More and more directors are saying they are finding their staff less and less willing to make decisions. In a world where there are constantly more options available to us, to make a decision can be downright paralyzing. Listen in as Gabz, Ruby, and Beth discuss their best ideas for helping to empower and educator your staff on being smart decision makers at camp.

Best Practice for Leadership Training

When making a decision with a group, explain the Data - Debate - Decide framework for decisionmaking. First, a group must gather data before making a decision and that process may be quite simple or very involved. Next, once the relevant data is on the table, take time to debate the issue at hand using data-based arguments. Finally, take the step to make a decision. The decision may be that more data is needed! Regardless, having this framework can be helpful when discussing issues that are multi-faceted that lead to roundabout conversations where you are covering the same info again and again. By being able to identify what stage you are in, the 3-Ds can help you understand what you need to move forward.

HT to Les McKeown at inc.com for this concept that Ruby really really likes.

      

Gabz, Beth, and Ruby have spent the last several months working with Colette and Kim from ACA Illinois to put together the first annual Women in Camp Summit. Patti Sampson of Patchwork Marketplace teamed up with the Camp Code co-hosts to do a crossover episode of the podcast to talk about this exciting event.

Check out the Rec Heads and Camp Nerds podcast here and learn more about the cool work Patti is doing at Patchwork Marketplace and how you can get involved! Also, if you aren’t following Patti on Instagram, she is a boss at Insta stories. Check out how to do it well!

The deadline to register for the Women in Camp Summit is October 1, 2018. Reserve your spot today!

Women in Camp Summit

November 7-9, 2018

Chicago area - St Charles, IL - Pheasant Run Resort

$300 (some meals included)

Can’t make it to the Summit but want to help a sister out?

      

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/virtual-staff-training-2

Staff training is a brave new world. Let’s explore it together.

We did it! We are a year into physically distancing ourselves from one another and interacting mostly virtually! Although this is not something I would normally celebrate, it has given our hosts plenty to think about, specifically when it comes to facilitating training for your staff. We’ve been there, enjoying a school lecture or perhaps engaged in a positive work session and then the meeting ends abruptly due to time constraints. 

Ruby recommends that we all focus on building a routine into our training, and have a phase-out process that allows participants to know the meeting is ending by helping them transition from training session to individual reflection. Perhaps a google doc, a slack or something supplemental to allow excited camp leaders to be involved event after the meeting has ended. 

We’re all going to be sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time during camp training this summer, so Gabz recommends investing into a nice camera and microphone. Nothing is worse than holding your face close to the screen so others can hear you in that sub-par laptop microphone, so invest in tech to make your camp training a success. Below are some of Gabrielle’s favourites from the tech she’s tested out. 

• Canon M50 click here
• Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens click here
• Thronmax Mdrill One Pro mic click here

Beth reminds us that we live in a 3D world where camp training usually consists of using the space and objects around you to facilitate training. In a virtual world, training can quickly become repetitive, so get creative! Hook your iPad to the meeting as a whiteboard, have an activity that and instructions set up on the screen for when participants arrive. Turn that 2D video into a greater depth of knowledge!

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So, if you’ve made it here, you’re obviously interested in what tips and tricks our pros have, so for more info, listen to the podcast today! 

We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Ruby Compton

Camp is going to be different this year and taking care of yourself is just as important as always. In a world where regular temperature readings are normal, let’s use the technology literally at our fingertips to help us track our temperature, heart rate and anything else that could be useful. Absolutely there is an app for it, making tracking easier than ever. Ruby also recommends a glass of lemon water in the morning to kick start your day and ignite your metabolism.

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/virtual-staff-training-1

Virtual staff training is a brave new world. Let’s explore it together.

Over the last year, virtual sessions have become way too familiar. We know that camp staff have already spent a lot more time meeting virtually regardless as businesses have switched to virtual work and educators have shifted learning to online. Unfortunately, this is not going away yet as most camp leaders are most likely learning how to facilitate virtual training. 

We’ve got your back

Our hosts Beth, Ruby and Gabrielle are here to help you plan the inevitable conundrum of virtual training. We’re already spending countless hours in front of screens, so as leaders we need to find new interactive ways to train our staff. Ruby brings up a great point, go asynchronous! Provide the content for your staff to consume on their time. We obviously know the importance of podcasts, you could use these to provide brief learning sessions! Get creative, use videos, Tik Tok or even traditional presentations with perhaps your audio recordings built-in! 

