The Pudding

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/transformative Using Intentional Game Design to Change Behavior and Empower Staff In this episode, Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison sit down with Meghan Gardner, CEO of Guardian Adventures and a pioneer in transformative game design. With over 25 years of experience - ranging from running LARP (Live Action Role Playing) camps to s...

Full show notes:  https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/indigenous-perspective-doing-good-works Relationality, Appropriation, Truth and Reconciliation, and Thanks-giving: Indigenous Perspectives on Summer Camps in North America This episode of The Pudding features Dr. Dan Henhawk, a Mohawk scholar and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba. Dan speaks to Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison abou...

Clipboards, Kaizen, and Connection: Revolutionizing Camp Attendance with Ryan Rosen *This is a piece of sponsored content by our friends from Camptivities and Whereabouts . We are so grateful for Ryan and the Camptivities team for their support of many Go Camp Pro podcasts and we're excited to bring you this episode to share more about Whereabouts and it's intentional design - Check them...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/youth-as-co-creators Empowering Youth and Advancing Equity in Summer Camps: Insights from Alayna Schmidt In this episode, Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison interview Alayna Schmidt, a PhD candidate at Clemson University. Alayna’s research focuses on empowering youth as co-creators in camp settings and integrating justice-centered e...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/turner-and-maslow-to-transformation-and-magic Unpacking the Transformative Power of Summer Camps for Staff In this episode, Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison interview Star Wilkes, Lecturer in Special Education, Disability, and Inclusion Studies at the University of Wolverhampton. Star shares her journey from working at a special n...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/leadership-beyond-the-binary Insights on Gender Stereotypes and Expanding Leadership Styles in Camps In this episode of The Pudding, hosts Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison interview Dr. Kiah DeVona, a recent PhD graduate from the University of Connecticut. Kiah discusses her research on gender and leadership in camp settings, nota...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/sensory-journeys-freedom-in-play Exploring Inclusivity in Outdoor Leisure with Neil Carr In this episode of The Pudding, Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison discuss with Prof. Neil Carr, from the Dept of Tourism at the University of Otago (New Zealand), the role of inclusivity in outdoor leisure. They explore Neil's journey into...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/communities-of-campfires-and-kickball Exploring Camp Experiences, Neoliberalism, and Hidden Curriculum with Dr. Mary Breunig In this episode of The Pudding, hosts Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison talk to Dr. Mary Breunig, an associate professor in the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration. Dr. Breunig shares...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/camp-as-a-sacred-playground Creating Safe Spaces to Explore Faith & Identity In this episode of The Pudding, hosts Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison speak with Jake Sorenson, founder and director of Sacred Playgrounds, to explore the impacts of Christian summer camps. Jake, a seasoned expert with over 20 years of experience, ex...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/decoding-how-camp-helps-kids-find-themselves Hearing Youth Voices in Camp Research with Dr. Barry Garst In this episode of 'The Pudding', hosts Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison delve into the work of Dr. Barry Garst, a Professor at Clemson University in Youth Development Programs. Dr. Garst shares his journey into camp r...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/building-sustainable-camps Insights into JCamp 180’s Camp Research and Consulting Model In this episode, Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison talk to Herschel Singer from JCamp 180 about the critical work being done by his organization in supporting Jewish camps across North America, focusing on organizational effectiveness and financ...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/a-question-of-value How do you Define “Camp” and its Economic Impact? On this episode of The Pudding, Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison dive into the economic impact study of the camp industry with researcher Eli McClain, of the Restorative Economics Group. They talk about his process of working with a team of researchers and stude...

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 advancements, and so...

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 Elfring-Roberts dive into the concept of future-proofing the summer camp industry. They discuss the importance of mental time travel, scenario planning,...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/make-impacts-welcome-diversity-with-camp-research Diversifying the Narrative by Bringing Practitioners to the Research Table    In this episode of 'The Pudding', hosts Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison are joined by Drs. Lisa Meerts-Brandsma and Jim Sibthorp to dive into groundbreaking research in the camp world. The disc...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/excel-doesnt-have-to-be-scary Harnessing Data for Camp Success with Lee Biear Hosts Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison engage with Lee Biear, Business Development Director at Camptivities, to explore the transformative power of data in camp management. Lee shares her journey from public health research to camp data analysis, includi...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/camp-research-catalyzing-change Exploring the Future of Camp Research & its Impact with Laurie Brown In this episode, hosts Travis Allison and Dr. Mandi Baker discuss the significant research efforts and initiatives undertaken by the American Camp Association to understand and improve summer camps. Special guest Laurie Brown, Ph...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/impact-of-research Exploring Camp Research Innovations with Victoria Povilaitis In the first episode of the second season of 'The Pudding,' hosts Dr. Mandy Baker and Travis Allison invite Victoria Povilaitis, Director of Program Innovation at Tim Horton Foundation Camps, to discuss the exciting developments and research in...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/camp-researchers Let’s shed light on some of the most prominent camp research, right from the researchers themselves! Our guests, Victoria Povilaitis, Lori Brown, and Jake Sorenson, are not your typical academics. They are the frontline champions of camp research, dedicated to unveiling the intricate ways camps contribute to communi...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/ethics Camp Research - The Ethical Way Mandi gives us a mini-masterclass on all things research and how it applies to both the formal and informal research that we conduct at our camp. In this episode, we cover: What are the common ethics terms and basic ethical practices that camp practices that camp pros should be aware of? What a...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/gen-z Unlocking the Potential of Gen-Z at Summer Camp Staffing continues to be one of the biggest thorns in the paws of our industry. It’s a challenge that isn’t likely to go away soon, so what can we do to ride this wave, rather than just letting it crash into us? Travis and Mandi dig into this topic and share how an approach of cu...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/power-between-people With great power comes…well, you know the rest. We all know that even in the sunshine and butterflies that is summer camp, there is evil lurking about. An evil that affects people and communities from all over. It has a name, too. Are you ready? Power. Okay, maybe a bit dramatic, but it’s something nonetheless t...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/good-for-everyone Just BEING at camp is a good thing - the science proves it! We intuitively know that camp is a good thing. We can tell a million heart-filled stories about how camp changes lives. But as you all know, the proof is certainly in the pudding - so for the discerning camp pros (or camp families we are trying to convince...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/being-in-nature And are we thinking about “nature” too specifically? Being in nature is good for us - we know this intuitively. But did you know that science backs this up? It is proven, beyond doubt, that being in nature decreases anxiety, decreases rumination, and alleviates low mood. Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis unpack some of the...

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/decoding-research What is research, and what can it be for camp pros? We need to start here.  Before we get into how to use research to empower our marketing and recruiting efforts, we need to unpack the basics of research. So, whether you’re a research buff or not, this episode is meant to get everyone on the same page before we re...