOST NEVER INTERRUPT THE GROUP
We know that there is a certain cadence that “works” when presenting, especially in a staff training format. You might give a mini-lecture on a subject, and then let folks work in small groups. But then something happens– like you forget to let them know there’s a back to the worksheet! Instead of yelling “don’t forget the back!!” or getting everyone’s attention, stopping flow, and making a formal announcement, just float from table to table and quietly say to one person at each table to remember to do the back of the worksheet! This also works well for time reminders (floating around and telling each group 5 minutes remaining), or to get a temperature gauge on how much more time is needed. Overall, this strategy reduces transition times for the participants and also gives them a personal touch as they are communicated with in a 1on1-type manner and also asked for their inputs. It also demonstrates big respect for the group and their process.
3. TAKE QUICK FEEDBACK DURING & AFTER SESSIONS
I learned this technique from one of my professors in my MBA program at the University of Michigan, Dr. Jane Dutton. After each of her management classes, she passes out an index card to every student. She asks them anonymously to write a plus sign (+) on the front of the index card, and write something that went well for them in class that day. She asks them to write a minus sign (-) or a delta (Δ) for change on the back, and write something that isn’t going so well or something they’d like to see change. I like to say you could also write a question mark (?) on the back and contribute something you’re still wondering about/confused about. These quick feedback cards allow you to make agile adjustments to your plan for better learning and connection. This practice also demonstrates to your team that you care about them and their experience, building a foundation of mutual respect between leadership and staff.
4. MECHANIZE THE MATERIALS, INCLUDING CLEANUP (AND WRITE IT INTO YOUR DESIGN DOC)
How are participants going to get those index cards? Will you have a stack on each table from the beginning? Will a few participants jump up to pass out the index cards? Will they have them already in their materials packs at the start of the session? It doesn’t really matter–what really matters is that you make a plan for these types of mechanics. Long lapses in facilitation where materials are distributed or presenters fumble with supplies can rapidly and disastrously destroy participant engagement.
5. LEARN THE ORID DEBRIEF TECHNIQUE
In a staff training or learning situation, the most important thing about an experience is the processing of that experience. Providing context to what we did and why it matters can take a regular activity from something that was simply fun or interesting to something that is applicable and impactful. The ORID method of debriefing (Objective, Reflective, Interpretive and Decisional) is an extremely helpful tool to assist facilitators in coming up with a sequence of questions that allow participants to really understand their learning. A way to think about the ORID is
Asking about the “What” like “What just happened?” (Objective)
Asking about the “What about the what?”, like “How did it feel” (Reflective)
Figuring out why it mattered (“So what?”), like “What did you learn?” (Interpretive)
Determining what to do next (Now what?”), like “What are your next steps?” (Decisional)
I like to look at quick-reference ORID sheets when planning a debrief, and then write out my questions in advance. This helps make sure I am hitting on all the takeaways needed from an experience, and also allowing for lots of inputs and processing from the group
Here’s a great ORID Resource to start.
Demonstrating these professional approaches to facilitating during your staff training will not only help your team have better learning and bonding experiences; it will demonstrate to them facilitation tools that they can take and then apply directly to the campers as well.
What types of facilitation techniques do you like to use to take your presentations to the next level?
Editors Note: Did you know that you can bring Kurtz and her leveled up facilitation to your camp?! Kurtz is booking for virtual staff trainings! If you’re looking for an in-person training, we have awesome other people who can COME TO YOUR CAMP! How awesome?! To discuss pricing and availability, email Allison.
SARAH KURTZ MCKINNON
CO-FOUNDER, THE SUMMER CAMP SOCIETY
CAMP DIRECTOR AT HEART
KURTZ@THESUMMERCAMPSOCIETY.COM
5 Keys to Being a Great Camp Counselor
It is harder than ever to be a great camp counselor. A multi-year global pandemic, increased understanding of mental health issues, often understaffed camps, more inexperienced counselors, increased parental pressure, and so many other factors have pushed us to the brink.
At the same time, it can be easy to get lost in the weeds instead of focusing on the building blocks that make for a great camp counselor. Let’s get back to basics with the five keys to running a great group. Being a GREAT camp counselor.
Greeting and Welcoming—Illuminating the Hidden Curriculum
Relationship Building—Building Authentic Connection
Establishing Systems - The Business of Camp
Amazing Memories—Making Magical Moments
Tough Situations - Managing Conflict
When we train our staff on these five things, we set them up to succeed. It helps them manage their own stress, which reduces anxiety, burnout, and increases happiness and fun. Being a camp counselor is a tough job, but it doesn’t need to be that complicated. Most of what I think we need to help staff with this summer is identifying where there are skills deficits for our specific staff this summer and providing specific training in one or more of these 5 categories.
Let’s look at each one:
Greeting and Welcoming—Illuminating the Hidden Curriculum
Often when we talk about inclusion trainings, we are focused on including specific groups. For good reason, inclusion and diversity trainings tend to overlap and we have more work to do as an industry to include people from all backgrounds. At the same time, inclusion starts with welcoming. A camp counselor’s first job is to be the host of their group.
This starts with welcoming campers on opening day and continues through explaining the bizarre chants, how meal and shower times work, and bringing new folks in on the inside jokes. We call this illuminating the hidden curriculum. The hidden curriculum includes all the unspoken rules about a space that tend to be unsaid but are true. Understanding the hidden curriculum is what makes you an insider. The first job of camp counselors is to ensure their campers feel like insiders by illuminating the hidden curriculum.
A couple of resources around being a great host and the hidden curriculum
Free 15 minute video about illuminating the hidden curriculum at camp
Four-week virtual seminar around the hidden curriculum and inclusion with me and Nelson Strickland
Relationship Building—Building Authentic Connection
When kids feel like they are part of the larger community, they are happier, more fun to work with, and more likely to return to camp. After we have ensured that kids understand the hidden curriculum, the next step of our job as camp counselors is to set up the conditions for kids to make friends.
Three super simple ways to start the relationship process as a camp counselor:
Use kids' names three times as soon as you meet them. Tell them you care about knowing their name because you care about them. After all the kids have arrived, create a bunk map of your cabin with all the kids’ names and have your co-counselor quiz you. It is 100% your job to know every camper's name in your group by the end of the first day. This goes hand-in-hand with playing name games on the first day so kids can learn each other’s names.
Make a list of all the kids in your cabin and a grid with each day they are at camp. Every day, make sure to have at least a one-minute one-on-one with each camper. On the grid, put a smiley face, frowny face, or neutral face based on how you feel like that interaction went. If you do this and share it with your supervisor, I bet you will get huge bonus points.
On that same grid, make it your goal to know one thing each camper loves and write it next to their name. For example, when you see one of your kids wearing a Buffalo Bills T-shirt, ask them about it and write it down so you will always have a place to start a convo with them.
Establishing Systems - The Business of Camp
When I was an 18-year-old camp counselor, I was incredibly cocky and a little charming with kids. I will say, I was good at the building relationships and making memories side and mediocre at the business side. A huge part of the camp counselor’s job is building a predictable and repeated structure for the campers in their care. Camp counselors build the sandbox for the kids to play in. We don’t have to be overly controlling, but we do need to set clear expectations and set kids up for success.
Let’s talk about shower time for a second. When I first started working at camp, I would look at a bunch of 7-year-olds and say, “Ok, grab your stuff for the showers and meet me outside.” Obviously, that was a disaster. They didn’t know what to get or have a timeline for when to do it. I also didn’t include that while we were at the showers, we would be brushing our teeth and changing into PJs. I would get grumpy that the kids didn’t bring all their shower stuff, the kids would get annoyed, and showering would become an incredibly stressful time for everyone. Instead what I could have done is taken 30 seconds and written down a short checklist on a whiteboard:
SHOWER TIME:
Grab your…
PJ’s (including underwear)
Shampoo and body wash or soap
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Change into your shower shoes, no socks
Meet Steve (the other counselor) outside in 2 minutes
GO!