Gabrielle reminds us to focus on what’s important for our staff to be able to deliver a fun, safe summer for our campers. As leaders, the content we learn online to prepare for summer may not necessarily be the same content we want to provide to our staff. Remind yourself, your role is to create a foundation of why your staff and campers go to camp. Create connections with yourself, your staff and your campers. 

Beth reminds us that as we being to train online, we cannot forget to play online. Find ways to build in collaboration. The editor recommends virtual escape rooms and imagination. Even Alexa (yep, that AI speaker in your home) can do free, virtual escape rooms. Have a team work together to solve the puzzle and put in a rule that only one person can click through the virtual room or give the audible commands to alexa to get your team out.  

Remember, this blog is just a highlight reel, to get the full benefit from our experts, listen in today! 

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We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Gabrielle Raill

We’re used to being pulled in every direction at the same time, yet we struggle to say no. Rather than saying YES right away, ask three questions that could either apply to mental or financial wellness. You need to find ways to take care of yourself. Summer is coming and we all know as camp leaders that when summer comes, the moments to take care of yourself can be few and far in-between.

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/work-with-parents-pt2

It’s too important for just one episode.

Remember last episode when our special guest Travis, fed all of us the knowledge of a lifetime at camp? At CampCode HQ, it was certainly a memorable episode, but without Gabrielle there, we all knew we could squeeze a little bit of greatness out of her. For that reason, we are back with round two, where we focus on the great ideas on how to train our staff to talk to parents. Remember the acronym episode (Camp Code #81) - well Gabrielle didn’t get the chance to slide in another great one: V.I.F

• Validate - Find the person who can help
• Investigate - allows some time for problem solving
• Find someone who can help. When we are talking to parents one of the most important things is to get them connected to the right person who can help with whatever the situation was. 

Ruby tells us the importance about names. Learning the names of the parents and the campers *hint - write them down* and using those names brings a sense that you are there to help their child have a memorable week at camp. 

Beth describes that transparency and messaging is just as important as knowing the camper names before they arrive. As leaders, you would have been in communication with parents up until the day they arrive at camp. Take the time to teach your staff the message they want to get across with parents. 

For more great tips about the value of communication, have a listen to this episode! 

We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Ruby Compton:

Every family is unique. Every family has their stories, their traditions and their own hardships. Have staff reflect on their own relationship with their folks at home. Recognize those  relationships may be different from campers relationships with their own families. 

Bonus - Feed your staff with information to help parents on drop-off and pick-up day. Provide staff a couple of specific pieces of information to communicate any time they are interacting with parents. Things like where the bathroom is, where the coffee/snacks are, where they are headed next.

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/work-with-parents

Because you aren’t the only one that needs to wow your camp families!

Beth and Ruby are joined by Travis Allison to breakdown the importance of your staff being calm, cool and collected when interacting with their camper’s parents.

Do you remember your 16-20 year old self? Talking to adults is scary enough, without the fact that you are looking after the most important thing in their world.

Great parent interactions (especially on opening day!) is a critical part of your camp forming trusting relationships with families. Trust us, a parent is going to tell their friends what camp their child attends - and good or bad, they will share their first impressions - so it’s our job to help our staff make the best ones!

We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

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Leadership Training Best Practice

From Beth Allison

Get lots of large chart paper and markers and have pairs of staff create their own “child”. This exercise helps them to understand the care that goes into parenting and really put them into their camper’s parent’s shoes.

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro

A special, timely interlude from our friends at the Day Camp Pod:

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/ppp-era-aca

Timely info for American Camps - Jan/Feb 2021

For many camps and small businesses in the United States, the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program was a lifesaver- enabling us to keep our best people employed which we navigated the uncharted waters of the covid-19 pandemic. 

Starting January 13, the second round of PPP has been made available to qualifying businesses, as well as other resources like the Employer Retention Credit. While most of us may be good at running a summer camp, this other stuff is both supremely important and pretty darn confusing- which is why we have called for an EMERGENCY Podcast with ACA National Chair Scott Brody and the great Steve Baskin - so that we can better grasp the options that can ensure our financial solvency as we enter the 2021 camp season.

