Camp Code - Leadership & Staff Training Podcast for Camp Directors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! At the end of staff training, you are making some critical decisions for how your summer will play out. You will likely make decisions about counselor pairs, age group assignments, and who will be supervising who. For all of them, it is helpful to know your staff so you can plug them in to play to their strengths. There's a lot of going on duri...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! As camp professionals we want what is best for our camper families. For this to happen, staff must be at their absolute best. For staff to give 100% commitment, they must feel good about themselves. Staff members must fully understand the mission of the organization and have a keen knowledge of where their support systems are throughout the summer....

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! When camp professionals gather for a conference, there is much to be learned. With the backdrop of jazz music and beignets, the Camp Code team was fortunate enough to gather in New Orleans for the American Camp Association National Conference. Highlights included the opening keynote starting with a marching band, meeting Dr. G. in person, and all th...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! To generate excitement, energy, and buy in from our staff, a theme during training can quickly communicate that this job is like no other. Themes can range from connecting to the history of camp to making references to current popular culture. A great staff training theme can put a fresh spin on information that is taught every year and inspire your...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! Meatballs - "We want gossip!" Andrew Solomon - Love, no matter what Wet Hot American Summer - Are you going to pick that up? First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy Jack Vale - Social Media Experiment Sir Ken Robinson - School Kills Creativity Arc'teryx - 35 Jessica's Daily Affirmations John Jacobson - Double Dream Ha...

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Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! Though we often consider the first day of staff training the time when we begin absorbing our new team into the camp culture, the reality is that staff orientation starts during the application process. Is the person trainable? How will he or she work on the team that is assembled? Does the applicant "get it?" Join Gab, Beth, and Ruby for...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! Christal Earle is the co-founder of Live Different, an organization that is about seeing change, building hope, and embracing a lifestyle of caring for people, not “stuff.” Christal spoke with the Camp Code hosts about how to empower young leaders to greatness and how to help them fully embrace camp’s mission and become a champion for your organizat...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! The Camp Code team is proud to host upcoming ACA National keynote speaker Deborah Gilboa M.D., aka Dr. G, on the show to share her ideas on what parents are struggling with today and how camp can help. Dr. G. answers questions about how to make staff training great and get the behaviors out of our campers (and staff!) that we want. One of the best t...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! The Camp Code team addresses what makes all-girl camp different and how to train your staff to embrace those differences to foster the best experience for participants. This is an episode for anyone who has females on staff, not just those in a single gender environment. Listen in for insights on exactly what it is that women want and how to empower...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! Every director needs that group of people who can be there when you can’t be. These staff members are the eyes and ears of the director and must be capable of seeing and hearing the needs of the staff and the campers. Camp directors need teams of people who fully understand the camp’s philosophy and mission and who not only know what needs to be don...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! A great leadership training takes a year to plan. Starting on leadership training now allows you the time to craft creative ideas, to gain buy-in from staff as you hire them, and to gather resources to support your brilliant vision. Identifying where your areas of strength and weakness were during training now will lead to a clearer picture of what...

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Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! “That’s not the way we did it last year.” “The former director let us do this…” Whether you are a new director who is running the show for the first time or a veteran who just had a rough summer, how do you hit the ground running this summer towards positive change? A Best Practice for Leadership Training: Help your staff members to learn to arrive...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! We CANNOT stress enough the importance of well-thought out, well-planned, and exceptionally intentional leadership training. As camping professionals, we need to think through every minute of every day of training and use each one to our advantage - whether it’s making the most of a learning session, a time of community building or ensuring our st...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! Because there are a couple of different strategies, because they are critical for accreditations, because yours could make or break you...because there is lots of room for creativity. A Best Practice for Leadership Training: “Wreck this Journal” is a book that has instructions for destroying it. Check it out and see how you can add this concept into...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! Read more about Tom Heck (and Duct Tape Team building Games) at http://www.teachmeteamwork.com/            

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! If we are running successful camps, we have a large number of staff returning every year. Instead of it becoming a problem where our returning staff are bored, disengaged, and quite possibly disruptive, we want to challenge them and help them take it to the next level; we also want to use their skills and experience to help teach the next generation...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! Those not in the industry can sometimes think that “camp staff” means glorified babysitter, someone who is simply watching children and making sure they have fun. Those of us who truly believe in the importance of summer camp understand that a youth development professional is fundamentally different; we want to grow the whole person. We want to cre...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! What we do is so much more than help children to have fun; we are at camp to develop the whole person. We are teaching not only specific hard skills like sailing or climbing or the j stroke but we are also teaching soft skills like communication, conflict resolution, and resiliency. So it’s important that our staff members understand (a) that they a...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! There are three reasons for exploring this topic: 1) Staff training is never long enough. Ever. 2) There are great tools available to aid with this process. 3) Youth development→ we want our staff to grow not only at work but also beyond. (and if they are growing, they are doing a better job at work!) A Best Practice for Leadership Training: “To pay...

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! This podcast shares creative ways to cover those important “must-do” sessions that have to be presented year and after year and can be, if we’re not careful, boring and uninspiring. A Best Practice for Leadership Training: Provide summer staff additional training and recreation outside of Staff Training week.            

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! Leadership training is critical for laying the foundation of your camp community. If staff is prepared to support one another, play alongside one another, resolve conflicts that arise, and work as a united team, then orientation has been a success.            

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! The mission is your compass. We must teach staff to use the mission of camp to guide their actions just as you teach someone how to use a compass to find their way. A Best Practice for Leadership Training: Empower staff to become guardians of the mission so they are truly inspired, committed, and on board.            

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us! Here you'll find a list of the 12 sentences that should come from your lips during training and why these words are so powerful. Your time is valuable and I am going to respect that. Marketing for next year begins opening day of camp this year. This is not last summer. What are your expectations for me/admin staff/leadership team? This is our &...