Then Steve waits outside for the kids to finish and he checks each kid's supplies while I go around and help each camper gather their supplies. This proactive approach is a bit more work to start, but it makes everyone’s life easier at the showers. Building systems like this and writing them down not only helps the campers but also helps co-counselors be on the same page.
Pro Tip: Trading off with your co-counselor who is the lead staff and who is the support and building shared language around it is the number one way to reduce animosity. Get used to saying things like “Do you want to be the lead on shower time or Embers and bedtime?” It feels a little nerdy at first, but it will make your summer so much better.
Amazing Memories—Making Magical Moments
To me, this is the most fun part of being a counselor. This is where you build your credibility with your kids and bake fun into their time at camp. These are classic events like taking kids on kitchen raids, deciding to sleep out under the stars, having an ice cream party, and building inside jokes with your group.
Everyone does this differently, but your goal is to create the kind of culture where the kids are proud to be in your group. This does not mean putting other groups down or creating conflict with other groups, just that kids take pride in being in your group.
Five Ways to Make Memories with your Cabin:
Make up a cabin-specific chant you can yell as you go around camp
Start a positive prank society—go around doing nice things like cleaning areas, putting up nice signs, etc.
Take your group to a special place at camp and cook ramen noodles over the fire
Wake the whole cabin up in silly ways with accents and costumes every morning
Put on a carnival for the youngest kids at camp where your kids run different stations during rest hour—talk to their staff first
Tough Situations - Managing Conflict
No matter how awesome you are at all the things I described above, there will be conflict at camp. Being able to work through conflict when it arises is important. Every camp has different systems for how this works, from top-down strict rules to just getting the director, but understanding how to work through this is the cornerstone to handling tough times at camp.
At Stomping Ground, the camp I helped start, our conflict resolution systems are based on restorative practices. When folks are upset with each other, we have what are called circles. The goal of these circles, which are just structured conversations, is to heal harm, mitigate future harm, and build community.
Thoughts from Laura Kriegel, Stomping Ground co-founder and executive director: It turns out Restorative Practices are actually kinda the opposite of behavior management systems. I get it, as a counselor all I want is to make the annoying or disruptive or just down right rude behaviors go away. As well intentioned adults trying to help a crew of kids figure stuff out we put systems in place to try and manage unwanted behavior. Unfortunately however the outcome is often a lack of trust between camper and staff. While it take alot more time and some more energy having a structured restorative conversation the outcome is often more satisfying and effective for everyone involved.
If you want to learn more about circles and restorative practices at camp, check out these three resources below:
BEST JOB EVER
Working at camp is the best job ever. It is tiring, amazing, and the best experience for so many people. I hope these ideas make your summer just a little easier so that you can focus on what matters: helping kids have a successful summer.
MORE TIPS FOR STAFF
Looking for more videos of great tips for staff?
We have FREE virtual courses available for our members. For the cost of one membership ($360-600/year), your ENTIRE STAFF gets access to our virtual courses (including restorative justice).
TRAININGS WITH JACK
I will be on the road most of May and June doing staff trainings all over the US doing trainings all these kind of topics and more. I would love to work with you. If you are interested shoot me an email/text and let’s make summer 2022 the best one yet!
jack@thesummercampsociety.com
585-451-5141
JACK SCHOTT
CO-FOUNDER CAMP STOMPING GROUND
CO-FOUNDER THE SUMMER CAMP SOCIETY
JACK@THESUMMERCAMPSOCIETY.COM
STOMPING GROUND ORIGIN STORY
5 Rules for Running Great Meetings at Camp
As I gear up and talk to a lot of camps about trainings for this summer almost everyone I talk to has been stressed about helping staff get back to basics. There has been a turn over of staff, a lot of us lost summer 2020, and many campers and staff are out of practice doing relatively normal camp stuff.
This is the second of a few posts we are doing around normal camp stuff, around, how can we just make things at camp a little easier so everyone can be just a little less stress. - Jack
MOST MEETINGS SUCK, BUT THEY DON’T HAVE TO.
At camp, we ask a lot of our seasonal leaders, unit directors/division heads/activity area supervisors/etc., including asking them to run meetings. Meetings look different for different purposes, but they are generally gatherings of people for sharing some information or making decisions.
Think about it; our seasonal leaders have to do it all the time, and it’s hard. At Stomping Ground, we offer folks this one-pager with specific training around running meetings. This blog article is designed to give new supervisors some specific tools for running what we call a business meeting.
BUSINESS MEETINGS AT CAMP
Think about a business meeting, like the meeting a village leader might run with their counselors before campers arrive for opening day or the waterfront director might lead with the lifeguards each week. These types of meetings tend to have some information that needs to be shared from the supervisor, some decisions that will get made, and some sharing of ideas in the group. You have probably been to thousands of these meetings and had some great experiences and some terrible ones. The structure below is not the only way to run a meeting effectively, but it is a great starting point.
5 RULES FOR RUNNING EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
1) Know what you want.
Priya Parker calls this the disputable purpose of a gathering. When you are running a meeting, start with the point. Say the goal out loud so that everyone is on the same page, and the meeting has clear boundaries. It is your job to be the keeper of those boundaries.
For example: “Let’s get started. Today we are meeting for 30 minutes to talk about how to set our village up for success with this new group of kids.”
“ALRIGHT! This meeting is going to be about making sure candlemaking safe this week. We had some close calls last week, and we are going to get them sorted in the next hour.”
2) Have a plan and own the process.
Once everyone knows the point of the meeting, it is your job as the meeting facilitator to make sure this gets done. Before any meeting, I jot down a few bullet points about how I want the meeting to go. Sometimes this is a more formal agenda or sometimes I write it on a scrap of paper or the back of my hand. You know how camp goes...
After sharing the point of the meeting, tell everyone how we are going to get there. This doesn’t have to be set in stone, but it is your job as the meeting facilitator to move the meeting along and set the boundaries when things get off track. As the meeting facilitator, you have the power to change the plan as you go, but let everyone know what you are doing. It will give a sense of calm and ease folks’ anxiety to know there is a plan and it is being thought through.
You are the host of this meeting, and this part is an art. Some meeting facilitators tend to bulldoze and not let other people share while others sit back too much and don’t take enough charge. Think about who you are, and be cognizant of trying to grow here.
Example: “Here is how this meeting will roll. First, let’s go around and do 30-second celebrations. Then, I have a few things to let you know about changes for this session. Next, I will hand out the camper files and you can look at them with your co and ask questions. After that, let’s talk about the village carnival for Friday. I’ll wrap us up before noon so y’all can get to lunch.”
3) Use visuals when you can.
When you have a visual, everyone thinks you are more prepared than you are. Take 30 seconds before the meeting to write down the agenda and an inspirational quote on a piece of butcher paper or even a notebook that you hold up. Even better, be able to give the agenda to folks before the meeting so they have time to think ahead.
Visuals or other media for meetings help you express what you mean and level up the agenda. For the waterfront meeting, have a diagram of where the lifeguards stand. When discussing time off, draw up a quick schedule of when counselors will be on and off. When planning the carnival, draw and label the different stations.
Protip: I suck at making visuals look good and often lean into people picking on me for how silly they are. I love to draw up a quick sketch in my notebook ahead of time and bring some markers and butcher paper early to the meeting. Then, I ask someone who is more artistically skilled to draw the cooler version of my crappy drawing. This does three things: it gives a cool visual for the meeting, involves someone else, and shows that I am human as they laugh at my attempt.
4) Be explicit.
This goes hand in hand with having a plan and owning the process. It is easy to fall into a trap of assuming we are all on the same page when a meeting feels good. As the host of the meeting, it is your job to make sure that is the case. I constantly find myself in meetings saying things like: “Love that. Just to be clear, what we are saying is...” or “Hell ya, I think that means we are deciding...”
In your meetings, make sure you are clear about what information is negotiable and what isn’t. When making group decisions, make sure to restate what the decision was and look around your circle to see if everyone is nodding in agreement.