Tune in to hear about:

• What we need to know about the PPP situation
• The issues of timing, and filing for forgiveness
• What’s coming down the pike.

Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro

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Important Links:

• Andrew Ziv’s thorough explanation of ERC & PPP - https://andrewziv.substack.com/p/breaking-down-the-employer-retention
• SBA / PPP - https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program
• IRS / ERC - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-employee-retention-credit-under-the-cares-act

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YOUR HOSTS:

• Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp

GUESTS:

• Scott Brody, Owner & Director - Camps Kenwood & Evergreen
• Steve Baskin, Executive Director - Camp Champions, Camp Pinnacle, Partner - Everwood Day Camp

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SPONSORS:

Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:

• AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/
• Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

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Please review and subscribe!

If you’ve gotten even one good thing from the Day Camp Pod, we would be so grateful if you left us a review and subscribed to this show in your favourite Podcast app.

It’s so easy! 

Just click here: https://ratethispodcast.com/dcp  

Thanks, Camp Pro!

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/the-acronym-episode

We L.O.V.E Acronyms! Here are Beth’s, Ruby’s & Gabz’s favourites!

We L.O.V.E them - Nope, that’s not an acronym, simply our way to show how much we enjoy them. We engrave acronyms into the lexicon of camp to ensure that the important things that you want your staff to memorize, are memorable. For Beth, with over 25 years of camp acronym experience, this was one of the hardest episodes for her to record as each host share their three favourite acronyms, and dive into why they are important to them. 

Go Camp Pro is here to support you with everything Covid-19 and there is no stopping in sight. The volunteer editorial board at Go Camp Pro scans editorials across the Covid-19+Camp Slack, the Summer Camp Professionals Facebook group and other sources to take the best stories, and put them in an easy-to-read newsletter that we call “The Brief”. You can sign up for The Brief by clicking here

Below is a list of the acronyms shared throughout the episode, so that you can make notes of your favourites and incorporate them in your staff training. 

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Find our favourite acronyms and bonus resources here:

https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/the-acronym-episode

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Leadership Training Best Practice

From Gabrielle Raill

When returning staff members return to camp, they each bring emotional tags with them, holding onto memories from the year before. The role of your staff is to create the best week of camp for their campers; but to do that, you have to help your staff let go of last year. Take the time to validate their experiences, dissect the good and then engage in conversation with staff to identify on how to build from previous experiences to incorporate the things that worked well, to create an unforgettable summer for campers. When you're done planning, celebrate the past and bring in the new camp year with your staff. 

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Your Hosts:

• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tv
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/the-silent-summer

This will be the most important staff training you’ll ever prepare.

We made it! It’s 2021, but that doesn’t mean that camps are without adversity with this summer quickly approaching. With a global vaccine rollout for COVID-19 and differentiating public health policies and guidelines depending on your province, state, municipality or county, there are too many permutations and combinations circling to really understand what this year is going to look like. 

To make things more complicated, many camps didn’t run last year, meaning the identified “improvements” noted during a camp season are a full season behind. Take this one step further, your staff are all older and some senior staff might no longer be in a position to return to camp. We are just as happy as most of you where 2020 is finally behind us; as we turn the chapter to 2021, our hosts are here to help you succeed with summer camp training after a gap in operation. 

Our take on it - this is the most important staff training you have ever prepared. It’s important that as camp professionals, you reflect, take stock and set goals for this year. Your goals will have to include new training material, focusing on mental health during a pandemic. For us, that means two lists of goals. The first list is about what people will need from you, including COVID-19 safety, what’s changed at camp, the importance of feeling safe and perhaps your leadership style this summer leans more on being empathetic or more vulnerable to your staff. The second list is what YOU want to from this year. 

Define your goals, but being flexible to staff ideas is a key step to the foundation of a successful summer. 

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We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

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Leadership Training Best Practice

From Beth Allison

We are in the midst of a mental health awakening. Role model types of behaviors and actions. 

• Start every single day of training with personal check-ins. Ask a different question each day and offer everyone an opportunity to answer those questions. Continue at every check-in. Their well-being is paramount to you.
• Encourage peer-based support. Facilitate groups that work in support of each other. Weekly “Islands of Sanity” calls--are you willing to use whatever power and influence you have hold islands of sanity to invoke and create, produce, and persevere?
• Make time to share your own challenges and mistakes and vulnerabilities. 

