The Day Camp Pod - From Go Camp Pro

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/new-owner-jason Want to own your own camp? Here is the perfect case study from Jason Samuel!  We've had a series of awesome podcasts this season with inspiring stories about making the jump to being a director or even an owner operator. Since we shared the Jonathan Gold podcast with our friends Howie and Kelly...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/intentional-camp Let’s welcome our friend Michael from Chicago back to the Day Camp Pod! Character and Youth Development are snappy little catchphrases that camp pros love to use. Mostly in their marketing pitches, brochures, and websites. And for at least three decades, Michael Brandwein has been spoonfeeding camp...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/inclusion2025 Inclusion Best Practices for Summer Camps Are you looking to create a truly inclusive camp environment where every child feels welcome and supported?  In this episode of the Day Camp Pod, we dive deep into the world of inclusion for special needs campers with expert guests Sabrina Hinkens and Sari Gro...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/assemblies Camp Assemblies - The Secret Sauce of Camp Spirit Join us for an exciting episode of The Day Camp Pod where we discover how to bring the magic of sleepaway camp to your day camp. Hosts Andy Pritikin and Sam Thompson welcome two experienced camp directors: Stacey Kotelov from Banner Day Camp and Dylan Wad...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/in-the-city From Idea to 750 Campers: Eileen Price's Inspiring Experience with In the City Camps Join the hosts of the Day Camp Pod from Go Camp Pro as they sit down with Eileen Price, the visionary behind In the City Camps in Atlanta, Georgia. Discover how Eileen's journey began with an idea for a day ca...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/campahead/scenario-planning-101 Exploring Camp Futures: Key Drivers and Scenario Planning In this episode of Camp Ahead, hosts Joe, Jess, and KJ  expand on the idea of scenario planning as an essential tool for thinking about the future. They discuss key drivers such as climate change, economics, demographics, technological adv...

Send us Fan Mail A new show from Go Camp Pro! Camp Ahead! Subscribe in Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you get your favourite Podcasts! --- Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/campahead/intro-to-mental-time-travel Welcome to Camp Ahead: The Futurology of the Summer Camp Industry In this inaugural episode of the Camp Ahead podcast, Joe Richards, KJ Williams, and Jess Elfrin...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/data-staffing The Staffing Puzzle: Day Camp Experts Share Trends and Tips In this episode of The Day Camp Pod from Go Camp Pro, host Andy Pritikin and co-host Sam Thompson, alongside Dan Weir, Jack Schott, and Justin Pritikin, dive into the critical topic of staffing for day camps. They explore challenges, share su...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/trust-2025 Navigating Parenting and Camp Management Post-Pandemic In this episode of the Day Camp Pod, hosted by Andy Pritikin, Sam Thompson, Jaime Pickles, and Kelly Jones, the panel tackles the evolving challenges of parenting and camp management post-pandemic. They discuss the increasing anxieties parents face t...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/start-from-scratch-2024 From Passion to Reality: Starting and Running a Successful Day Camp In this episode of The Day Camp Pod, hosts Andy Pritikin and Sam Thompson delve into the world of starting and running a successful day camp. Featuring guests Corey Kalman, who started a franchise of sports camps in Californ...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/ownership-gold Inside the Camp Ownership World: Success Stories and Challenges Join Andy, Sam, and Justin Pritikin as they delve into the inspiring story of Jonathan Gold, a successful operator of three large private day camps in New Jersey. In this episode, Jonathan shares his journey, the risks and challenges he...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/eddie-norgard Navigating the Challenges of Camp Management while Fostering Creativity and Growth Eddie Norgard is a golden example of how hard work, creativity, and purpose can propel a talented young person in the camp industry. Eddie is a super-successful YMCA professional with a creative mind, an abundance of op...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/2024forward Navigating the Day Camp Renaissance: Staffing Solutions and Innovations Summer 24 is in the books, and our September to-do lists have turned into pumpkin spice…  Time to get the Day Camp Pod back on track for another great season of best practices and unique insights - To get things going, we’re bringin...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/season-6-debrief The summer is upon us! Join us as we debrief the best Day Camp Pod Tid-Bits from the past eight months. Season 6 of the Day Camp Pod is winding down as we laser-focus on the daunting job before us. This episode, Sam & I debrief our ACA trip to Washington D.C. and then touch upon this season’s e...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/13-tips Going full-time is scary! These camp pros have some wise words to help any director find their footing. The Go Camp Pro team put together a really cool episode in which 13 top tier camp podcasters were asked for an important tip to tell any new camp director this season. Sam and Andy are both on it, it’s sh...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/gen-z-staff He’s back! Justin's insight is more important than ever. You won’t want to miss this one! This past Tri-State Camp Conference, our all-star podcast guest, Justin Pritikin presented to a packed room of camp professionals about working with his generation’s workforce. Younger camp pros appreciated hi...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/talking-teens Summer camps rarely meet their full potential of teen programing. Jeff Leiken is here to help us get into the teen mindset! There are very few camp consultant trainers in our industry over the past quarter century that have had the impact of Jeff Leiken. His impactful sessions at the major camp confer...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/yes-chef Staff training is nearly upon us…will you be ready? Hulu’s award-winning TV show, THE BEAR teaches valuable lessons from running a restaurant, and turning your staff from good to great - that really resonate to running a summer camp. Eric Wittenberg of CamperMachine and CampStack fame gave this session wit...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/additional-needs-staff A diverse staff team is a stronger staff team. Since 2020, camps have been more and more aware of their staff’s needs - particularly their pay, schedule flexibility, and the amount of burden they carry. But meanwhile, our staff have very similar additional needs as our campers do - and while...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/maximizing-summer-staff Increase your staff efficiency by maximizing your staff’s abilities. In today’s world of $4000 camp counselors, camps need to do everything possible to be efficient in how we staff our summer programs. We discuss this topic and more with Thomas Coffey from Southampton Day Camp, and the one a...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/random-acts-ice-cream Looking to appreciate and recognize your staff better? Come listen and learn from the best in the business! One of the best parts of attending the CODA and ACA National Conference is meeting super smart day camp pros from all over the country, and I am so happy that we can share the genius of...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/transitioning-leadership No one becomes a director overnight.  Taking over an existing camp operation is no small feat, and today we’re joined by two seasoned, self-made camp professionals who have each had unique challenges.  It’s a great podcast for anyone looking to one day become a day camp operator, as we also...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/parents-at-camp Hiring parents as staff can be a double-edged sword… There’s no better way to get adult staff to buy into your camp and your culture than to have their kids attending camp, and drinking your kool-aid.  That said, there’s a lot of ins and outs, a lot of positives and a lot of negatives. And, it’s sor...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/recruitment-and-retention Do you know what keeps your campers coming back?  Getting campers through the door and keeping them there is an art form of empathy, creativity, and execution.  Today we speak with two experts in the field who have literally created a playbook that can be utilized and appreciated by day ca...

Send us Fan Mail Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/in-between-moments Blocks are good, but it’s the grout that holds everything together. At Day Camp, we spend the majority of our planning time working on our militaristic program grids of athletics, arts, swim, etc. But the day camp day ALSO includes the “in-between moments.” These can be boring wastes of time, or...