Pro tip: When looking around hoping for agreement, you might not always have a consensus. Often that is ok and you can make the call and move on, but this is an opportunity to notice who has a dissenting opinion and follow up with them later. Ask how they are feeling or just spend a little extra time hanging with them so they know you care and that they can ask you questions.
5) Set clear times and say when the meeting starts and ends.
Timing is tricky at camp. Often a day seems like a year, and a week seems like an hour. My take is that it is ok to be imprecise on how long things will take, but be open about it and illuminate transitions.
Pick a start time and end time for the meeting. Hopefully, you can end the meeting early, but try not to end the meeting late. Kurtz might hate this, but my take on meeting start times is to pick a time, tell everyone that time, and plan on starting 5 minutes later.
During those 5 minutes, don’t just sit back. Jump in a couple of times telling everyone they can clown and laugh and that the agenda will start 5 minutes later.
This is the important part: when you are ready to start the agenda, take charge and let everyone know the format has changed from clown town to meeting time. “NICE! Ok, y’all, I am going to run you through the plan of this meeting, and we are really getting started NOW!” This makes it clear that you are in control and gets the meeting started.
Following that same logic, make sure you end the meeting. You know how at the end of a meeting some people mill about, unsure if they can leave or are expected to stay? I hate that. Just end the meeting.
“Thanks, everyone. I am going to chill here if you have questions, but the meeting is 100% over. Stick around if you want or go do whatever you gotta do.”
Kurtz here: I do kind of hate this but Jack is right. It’s realistic. My modification here is to have those first 5 minutes be a kind-of agenda item. Have something out for people to eat, something for them to do (like a survey to fill out, etc.), so people who are on time get some sort of perk and people don’t get used to things being 5 minutes late, and then there’s a creep to where everything starts 6, 7, 8, etc., minutes late.
Often camper and staff experiences are made or lost by the folks running these meetings. The middle managers, seasonal leaders, and summer supervisors are the culture keepers and the community leaders who create the sandbox for the rest of the campers and staff to play in. With that in mind, we offer an asynchronous virtual seasonal leaders FREE with membership.
TRAININGS WITH JACK
I will be on the road most of May and June doing staff trainings all over the US and I would love to work with you. If you are interested shoot me an email/text and let’s make summer 2023 the best one yet!
JACK SCHOTT
CO-FOUNDER CAMP STOMPING GROUND
CO-FOUNDER THE SUMMER CAMP SOCIETY
JACK@THESUMMERCAMPSOCIETY.COM
STOMPING GROUND ORIGIN STORY
Spark Phrases: Training Staff on Play
Last week I was talking with Emma Kaapana, the new director of YMCA Camp Lake Helena. She works for my old boss and we are trading time helping each other. I help Emma think through new aspects of her role and Diane Jackson, the marketing and fundraising director at their association mentors Ray, our director of community engagement. You can read more about that set up here.
Camp Lake Helena is a brand new camp. YMCA Camp Seymour took over the property and is running a region Y day camp there. A huge part of Emma’s job is developing a culture and helping the staff be successful. Emma and the team are hoping to create a nice mix of camper driven play times with more conventional staff lead activities. We talked for about an hour and it got me thinking.
I think most people that come to work at camps want to do a good job. The overwhelming majority like working with kids, like being outside, and want to make a difference in campers lives. Sure they will make mistakes, get tired, and not always live up to that, but I think they mostly want to. Where I think new staff fall short is more that they are confused than then are lazy.
Think about it, camp is weird. When do we yell? Just before meals but not during them? And you want me to let kids play from 10-11am but then from 11am-12pm you want me, in the same place with no outside signal, to lead a game? And the game is some weird idea I hadn’t heard of a week ago? Plus all these other 18 year olds I don’t know are probably judging me? On top of that it is a long day, every day, and a long summer. How do I know as a staff member when to bring the energy and when is a good time to slow it down so I can bring it later?
It is hard. To get the most out of our staff and set them up for the most success we need to help them understand how to navigate camp. My friend Sylvia van Meerten calls this Illuminating the Hidden Curriculum or helping people understand the insider knowledge. Learn more about the Hidden Curriculum.
One way I think we do this is through language or creating spark phrases. These short phrases give us common language without having to fully explain an idea. I am sure you have them at your camps. By intentionally creating them and making sure we explain them to new folks we build culture and then give people the tools to navigate our hidden curriculum.
Red Lining - A Spark Phrase Example
One example we stole from Camp Augusta is what they call Red Lining. At our camp, and maybe yours, we play a lot of games. Sports, gaga, capture the flag, other made up stuff, but lots of games. The thing about playing games is people have different understandings of what the point of a game is. Is it to win? Laugh? Have fun? Learn something? Do you play differently with 6 year olds than your friends? I think that can be confusing.
At Stomping Ground, the point of playing games is for the people playing to have fun. If you are a staff member playing the game it is your job to figure out the best way to do that. Sometimes with the super athletic 13 year olds that means playing as hard as you can. Sometimes with the nervous new kids it is to chill and let them win.
But that’s confusing and you can imagine it is pretty easy to mess that up or miss read the situation or maybe get caught up in the game and start to think the point of the game is for you to win. Lots of people get salty with people in that situation, but if you play basketball almost any other time the point is to win. So it is kind of an easy mistake to make. Anyway, we call this trying too hard to win for your sake Red Lining. If another staff member, or now even kids do it, think I am taking the winning too seriously for the situation they might say, “Yo Jack, you Red Lining?” Then I can check myself. It is a lot easier and faster than pulling someone aside and having a long conversation about competition and the point of games.
You probably have similar Spark Phrases at your camps. By creating these and then making sure people know what they mean we are illuminating the insider knowledge of the place and helping to create an intentional culture.
Spark Phrases and Kid Driven Play
There is a huge opportunity for Spark Phrases with camper driven play. This is what Emma and I started talking about as we dove into her opportunities at Lake Helena. One of the big problems with kid driven play time, some people call this unstructured play or free play, is that the counselors don’t know what to do. They often end up either taking over or sitting back and talking to their friends. I think many times this is a lack of understanding.
Here is our basic idea. What if we labeled different areas or times as different colors. Those colors would correspond with what we, as the supervisors, expected from staff. I imagine kids would start to know these colors as well and it would trickle down for them too.
GREEN
Green zones are for times when it is camper driven play time. This might be free swim, fort building, the makerspace, free time, etc. During these times staff are expected to either, simply supervise, like a lifeguard at the pool, or supervise and engage. This might look like helping a group of kids build a fort while also keeping your head on a swivel supervising the whole group. The way green zones work is as the staff person leading the group you set the boundaries and expectations when you arrive with your campers then turn them loose. If you feel like things are getting out of hand you can either address the whole group, individuals, or a specific area. It is still your job to supervise during green times.
BLUE
Blue zones are more classic staff driven activities. You are to lead the group, make sure they are engaged and supervised. In these spaces you are much more involved in each step of the process for the entire group. Examples: archery, high ropes, swim lessons.
TEAL
These areas are a little more complicated and might change. When you are back at your cabin before bed is that a blue or green zone? A little bit of both. You probably lead the kids in getting ready for bed (blue) and then give them some time to hang out (green) before maybe doing a closing activity (blue) and going to sleep. Let’s call these teal zones, a combo of blue and green.
I think a lot of what I just described seems super basic for people who get camp, but for new folks it is super confusing and hard to talk about. By creating shared language and illuminating the hidden curriculum around what is expected in different areas we make it easier for new staff to be successful. Maybe even more importantly we give our new supervisors the language to coach people through challenges.
“So Jack, at free time today I noticed you just standing back and watching. You were probably focused totally on supervision, but in green zones like that it is a great time to engage with kids and keep your head on a swivel in your zone.”
“Jack, last night your kids were wileying out and didn’t seem to know what the deal with bed times. I know the teal zones can be confusing. The key there is to know when it is your turn and when it is your co’s turn to take the lead and really create a blue time before giving kids freedom to hang out before bed in a green time.”