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Your Hosts:

• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tv
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/what-we-learned-from-wic

We ran a traditionally in-person conference 100% online. And it was AWESOME. Here’s what we learned! 

This week’s episode falls during the holiday season of 2020. From all of us at Camp Code, happy holidays and we wish all of you a happy new year. 

2020 has been quite the year, with a global pandemic affecting lives worldwide and to camp professionals, has created an unprecedented camp season where many camps simply did not have the opportunity to run. Furthermore, as camp Directors are well underway throughout their planning phases for next summer unbeknownst to anyone if camps will even run. It is easy for people to look at the history of 2020 and refer to some of the negative connotations surrounding it that lead us to believe that in the fog of 2020, there was nothing else but more fog. 

Although that may not be exactly true, as Camp Code looks to close the chapter in 2020, we aim for new goals and aspirations in 2021. As heard in the teaser of this episode, “positive change requires an effort of togetherness (Women in Camping Summit, 2020)” and we believe as a camp community we can continue to achieve our camp milestones collectively. 

In this episode, Beth, Gabz and Ruby reflect on their experience at the Women in Camp Summit Live Virtual Event where over 200 women from around the world contributed to some extremely memorable moments. 

Ruby starts us off with talking about a fantastic speaker from the summit, Leslie Keller, owner of Live Love Equity. Leslie teaches us about the importance of equity and inclusion and how it needs to be a foundational element to any organization. Leslie did hint about the power of social media and how tools like Instagram can influence some of the content you learn and teach to your followers. 

You can find Leslie and all the great work she does here: https://www.liveloveequity.com/

Gabz dives in to talk about two of her leaders who develop a session that focuses on creating conversation about race with your staff. There needs to be a process of consent and consult from the people of colour on your staff to ensure that they are comfortable with the situation. White privilege is something that needs to be talked about and that to create change, there is a process you need to develop. 

At the core, the four steps of the process created by the presenters Mel and Ania are Awareness, Assessment, Prioritizing and Action. A copy of the presentation can be found RIGHT HERE. Beth reminds us about the importance of resilience and refers to our Camp Code friend Dr. G who developed a seven-step cycle for resilience https://askdoctorg.com/drg-resilience-cycle/.

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Bonus Resources! & Leadership Training Best Practice

Find these at https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/what-we-learned-from-wic

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Your Hosts:

• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tv
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Find full show notes and links here: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/surprise-delight-staff

One of the most important things we can do for youth is to show them that we’re thinking of them. 

♫ The weather outside is frightful, but Beth, Ruby and Gabrielle continue to be delightful ♫ 

In this episode as they look to give you ways to show your appreciation towards staff.  At the core of this episode, being a leader is really understanding those around you and what motivates them. For some, motivation can come in the form of extrinsic rewards, Beth recommends small trinkets for staff or stickers that reminds them they are a part of a great team at camp. Others prefer intrinsic rewards, such as personalized videos to camp staff during stressful times, such as exams that are used to remind staff just how awesome they are. Sometimes people just need a bit of motivation to remind them of what their impact is to camp. Ruby recommends trying something other than email, and shares with us some ideas including Bonjoro, Marco Polo, Voxer, and Yac. 

Working at camp is a unique experience, and it deserves to be celebrated! Gabrielle gives us the genius idea of celebrating a new hire on a live social media platform such as Instagram or Facebook. Social media continues to be a tool for camp and if campers see that their favourite staff member is returning, it generates excitement for the staff and for the campers. 

We’ve listed a few of the ideas above, but to learn from our hosts and their fantastic ideas, you will have to listen to this week’s episode. 

For more great tips, have a listen and don’t forget to leave a review, our hosts read every single one!

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Bonus: 

If you listened to the episode, you learned about 5-minute Fridays. Click HERE for a quick peek into all the fun that we have, making 5-minute Fridays THE spot for bite-sized professional development. 

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We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

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Leadership Training Best Practice

From Gabrielle Raill

Good note-taking can translate information into a new way of learning something. So during staff training, why don’t you enable your great note-takers on staff and ask them to take notes for the majority of the sessions during a session. Take it one step further, make photocopies or email these notes to your staff so that everyone can learn from the same information.

