Are you 'camp cool'?

Mar 6th, 2025

One of the worst feelings in the world is not knowing.

In the “real” world it can look like a lot of different things.

At camp, for staff, we can probably picture them:

Not knowing everyone’s names.

Not knowing how to get to the lake.

Not knowing which meal to maybe kinda avoid if you can.

Not knowing the words to songs (the camp kind or the off-color stuff)

Not knowing if you’ll ever belong.

And while it might be tough to remember all of the things you, at one point, didn’t know, you might remember the first time another staff member came up to you to show the secret path to the dining hall, pointed out the one shower that never gets hot, or where everyone was hanging out on an off day.

Those little moments, helping someone go from “not knowing” to “knowing” is mentorship (with a healthy dash of the Hidden Curriculum).

It’s not the whole thing, and it’s not the formal, sit-down, fill-out-a-form kind. But it’s the real kind. And it makes camp work.

Back in December, I wrote about why mentorship matters so much at camp. Today, I want to get super practical about how to make sure it actually happens – because left to chance, it often doesn’t.

The Cool Kids’ Table Problem

Here’s what happens at almost every camp:

The returning staff all know each other. They have inside jokes. They know the best place to poop. They know the best places offsite. And they tend to…stick together.

Meanwhile, the new staff are trying to figure out which building is which, whether that camper is joking or needs help, and why everyone laughs when someone mentions “the Chocolate Pudding Incident.”

It creates a natural divide. And here’s the hard truth – if your new staff are already “cool” (whatever that means at your camp), the returning staff will probably welcome them in.

If they’re unsure, quieter or maybe more awkward? They’re often left wondering, alone, in the shadows.

Flipping the Script

The good news is this doesn’t have to be a resigned shoulder shrug moment.

We can actively create a camp culture where sharing knowledge – not hoarding it – is what gives you status.

For the directors and leadership team, this means:

Find your “glue people.” Every camp has staff who naturally connect different groups. They might not be your most organized or your highest performers, but they’re cultural gold. Identify them and then empower them. - Shout out Alice Hospital maybe the world's greatest

Make it explicit. Tell your returning staff directly: “Part of your job is making sure new staff feel welcome and have the knowledge they need.” Make it part of their evaluation. Make it real.

Model it yourself. When a new staff member asks a question in a meeting, resist answering it yourself. Instead, say, “Jamie’s been here three summers and knows all about that – Jamie, let em know!”

For Returning Staff: Be the Guide You Needed

Note: I know this list is mostly camp pros and year-round folks, but if you need to, forward this to your returning staff. Pretend like you wrote it. All good. Having them know it from the jump is definitely worth it.

If you’re coming back this summer, remember that feeling of not knowing. Remember what it was like to be new. Then be the person who bridges that gap.

Share the real stuff. Yes, the formal training covers emergency procedures, but new staff need to know:

Where to find a moment of quiet when they need it

The best way to get personal items from town

Which kids have siblings at camp they should know about

Where the best place to, yeah, I’ll say it again…poop

Make it casual. You don’t need to scream, “I AM NOW MENTORING YOU!!!”

Just invite new staff to sit with you at meals. Ask them questions about themselves. Show interest.

Amplify their voices. When a new staff member makes a suggestion in a meeting, back them up. A little, “Yo! Alex has a great point,” immediately gives them credibility.

Starting Before Day One

The mentorship process should start before anyone arrives at camp:

During hiring, pair potential new staff with returning staff for quick video calls.

Just 15 minutes of “Hey, I’m coming back this summer, wanted to say hi and see if you have any questions” can transform that feeling of not knowing into excitement.

During staff training, create mixed groups of new and returning staff for activities. Don’t let the veterans all gravitate to one another.

The first days of camp, have check-ins where returning staff share what’s going well with new staff and what challenges they’re facing.

Normalize that everyone needs help.

Are You Camp Cool? Doesn’t Matter (But Also It Does)

And no, you can’t just send an email about mentorship and expect the cool kids to follow along.

If Mr. Feeny wasn’t already trusted by Sean Hunter, his request to welcome the new kid would’ve fallen flat. Feeny wasn’t a cool principal, but he was a respected and trusted one. (If that reference flew over your head, just know that 10% of readers are nodding vigorously right now.)

The truth is, we need to earn the right to ask high-status staff to welcome new people. The boring camp director sending a random email about “being more inclusive” is exactly how you get the opposite result.

For any of this mentorship stuff to work, people have to trust us. They have to care about us. Because we’re asking them to risk their reputations – the cool ones they’ve worked so hard to cultivate.

Here’s what I’m trying this summer as I head off to a new camp:

Actually spend non-work time with high-status staff. Find out about their lives outside camp.

Listen more. Understand their goals, what they care about.

Share interesting experiences naturally when the opportunity arises.

And if you’re brand new to a camp this summer (like I will be this summer), be as fun, enthusiastic, and welcoming as you can be early on. The bar for “good bosses” in most young people’s lives is shockingly low.

And then tell staff directly: “The way you treat new staff sets the tone for everyone. When you ask them questions, include them, share knowledge – others follow. I’m counting on you for this.”

You don’t have to be cool yourself. You just need the cool kids to care about you.

Making It Stick

The truth is, mentorship at camp isn’t about formal programs (though those can help). It’s about creating a culture where “being cool” means helping others feel like they belong.

When a returning staff member shares insider knowledge instead of hoarding it, gas them up in front of the whole crew.

When a new staff member mentions something they learned from an old head, go wild about it.

If you see cliques forming, be direct with a little side of gentle: “I see some of the same old groups at meals. Tomorrow, let’s switch things up. Everyone sit with at least two people they didn’t know before camp.”

Because at the end of the day, camp isn’t about who’s been there longest.

It’s about creating a community where everyone belongs, where everyone feels invited – staff included.

You got this,

Jack