I hope you have the best summer! If you are interested in more thoughts on the Hidden Curriculum check this out.
JACK SCHOTT
DIRECTOR CAMP STOMPING GROUND
CO-FOUNDER THE SUMMER CAMP SOCIETY
JACK@THESUMMERCAMPSOCIETY.COM
STOMPING GROUND ORIGIN STORY
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
A free camp leadership training activity by Sarah Kurtz McKinnon!
As camp leaders, we are often faced with complex challenges. These issues can have major consequences for ourselves, our camps, and the individuals we serve. However, we often do not have a way to practice dealing with time-sensitive, intense challenges before we are in the throes of a real one. 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, available free to you through this link!
Do you like experiential learning for your own professional development?
Join our community learning program for forward-thinking camp professionals. We’re taking applications on a rolling basis until all spots are filled for our program starting the week of October 1, 2019.
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
By Sarah Kurtz McKinnon
At each of our retreats for TSCS, we have a live-action role play crisis challenge* generously sponsored by our friends at CampMinder. To prepare for this experience, a TSCS leadership team member writes a narrative describing a high-stakes crisis that could plausibly unfold at any camp. Examples of these crises could be campers going missing on a field trip, controlled substances being stolen from the health center, or a staff “tradition” (aka hazing) that goes very, very wrong. All of these scenarios are complex, time-sensitive and have huge consequences.
The crisis challenge itself is a simulation where the participants divide themselves into teams and pretend they run a camp together. They are presented with a narrative describing a newly-unfolding crisis at their camp. Throughout the course of the experience, real-time information is released about the crisis. The teams must work together to come up with a plan of how they would respond if these events were happening in real life and present their plans to a panel of judges. Eventually, a team is named the winner and the challenge itself is debriefed.
As with any skill, the best way to get better at crisis response is to practice it. However, we never get to do that! Most of us learn about crisis management as we are actually handing real crises. But at the TSCS retreat, we practice in a low-stakes environment that feels high stakes, alongside of brilliant fellow camp directors with their own personal/professional experiences. A tremendous amount of learning occurs in this experiential environment.
I’ve conducted four crisis challenges and have learned a ton at each one. So, I wanted to share with you the top five underutilized tactics I have learned that are essential during any sort of camp emergency that unfolds over time:
STRATEGY 1: Assign a proxy to run the “day to day” of camp
So--some news comes your way about a camp problem. And you’re pretty sure it’s going to be a doozy. Right away, assign a fellow administrator (such as your program director) as your substitute to run the “normal” needs of camp, just as you would do if you were leaving on time-off. This person should be given complete trust to take care of all of the regular needs and be allowed (and capable of/confident enough) to make executive decisions. They should protect your time and energy. They should also be given an appropriate response (“the party line”) to relay to anyone wondering where you are or what you are doing.
STRATEGY 2: From the beginning of the situation, keep a record
Lots of times, camp crises get complicated. And they get complicated quickly. With lots of players, moving pieces and details, don’t rely on your mid-July brain to remember it all. Grab a notebook or even use voice dictation to the “Notes” app on your smartphone to keep a record of everything you do and learn as you go. For conversations with key individuals, record the time of the conversation and write a quick summary of what was shared. Keep a log of incoming and outgoing phone calls. Note important other occurrences, such as arrival of emergency response or evidence uncovered. When applicable, take photos and utilize screen shots of things like social media posts or text messages. Although it seems like a pain to document as you go, it’s much less of a pain than documenting (and trying to remember everything) once it is all over. This is also one of the best ways to support yourself and your camp if there were later legal ramifications from the crisis as well as to keep information sorted as you make crucial decisions.
STRATEGY 3: Utilize outside, expert resources
You’re not in it alone. However, it’s never appropriate to post sensitive situational details to the Summer Camp Professionals Facebook Group! Here are some of the best ways that TSCS members have utilized outside resources during our simulations:
If your camp is an ACA camp, you have access to the crisis hotline. I’ve called this hotline a few times in the middle of the night and they have always been helpful. It’s one of the perks of your ACA membership and there’s no harm in using it.
You can also use people in your personal/professional networks. When there was a virus outbreak at Camp Stomping Ground in their very first summer, Jack and Laura called a seasoned camp director they knew who had gone through the same thing the previous year. He gave them valuable insights and guidance that saved their session. Often camp directors who are part of TSCS who are going through a crisis connect with members of their TSCS cohort to learn from their past experiences, share resources (recently shared was a form letter about a measles diagnosis at a TSCS member’s day camp), or just have someone to talk with who “gets it”.
Finally, there are lots of professionals out there who have way more experience than you might when some sort of crisis strikes your camp. Make sure you have the number for and a relationship with your camp’s legal counsel. Know your local law enforcement, fire chief and EMS crews. Keep a little list with the experts’ names at hand -- for instance, if I needed a psychologist I would call Dr. Chris Thurber in a heartbeat. Of course, you must respect confidentiality guidelines. But remember that there are lots of folks out there who know more about the type of crisis at hand than you do.
STRATEGY 4: Have an extra phone line
Crises can clog up your camp’s phone line. If you’re a small camp like the ones I have run, this can create a lot of problems where people can’t get through--both people related to the crisis and those not related to the crisis. Have a specific number that you can use as the crisis manager with voicemail set up. Consider making this a cell phone so you can text as well from a camp-owned number. This will keep things more organized for you and for your proxy (see #1), and prevent parental panic if they can’t get a line to the camp.
STRATEGY 5: Tell the parents (and other stakeholders) the truth, early and as you can
Not much to be said here, except that everything comes out in the wash. Always. In my opinion and experience, it’s better that you admit any mistakes from your end as quickly and truthfully as you can instead of hiding things and hoping that they never surface. But also run all of this by your legal counsel!
*We got this idea from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan where I received my MBA. Check out how they run crisis challenges here.
Photo by Roderick Cooney, www.thecampphotographer.com
25 Ways to Make More Impact this Summer
Photo by Roderick Cooney, www.thecampphotographer.com
By Jack Schott
Simple tips for counselors to make your job a little easier and make sure the kids have an even better time this summer. When you are at your best the campers are having a great time, learning, connecting, and ready to take on the world. You are the unfair advantage summer camp has to make more impact this summer.
1) USE KIDS’ NAMES 3 TIMES
2) HAVE A CATCH PHRASE OR REPEATING JOKE
3) TELL KIDS YOUR ROLE
4) GET ON THEIR LEVEL
5) HAVE A GOOODIE BAG
6) SMILE AND BOUNCE
7) TELL KIDS WHERE YOU LEARNED THINGS
8) 5 FINGERS (STAY POSITIVE, DON’T POINT FINGERS, RESPECT, COMMITMENT, DON’T FORGET THE LITTLE GUY)
9) GO FOR A WALK TO DE-ESCALATE CONFLICT
10) PULL OUT YOUR BALLOON
11) TALK WITH THE SUN AT CAMPERS’ BACKS
12) 1 ON 1 EVERY DAY
13) ANYTHING CAN BE AWESOME
14) HAVE A PLAN FOR WHEN KIDS ARRIVE
15) GIVE KIDS THE SCHEDULE
16) ASK CAMPERS FOR HELP
17) TAKE OFF YOUR SUNGLASSES
18) EVERYONE HAS A THING
19) PICTIONARY TELEPHONE
20) HAVE A PLAN FOR DOWN TIME
21) MAKE SURE YOU KNOW ONE GO TO SONG - OH A MILKSHAKE
22) AND SKIT -DIRECTORS SKIT
23) AND NO PROP GAME -YEE HAW
24)AND NEVER TELL -GREEN GLASS DOOR
25) ALWAYS HAVE A WATCH AND A WATER BOTTLE
DOWNLOAD THIS in a FLYER FORMAT to give to your staff!
Kurtz's favorite icebreaker questions
Friends! Throughout the years, I have collected some favorite icebreaker questions. I have picked all of these up along the way, and I am hesitant to post because I don’t have citations. If you know the origins of any of these questions, please post in the comments! Until then, here is a <<partial>> list for your use just in time for summer camp staff training! Enjoy.