Find full show notes and links at: Find more at https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/disagree-and-discuss-with-care

To disagree is not to destroy, it’s to dream about new possibilities. Here’s how to teach your staff that.

In this episode our hosts are here to help listeners to understand that conflict can be good, it can create new ideas, decisions or avenues for new exploration. As Beth says, the goal of conflict resolution is to have all parties involved mutually agree and to do that, she reminds listeners of the 4 S’s:

• Is it SAFE?
• Does it SERVE the community?
• Does it promote SELF-ESTEEM?
• Is it good STEWARDSHIP

The S for stewardship really encompasses the individual’s being entrusted with any given scenario, so it’s important to remember that although you may have conflict with your peer at camp, you both are working towards the common goal of making camp a better place to be. 

Ruby reminds us that at times as a camp Director, you will have disagreements with your staff. Furthermore, sometimes since you are the camp Director, it ultimately is your decision regardless of any influence your team may have on you. If you stick to your original idea, you will have frustrated staff. It is important to create avenues for your staff and peers to have conversations about how that decision made them feel. Emotions are part of any conflict or decision-making process, so we need to listen to our staff and most importantly, we need to admit when we are wrong.

Speaking of emotions, Gabrielle reminds us that conflict builds in our minds. The longer we put off dealing with conflict, the worse it becomes. Gabz reminds us of another acronym she uses, ACT.

• Awareness 
• Communicate
• Together Problem Solve

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We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

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Leadership Training Best Practice

From Beth Allison

Two more quick exercises for staff training focusing on how to disagree, with care. First is a game of Wind in the Willows.

Have camp staff to stand in a circle and ask six questions. if the question implies to the individual, they step into the circle. 

The six statements / questions are related to the following (taken from Inc.com - 6 Smart Ways to Disagree With Someone Respectfully)

1. Focus on facts
2. Don’t get personal 
3. Recognize the good
4. Remember to listen
5. Use I statements
6. Know when to move on

Find images that look like two different things depending how you look at it and ask your staff to tell you what it is. Then have individuals to partner with someone who saw something different and have them talk about their points.

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Your Hosts:

• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tv
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Find more at https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/hiring-in-uncertain-times

Inviting staff into our uncertainty. That’s what hiring for Summer 2021 is all about!

If you haven’t listened to the four-part mini-series devoted to our camp professionals helping YOU, you should go back and have a listen! This is the first episode after the mini-series and the timing of our hosts could not be more on point. In this episode, it is all about preparing for the hectic hiring season that is quickly approaching us, especially in these uncertain times. 

There are still a lot of specifics that our camps, regulators and government need to iron out, given the global pandemic. Now camp leaders have more contingency planning to do than ever before. If you’re struggling to figure out how to start, how to manage the waves of emotions that come with the pandemic, then this episode is absolutely for you. Our hosts, Beth, Gabrielle and Ruby dive into how you can go forward, do the interview process and help navigate your hiring for the 2021 summer. 

Ruby reminds us about the rapidly changing news with new scientific evidence and rumours of a vaccine on the way, we need to adapt. Some suggestions presented are virtual programming to prepare your staff,  developing a safety guide decision tree and as always, over-communicate. The more information you can share, the better prepared your recruits will be. 

Speaking about a vaccine, Beth reminds us about the inevitable truth that some camps simply may not be able to run until a vaccine is available and camp staff and campers have received the vaccine. From knowing what considerations to think about and what decisions are needed to run camp successfully in a pandemic world, Beth brings us another great resource the Covid Slack, developed my GoCamp.Pro’s very own Travis Allison. 

• Covid Slack https://zoic.ca/covid-slack

Gabrielle brings up a great idea about using the alumni staff on standby to run a life wellness session for potential staff. Look at Alumi and their professions to see how it can develop the competencies of your staff and their core. Gabrielle also reminds us that staffing this year will be harder this year as we tackle the unknown of the pandemic, so how about you gets your returning staff to identify what they love about working at camp, what life lessons kids and learn and what would they like to keep or change at camp. Work smarter, not harder and use this information to help you develop your 2021 summer camp program! 