GET A PRINTABLE VERSION HERE
What is something people don’t know about you?
What is your favorite t-shirt, and why?
Name the most famous person you have ever had a face-to-face encounter with. Explain.
What is the most outdated piece of technology that you own and actually use?
Describe the most memorable meal you have eaten.
What was the first thing you learned to cook?
What is the most interesting “ice breaker” question you have ever been asked?
What is your most frequently-used emoji?
What was your personality like in junior high school?
What is the most artistic thing you have done lately?
What was the first musical album you bought?
What do you like best about your hometown?
What is the oldest piece of clothing you own and still wear?
Who was your best friend growing up?
Name one of your favorite things about a family member or friend.
What was your first email address or screen name?
Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle? Explain.
What is a song for which you thought you knew the words but later found out that you had them wrong?
If a movie was being made of your life, which actor/actress would you want to play you?
What was the first concert you attended?
Who was your favorite teacher, and why?
What is the most interesting place that you have been to wearing the shoes that you’re wearing now?
If you were in the Miss America competition, what would your talent be and why?
What was your favorite childhood toy?
What is the “wall-paper” background on your phone or computer?
What is one thing you really like about yourself?
If given the chance, would you skydive? Why or why not?
What movie have you seen multiple times?
What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
If you could participate in one Olympic sport, what sport would you choose, and why?
Have you ever been on TV or in the newspaper? Explain.
What was the best costume you’ve ever worn?
What is a unique talent you have?
What is your full name? How did you get that name?
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
What is a tradition that you have?
How long was your longest car trip? How did it go?
What is your earliest memory?
Do you or did you ever play a musical instrument?
If you could win a “life supply” of anything, what would it be and why? Don’t say money.
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
When you are stressed, what do you do to relax?
How would your friends describe you?
What do you like to do on Saturdays?
What is the dorkiest thing about you?
What record in the Guinness Book of World Records would you be most likely to achieve, if you have not yet already?
What is the best thing that you cook?
What was your worst travel experience, ever?
What was the last movie you watched? What did you think?
If you had $1 million and you had to donate it to a charity, where would you donate it, and why?
GET A PRINTABLE VERSION HERE
Article photo by Roderick Cooney, www.thecampphotographer.com
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Sarah Kurtz McKinnon is a camp director, consultant and trainer. She's also one of the co-founders and co-facilitators of The Summer Camp Society! Reach her at kurtz@thesummercampsociety.com
Kurtz’s Communication Tips for New Seasonal Leaders
Communication Tips for New Summer Camp Seasonal Leaders
As a seasonal leader, communication becomes even more important. In fact, in my experience, most of the most annoying or pointless problems at camp (*ahem* drama!!) happen because there has been a failure in communication—either sharing too much or sharing too little. Here are three techniques I have seen successful seasonal camp leaders use to communicate effectively:
1. Understanding Confidentiality
In a leadership role, you may have access to (and actually need access to) heaps of confidential information. From health forms to staff evaluations or the “real” scoop on why someone was fired, you may be tempted to share this information with others. Most of the time, it is inappropriate to share confidential information. However, you will have to make a decision whether or not to share it every time you are asked or feel the need to share. This challenge brings me to my first tip: Only share confidential information with someone who can help.
For instance, you may learn from a camper’s confidential health form that she is recovering from an eating disorder. You may decide that it would be appropriate to discuss this information with the camp nurse in order to develop a safe environment and/or learn about considerations you need to make. You may decide that it would be inappropriate to share the information with the arts and crafts instructor—if he knows about this camper’s past eating disorder, it would not necessarily serve to help her.
2. Communicating Up
When you have a problem, it is always a good idea to communicate it to your boss. However, what you don’t want to do is make yourself obsolete by always asking your boss for solutions. Plus, in her eyes, it may seem that you are not doing your job. So, when you are faced with a problem, summarize it for your boss, and then tell her your proposed solution or solutions, asking her to weigh in. (Shoutout to my first boss when I was a camp director, Josh Humbel, for giving me this sage advice!)
Even if you have sufficiently solved a problem on your own, it’s always a good idea to fill your boss in. The best technique I have found is a quick summarization email that I would send to her almost immediately after solving the issue. This way, she can point out anything you missed or any required follow-up—and be prepared if she gets a call about the issue.
3. Soliciting Feedback
Many seasonal leaders struggle with one of two things: They either try to be the “cool boss” and become too lenient with their staff, or they try to demonstrate their newfound power and become too strict. Both of these traps happen because new bosses are attempting to earn respect, but neither of them work. One of the best ways that I have found to earn the respect of your staff is to ask for their feedback. You can do it in one-on-one conversations pretty easily:
- “Hey, Jahri, how did check-in go for you yesterday at the Health Hut? Is there anything you think we should consider changing in terms of our health check procedures?”
- “Elle, you know I am new to this leadership position and I really respect your opinion. What do you think I could try doing differently? I’d love any advice you have for me.”
- “Sofia, I’m headed to the store to buy some snacks for the staff meeting tonight. What should I get??”
You can also do this in a group setting. For example, before a big staff meeting, tell your staff that you are putting together the agenda and you would love to hear any agenda items that they have. Or, announce to your staff that you will be hanging out in a particular area of camp during free time tonight, and that they are welcome to come chat with you if they have feedback about programming (office hours style). Another way to do this in a group is to use a technique like “fist of five” to see how a certain event went, such as last night’s cookout.
Summary:
- Only share confidential information with those who can help
- Always present problems to your boss with your proposed solutions
- Summarize problems after they are handled by emailing your boss
- Solicit feedback from individuals on your staff by asking specific questions
- Incorporate feedback techniques into your day-to-day activities
MORE SUPPORT FOR SEASONAL LEADERS
Let’s get real. When our seasonal leadership team is incredible the summer goes much better. They may be the single most important way to keep camp directors sane and make sure the summer is a success. When my seasonal leadership/admin/core/middle managers are performing well camp just seems to work. Invest in them.
We offer a virtual course for seasonal leaders as part of our membership. For just $600/year, ALL of your staff can use our six virtual courses AND you get lots of other benefits.
Looking for something free?
Alice has got a great blog about supporting seasonal summer camp staff!
Sarah Kurtz McKinnon is a camp director, consultant and trainer. She's also one of the co-founders and co-facilitators of The Summer Camp Society! Reach her at kurtz@thesummercampsociety.com
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!
By Sarah Kurtz McKinnon
in loco parentis
ˌin ˌlōkō pəˈrentəs/
adverb & adjective
(of a teacher or other adult responsible for children) in the place of a parent.
"he was used to acting in loco parentis"
This is something we ask of our staff at camp every minute that they are on duty, and it's a big deal! For some of our staff, this is a responsibility that comes naturally. For others, it is difficult to imagine how it feels to be a parent leaving their child in someone else's care. Either way, most staff at typical summer camps are not yet parents themselves. Before I lead staff workshops about positive parent interactions, I like to do this demonstration to help all of our staff imagine just a small taste of the stress that parents can experience when sending their child to camp.
Demonstration Steps:
Announce that everyone will need to get their cell phones out.
Walk around the room and confiscate all cell phones. If there are more than about 6, put them in some sort of bag (so you don't drop them!).
Do not give much explanation. Give a cheerful “goodbye!!!” and skip out of the room.
Leave for longer than you think—enough to make them nervous. If possible, skip around the outside of the area, past windows so they get a slight glimpse of you.
Take some selfies on phones or mess with them in some temporary/harmless way.
Make some weird and loud noises, especially ones that sound a little destructive.
Enter back into the room and announce it’s time for pickup from Cell Phone Camp! Allow cell phone “parents” to come and get their phone (a.k.a. their cell phone kid).
You can even somehow restrict the pickup process so the "parents" have to wait to get their cell phone kids even though they can see them from a distance.
Conceal one phone to make one person wait longer for pickup.
Debrief Questions:
Phase 1: Questions about their Experience
How did you feel when your cell phone "kid" went to "camp"?
Did anyone feel nervous? Why? You can also note that some people definitely picked up their phone and examined it upon return, so they were for sure nervous even if they didn’t realize it.
Did anyone feel apathetic? Why?
Was anyone super-happy that they would be without their phone?
Was this the first time for anyone that a stranger had their phone?
Was anyone afraid I was going to find out something about you that you didn’t want me to find out?
Did you trust me? Why or why not?
Was anyone not so sure what I was going to do with their cell phone?
Was it different when it got home? Better or worse??
Phase 2: The Application of the Exercise
Why did I do this?? How does this relate to camp?
How do we even start to understand how parents feel when they leave their kids with us? (Note: It is somewhat like this, but about a million times more intense! Parents have a range of emotions and relationships with their kids and with the responsibility of parenting.)
How do we serve all of our parents well?
What is our role as caretakers – in loco parentis?
Phase 3: Conduct Small Group Discussions Around the Following Topics
What are parents most worried about when their kids go to camp?
What do you think are the things that bother parents the most?
What makes parents love camp?
What can we do to make sure that our campers’ parents trust and believe in us?
Sarah Kurtz McKinnon is a camp director, trainer and consultant, and a co-founder of The Summer Camp Society! Contact her at sarah@kurtzmckinnoncreative.com
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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.
By Sarah Kurtz McKinnon
Here's a staff training module that has a huge impact that I have seen very few camps do. Essentially, we need to train our staff to be able to have tough(er) conversations with each other. We might call these co-worker confrontations.
Too often at camp, our staff do not know how to approach each other with small grievances or problems. They let the issue fester until it becomes an extremely large problem, or cross their fingers in the hopes that some sort of administrator deals with it. However, when our staff members are able to keep each other in check and work out issues independently, camp runs a lot more smoothly. As camp leaders, we have a lot less drama and a lot more time to do things that really matter. And, when our staff are able to coach and correct each other, as well as work out issues on their own, a positive, respectful starts to be built. Finally, the ability to approach a coworker about a bump in the road is a hugely beneficial lifeskill that will benefit our staff in whatever career path they choose (or even with their future spouse)!
So, here's the activity. It's really simple:
1. Provide some background.
Ask your staff, "What are some of the reasons you came to camp?" Responses will be things like "make a difference" or "help kids" or "give back." Then, once you've gotten some positive answers, ask the group "so...did anyone come here to ruin things? Do a terrible job? Mess everything up?" The answer will be no.
Then explain that when camp gets going, tensions can run high. Small things that our coworkers might do either annoy us or really bother us. On the other side of the coin, if we were to do something that really bothered our coworker, we'd want to know about it, since we all came here to make things better and not worse. We are all on the same page that we are here to make a positive difference for the kids. So we have to come to the mutual understanding that we will support each other in that effort.
2. Present a little framework.
Explain that sometimes you will need to approach a coworker when something isn't going quite right. Maybe this person is your co-counselor and is letting the campers stay up way past their bed time, resulting in difficult mornings. Maybe this person is a fellow lifeguard in the swim area and is letting the kids play a rougher game than you are comfortable with in the water. Maybe this person is a friend on staff who got whipped cream all over your favorite overalls during last night's evening activity (VERY annoying indeed!!). In all of these situations, it is up to you as a caring coworker to initiate a conversation with your fellow staff member. Here are general guidelines for this type of conversation. After you introduce each bullet point, ask the group why they think this element is important.
Use a kind tone, assuming positive intent.
Remember, no one signed up for this job to ruin things. Most problems between coworkers at camp come down to communication problems or misunderstandings!
Briefly but clearly describe why the action/situation bothers you.
In other words, express the negative impact of the situation. Consider using natural versions of "When you do this, I feel that" statements.
Provide an alternative
Make some suggestions of what would be better, or work together to find a mutually agreeable situation.
Express your continuing trust in your coworker
Thank them for having the conversation with you.
3. Practice!
Finally, here are some role-play scenarios that you can use! Choose the ones that make the most sense for your camp and your staff members' abilities.
When I do role plays with staff, I like to start them with a partner. Everyone practices at the same time just with the partner. For the first scenario you choose, one person can be the person being confronted and the other person the confronter. For the second scenario, switch roles. For the third scenario, switch partners. After each scenario, I like to ask the group questions like, "Who had a partner who handled this situation really well? What did they do?" or "Why was this situation hard or awkward for you?" or "What made this situation easy for you?". Once everyone has a chance to practice a few times, you can bring up some brave souls to role play more difficult or complex scenarios in front of the whole group, and then ask the group to provide feedback.
When presenting in these situations, make sure you also answer the question to the group of when it's appropriate to handle a situation on your own versus when it is necessary to come to a leadership team member. You definitely want your staff to be independent problem-solvers, but you also definitely want to avoid the situation where staff handle too much on their own, resulting in further troubles.
Scenarios For Role Play Activity
Your co-counselor has planned all of the nighttime cabin activities for the rest of the week. You had some ideas, but s/he is already set in what the cabin is going to do each night.
Your co-counselor is never “there”….it seems that s/he is always in the office or somewhere else on “important business.” The kids are beginning to ask where s/he always is.
Your co-counselor is talking with your teenage campers about inappropriate stuff, including details about his/her love life.
Your co-counselor NEVER showers.
Your co-counselor is taking an all-cabin game of soccer too far – his/her competitiveness is ruining it for the kids…and it’s not the first time this has happened.
Your co-counselor has been wearing your sweatshirt for the last few days and you want it back.
Your co-counselor has been getting up really early but always makes a lot of noise around the cabin, waking you up since you are a light sleeper. The kids sleep through it.
Your co-counselor is usually relaxed, but becomes extremely strict and ornery during rest hour, scaring your campers.
Your co-counselor is constantly looking in the mirror/grooming his/her self in front of the kids.
A camper wets the bed in the middle of the night. Your co-counselor does not get up to help – s/he grunts, rolls over and goes back to bed, leaving you to do everything. It’s now the next morning.
Your co-counselor keeps on promising things to your campers that you don’t think are all going to happen, like a nighttime boat ride and extra-special desserts. You think he/she is setting them up for disappointment.
Your co-counselor is on Instagram in the cabin when s/he thinks no one can see him/her.
Your co-counselor is constantly late to meals, sauntering 10-15 minutes late each time without any explanation or apology.
Your co-counselor is dominating the conversation in the cabin and always just sharing stores about him/her self.
Your co-counselor allows campers to swear within the cabin walls, which is against your overall camp’s policy.
Your co-counselor told your campers they could use their cell phones as long as s/he “doesn’t see it.”
You think your co-counselor is trying to be the more “popular” counselor with the campers, and is bending rules/making you the “bad cop” in order to do so.
Your counselor has been griping about the overnight campout all week, and you think his/her lack of enthusiasm is rubbing off on the campers.
Your co-counselor snatches up the last Choco Taco before the kids have gotten their pick of the ice cream novelties.
Your co-counselor has been “sick” all week, spending a lot of time in the infirmary sleeping on the couch and being lackadaisical in the cabin. S/he went to the doctor and has gotten a clean bill of health, yet continues to act sick. You think there’s something else going on.
Your co-counselor’s boyfriend/girlfriend just broke up with him/her. You think this has made him/her short with the campers and disinterested in their well-being.
One of your fellow staff members has just posted a whole barrage of rowdy time off pictures on Instagram. You don’t think that they are the kind of person who is meticulous about their privacy settings.
A fellow instructor in your swim class went to the waterfront director with a slew of complaints about you before talking with you about these issues. You wonder why you couldn’t work out these problems one-on-one.
One of your campers is really close with a former counselor of theirs who is now in a different cabin. The camper is feeling homesick, so s/he goes to the old counselor. The old counselor has been handling the problem, but had not been communicating his/her actions with you.
You’re working in the activity area of a seasoned counselor who has been running that activity for a very long time. However, the counselor always seems disorganized and the activity does not start until at least 20 minutes into the hour.
Your CIT constantly apologizes for every misstep or mistake s/he makes, no matter how small. The profusion of apologies is starting to get to you.
All your CIT does is listen music on his/her Beats by Dr. Dre. And doesn’t do anything else. This CIT was a favorite camper of yours and acts like everything is cool.
Your CIT always asks you permission to do things, like go to the bathroom.
Somehow, your campers have found out that you are dating someone else on staff. You suspect either your co-counselor or your CIT has told them.
Another counselor is really clingy to you, always wanting to spend time with you on time off, ride in your car, do the same things as you at free time. You want time to hang out with other counselors and build friendships but don’t want to lose this person as a friend.
Your co-counselor keeps on using the word “ghetto.”
A friend of yours on staff consistently wants to engage in gossip about other staff members, and tries really hard to get any information out of you.
Your co-counselor wears a shirt to bed with a beer company logo on it.
Your co-counselor treats your CIT like a camper, even though the CIT is very capable.
Your co-counselor requests time off on the night of your campout because s/he doesn’t want to be there, leaving you high and dry with the rest of a cabin of eight-year-olds and a CIT who is just ho-hum.
You don’t think one of your best friends on staff is taking very good care of his/her self this summer. S/he always seems tired, but fails to rest on time off. You’re worried.
Giving credit where credit is due: I've had this list in my files for quite awhile. I am guessing I made it up along with a few fellow members of the ~2013 YMCA Camp Al-Gon-Quian leadership team!
LOOKING FOR MORE?
We have more staff training sessions in our Free Stuff section!
We also have facilitators available to run this training (or others!) virtually or in-person. This training is awesome for pre-camp, but it can also be extremely useful as an in-service if your staff need some extra help! Reach out to Kurtz to find out more about our training options.
Sarah Kurtz McKinnon is a camp director, consultant and trainer. She's also one of the co-founders and co-facilitators of The Summer Camp Society! Reach her at kurtz@thesummercampsociety.com.
10 Things You Need to Know Your First Summer as a Camp Leader
By Sarah Kurtz McKinnon
Ten years ago(!) I became an assistant director at our camp, moving out of the cabin and into the "lodge," which at our camp means I was officially on admin and no longer with campers of my own. Although it was thrilling to start to plan and run parts of camp, many parts of the transition were a huge surprise to me.
So, at the end of the summer, I wrote a letter to the next person in my position. In it, I explained the top ten things that you need to know when moving out of a cabin and into the lodge. I recently came across this wise guide, so I've adapted it here for all of you camp leaders who are transitioning to the next level of camp leadership in the upcoming weeks.
10. Staff members will expect you to know everything.
But don't worry! You will soon gather a second sense for camp policy, procedure and where things are located (Oh, the purple rope with pink stitching? Bottom shelf in utility room).
9. Staff members will ask you for permission to do things...
...like use excessive tinfoil for a costume, go pick up a prescription, etc. It is mostly in your power to give them the go-ahead or not. That’s OK…get used to it! And, you don’t always have to say yes.
8. In the beginning, you will feel like you are always asking your supervisor 1 million questions.
You probably are…but you’ll figure it all out soon enough. Asking is part of learning. It's also good role modeling--you want your staff to ask you when they have questions, too!
7. You do not have traditional "rest time."
During normal camp “down time,” counselors tend to come to you with questions or problems and you will be dealing with camper/programming issues. “Rest” hour is no longer that restful, and neither is regular time off. Make sure you take personal time when you have the chance, even if it is during an unconventional hour of the day.
6. You see the worst things about camp.
You will soon learn about/witness/be involved with the aftermath of every disaster or mishap or near-crisis. Try not to get a skewed perspective…most of the time, and probably all of the time, camp is going pretty well. When you look around, don’t forget to look for the positive.
5. You will be privy to a lot of special/private information.
Sometimes, you just have to know this stuff so you can do your job! The key to confidentiality is only sharing information with people who can help. Don't get pressured into sharing private information, no matter how persuasive the gossipers are. Oh! And document everything!
4. Your relationships with staff members will change.
Your camp friendships are now a bit different. You have to work hard at maintaining those relationships and building non-work connections with staff members. You’re still a camp leader, on camp and off. It’s a privilege but it comes with extra pressure. No matter how approachable you are, you're still a little "scary" to many staff. Your words carry extra weight, so be careful with sarcasm.
3. It’s easy to get stuck inside all day.
You have to make an effort to get out of the office and around camp. Make sure you are out there! If you are working on a project like paperwork, put it on a clipboard and do it outside where you can see and be seen. Wear a pedometer so you can track your daily steps. Make getting out and about one of your priorities!
2. You don’t have a cabin of kids anymore.
You have to work at making sure you still have kid time so you don’t get sad or go crazy. Become a character during evening activity; make rounds at lights-out to say goodnight to cabins; jump in the lake at free swim. This keeps you motivated and is excellent role modeling for your staff team.
1. you don’t have your own campers…but the counselors become your “kids.”
It’s like you have a cabin of 50 college students (Awesome!? But crazy!). One of your biggest priorities is to be there for the counselors and to make sure they are supported, positive, and fulfilled with their work. If you’re able to do this, they can give the kids the best experience possible—which is the ultimate goal.
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CREATIVE THINKING.
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Our TSCS members get community, conversation, free resources, free virtual trainings for staff, and so much more. Be a part of it for $50/month.
Sarah Kurtz McKinnon (left) is a camp director, consultant and trainer. She's also one of the co-founders and co-facilitators of The Summer Camp Society! Reach her at kurtz@thesummercampsociety.com.
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.
By Sarah Kurtz McKinnon
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. In fact, it starts with a clear and thorough hiring process.
Yet, one of the most crucial times for camp leaders to build a solid foundation of mutual respect with their camp staff is during staff training. Sure, camp staff need to learn things like emergency procedures and age group characteristics. But they also need to know that they are part of a team that has their backs.
This week in The Summer Camp Society’s Seasonal Leaders program, we have been taking with our cohorts about how to demonstrate this respect during staff training. Here’s what Jack and I have come up with:
10. Listen and Learn.
When you are not facilitating a staff training session, participate with the rest of the group. Pay close attention and take notes. Contribute occasionally, but never dominate—even if you have heard it all before. Your attention shows that you are not the only “expert” in the room, and that we all need to continually learn to improve. It also shows your humility. Letting someone else teach you something is a huge sign of respect.
9. Physicality.
Pay close attention to where you physically are during staff training. At overnight camp, for example, I like to see counselors who walking about the cabin as kids get ready for bed and sitting on the floor with them while doing an activity. I do not like to see counselors shouting instructions from up on their top bunk or otherwise afar. Same with staff training. As you sit among the staff, you are showing respect. Sit with them during meals instead of at a special “admin” table; sit among them in the circle during a training session; avoid standing in the back of the room whispering to a coworker. Your presence is important to them.
8. Be Nice.
Try to find a genuinely nice thing to say to everyone you supervise by the end of the second day of training. Whether this is about the funny slogan on their t-shirt, their ability to lead a song, or the great question they asked during the health center orientation, staff appreciate being noticed—and noticed by you. But—a caveat—make sure your compliments are 100% genuine. People have a remarkable B.S. meter, and a fake remark is way worse than saying nothing at all. This exercise also helps you see the good in people instead of always focusing on annoying things about them (which we have the tendency to do sometimes.)
7. Keep Track.
We got this technique from our friend and fellow camp director/consultant Scott Arizala several years ago. Here’s the adaptation I like to use: Take a sheet of paper and down the left side, write the name of each person you supervise. At the end of the night, say on the third day of training, think back on your day. For each person, tally up your interactions with them. For each positive interaction, I would mark a “+”. A negative or corrective interaction, a “-“. And, a neutral interaction (like talking about sports or school), I would mark a circle. Look back at your roster. Are there people that you have only had negative interactions with? Someone you have not interacted with at all? As you do this exercise periodically, you will recognize patterns. Oftentimes, I find that I spend a lot of my time praising my all-star staff and chasing around my less-achieving staff. My staff “in the middle” can easily get left behind. This method allows me to keep on track.
6. Boring Stuff.
Do mundane activities alongside of the staff. At camp, some of my favorite mundane or less-glamorous activities include doing the dishes, breaking down cardboard boxes, store runs or setting up equipment like the speakers. Either jump in with staff members or ask staff members to do an activity with you. This is great for many reasons: First, it establishes a team atmosphere where we are all in this initiative together. As a leader, you are not above any chore at camp. Additionally, it allows you to have informal yet oftentimes informative conversations with your staff members about their lives or how camp is going for them. The time to chat while doing a chore is invaluable.
5. Share.
Often, we are pretty scary to our staff! Even though we do not think of ourselves as intimidating, we can be intimidating simply because we are the boss. If you are able to open up to your staff a bit about your life (appropriately), they will start to understand that you, too, are a human as well. You have wants, needs and (gasp!) a personality! I like to tell a few stories about my first summer working at camp, like the time a camper peed on my flip-flops. Jack likes to tell a story about the time he and Laura went on a 2-year road trip with an extremely tight budget. Sometimes, they subsided on a dozen eggs a day for sustenance. If you tell a story about yourself, it can open the floor for sharing. BUT—make sure you do only about 10% of the talking. Your goal is to show that you are a human, too—one who shares and one who listens.
4. Gather Informal, Constant Feedback.
When we ask our staff members for their opinions, we show that we care about them and what they have to say. The problem is we often fail to do it. It is crucial that you make this part of your routine. In the “boring stuff” that you do alongside of your staff, make it a point to ask them some questions about training so far. For example, say, “What was your favorite session from today?” or “How did the emergency procedures session go for you? What questions do you think people still have?”. You gain important feedback that you can use to improve your training skills, and your staff feel heard.
3. Systematize Feedback.
Start some practices where you are always getting feedback from your staff. Today’s staff like to have a voice in everything they do, and are pretty used to things being personalized for them. This is maybe the most crucial way to show respect and earn theirs. For example, at the end of a large session I lead during staff training, I like to pass around index cards. I tell the group to write “what went well” or some positive feedback on one side of the index card, and mark that side with a plus. On the other side of the index card, I ask them to write a suggestion of how to make that session better in the future, or something we should change in general. They can mark that side with a triangle (or delta, for change). They can also mark that side with a question mark and write down something that was unclear or something they are still wondering about. Thanks go out to Jane Dutton at the UofM Center for Positive Organizations for this idea! Jane does a version of this practice in her management class.
2. Start with Celebrations.
Too often as camp leaders, our announcements are purely logistical or corrective. All our staff members hear from us are things they need to do differently or things they need to remember. Instead, start the practice of beginning your meetings or announcements with recognition of things that are going well or acknowledgement of people who are making a difference in your camp community. Recognizing positivity in your community sets the tone for mutual respect.
1. Share Your Camp Story.
To our staff members, we can be seen as robot administrators who are here to enforce ACA accreditation, deal with parents, and handle the paperwork. Too few of our staff members know why we are here, and why we do what we do. Make it a point during staff orientation to share your “why”, so that your team knows your motivations. They will likely relate to them, too. Later on, when you have to make a tough decision or disappear to the office for a period of time to handle a tricky situation, they will understand that you do what you do because you love the community and love the kids. Sharing your camp story also helps you remember why you do this work—which makes you an even better camp leader.
COMMUNITY.
CONVERSATION.
CREATIVE THINKING.
Join us for more.
We're now accepting applications for the fall semester of The Summer Camp Society, our innovative learning program for camp professionals. Learn more and apply today through this link.
Sarah Kurtz McKinnon is a camp director, consultant and trainer. She's also one of the co-founders and co-facilitators of The Summer Camp Society! Reach her at kurtz@thesummercampsociety.com.
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!
By Sarah Kurtz McKinnon
10. Prepare supplies boxes
First off, please delegate the actual execution of this task to someone else! But make sure it gets done. In each orientation space, create a supplies box. This can be a storage bin that has everything presenters might need for an orientation session. This way, when orientation begins, the facilitators are not spending time running around looking for basic supplies. They are all at their fingertips. You are also modeling preparedness for the staff. Your boxes might be different, but here’s what I have in mine:
Post-It Notes (lots)
Index Cards (lots)
Chart Markers
Sharpies
Pens (enough for entire group)
Butcher Paper
Painter’s Tape
Scissors
Extension Cord & Power Strip
Adapters for projector use
Scrap paper
9. Make (at Least) 3 Calls
Choose three staff from last summer who are returning--ideally a superstar staffer, someone who experienced a lot of growth last summer, and an average staff member. Ask them about their biggest memories from staff training last summer, both good and bad. Run a new idea by them. This builds buy-in and is a strong gut check for your current plans.
8. Test AV
It’s OK to use AV, but it’s not OK to use crummy AV. Spend some time testing your audio and video equipment exactly as you will use it during staff training presentations. Then, designate a staff member to be the AV expert during staff training. Since many of us have less-than-perfect internet at our facilities, it can also be helpful to download any videos you are going to use during training to your hard drive.
7. Rehearse
Not sure how a new session is going to go? Read about a game in Find Something to Do but not sure how it will run in real life? Pull together a small group and do a dry run. You don’t even have to do the full presentation or game. Any amount of practice where you solicit feedback makes a big difference. I do this all the time for my conference and camp presentations—whether it’s asking four friends to sit in on a session I’ve written for Tri-States or asking my friend’s wedding party to test a quick icebreaker while we wait around, I always get important feedback that makes my presentations better.
6. Clear Your Own Schedule
Do your best to be present during staff training. YOU do not always have to speak during staff training—in fact, Steve Maguire says to speak as little as possible! But it is important that you stay present in as many sessions as you can. Try to schedule inspections or tours in times outside of orientation, or delegate a staff member (such as your facilities director) to manager those obligations. Put up an “out of office” on your email and appoint an office manager to handle day-to-day phone duties. You need to be present for questions or clarifications, and it is a huge sign of respect for the training process if you participant.
5. Make a Playlist
Or, even better, appoint a few cool returning staff to make an appropriate playlist for staff training and then serve as DJs. After sessions, over snack breaks, at breakfast and more—having music playing can set the tone for staff training and help nullify some of the awkwardness during in-between times.
4. Send Out This Video
We always are saying that we want our staff to lead sessions during staff training! Yes! However, not all of our presenters know what makes up a great presentation. A simple (and maybe cheesy) video like this one can help new presenters figure out the elements they need to craft a great session.
3. Make time for Official Q&A
Staff, especially new staff, have no idea what to expect when they come to staff training. And, let’s face it, staff training can be kind of weird! Have a leadership team member such as a head counselor host a Q&A on a video chat (we recommend Facebook Live or Zoom) about what to expect upon your arrival at camp and during your staff training experience. If staff can better mentally and even physically prepare for the training experience, they will get much more out of it.
2. Reach Out
Have a returning leadership team member reach out to each new staff member to make a connection. For most of us, a single professional staff member has been the sole point of contact for our new staff before they get to camp. If a leadership team member can make a high-quality connection with a new staffer, that new staffer will have another person they are already familiar with once they get on site. Plus, your new staffer may ask this new contact any questions that they might feel silly asking you.
1. Be a Human
Figure out how to position yourself as a real human with your staff. Yes, you read that right. But so many camp directors are wrapped up in the logistics of camp and training that they forget to share with their staff who they are, why they do what they do, and what they need as leaders to be successful. The more your staff know that you are a human, too, the more approachable you are as a supervisor and the more understanding they will be to your motivations and needs.
COMMUNITY. Conversation. Creative thinking.
Sarah Kurtz McKinnon is a camp director, consultant and trainer. She's also one of the co-founders and co-facilitators of The Summer Camp Society! Reach her at kurtz@thesummercampsociety.com.