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We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

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Leadership Training Best Practice

From Ruby Compton

The season of giving is approaching, so one thought is to share a 2020 camp swag that you can send to camp staff or alumni to remind them that although this year may not have been great for camps, the work that staff and alumni do throughout the years does not go unrecognized.

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Your Hosts:

• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tv
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/blog/women-of-gcp-podcast

What do you call it when you gather a bunch of female camp and podcasting pros in a room? You call it AWESOME.

In today’s special crossover episode, Beth Allison from Camp Code hosts a conversation with several of the women who podcast with Go Camp Pro. Today’s episode features Rachel Kent and Cassie Bloy from Beyond Camp, Sam Thompson from the Day Camp Pod, Kelly Schuna from The Camp Owner’s Podcast, and Ruby Compton from Camp Code and Gabrielle Raill from CampHacker and Camp Code. 

Listen in as these women discuss their mentors who inspired them in the industry, challenges women face working at camp and advice for new camp pros. Interestingly, all of these women have also attended the Women in Camp Summit in previous years. During the episode they discuss some of their biggest takeaways from the event as well as what they are most looking forward to for this year’s Live Virtual Summit taking place December 2-3. Find out more about the Women in Camp Summit Live Virtual event at https://www.womenincampsummit.com.

Gabrielle announced this year’s Summit will also feature the first of the “Becoming Allies” series with an event titled “Becoming Allies: Supporting Women in Camp” on December 4. Folks who want to participate in the Allies event can register through this link: https://acai.wildapricot.org/event-4051965

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The Women in Camp Summit needs your support! 

The planning team for the Summit has set a $7,500 fundraising goal to offer scholarships to attendees and off-set the costs of hosting this unique professional development event. Every dollar counts. Donate today and donate again on the Day of Giving for the Women in Camp Summit on November 24. Donate here: https://acai.wildapricot.org/allies/

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Love this episode?

Find more Podcast goodness at gocamp.pro/podcast. Also, if you want to support the work that we do, please consider subscribing to the shows, and leaving us a rating in your favourite Podcast app.

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On This Episode:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant and Co-Owner - Go Camp Pro
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District
• Kelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
• Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting 
• Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada

Find more at https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/taking-care-of-your-staff

One of the most affordable AND most important things you’ll do at camp this summer.

If you have listened to the three earlier episodes focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re already prepared with a new set of tools on your belt to help YOU as a camp professional. In the final part of our four-part series, we shift our focus on how you, the camp leaders can help your staff. 

If your camp was fortunate enough to run this past summer, things were different as you and your team braced for a camp that encouraged social/physical distancing and potentially lived the summer with a mask on. For those camps who unfortunately were unable to run, your campers and your staff were just as heartbroken as you were when we all learned that camp was not an option this past summer. 

In this episode of Camp Code, Gabrielle, Beth and Ruby break down the fact that camp people are often natural caretakers, which leads us to this question - as camp professionals, how do we take care of our own people at this time? 

We know this is a hard time for camp staff whose lives have been turned upside down. Employment may be hard for them to come by at this time, or they have shifted to going to post-secondary school fully online, The stress levels are unprecedented for everyone at this time, so if there is something we can do to help the camp staff we rely on for our summers, we should take action! 

Our hosts are full of ideas, from sending care packages, having “real talks” about the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement or COVID safety to even helping to provide resources to your staff to process grief or stress they are dealing with at this time. 

If you want to learn more about how a little bit of effort for camp leaders can be a foundational shift of much-needed mentorship for your staff, then tune in to this episode!

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We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

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Leadership Training Best Practice

From Gabrielle Raill

Visual presentation skills are critical to the success of your online training. Visual cues can create an anchor in the minds of your students to exemplify what it is you are talking about. Gabrielle recommends using https://unsplash.com/ to get great FREE images to help accentuate your presentations.

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Your Hosts:

• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tv
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/professional-development-in-2020

In an off-season like no other, there is still room (and a need) to grow your skills! Get growing with this episode of Camp Code

In part three of our four-part series focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, we dive into the importance of professional development. Regardless if your camp was able to run this past summer with restriction, or maybe not at all Ruby, Beth and Gabrielle are here to help. We get it, 2020 has added an additional layer of the financial pressure that may limit your professional development, but our Camp Code gurus dive into some ideas to enable your professional development. 

The most important part of professional development is to know what you want to learn. The first step is to make a list of all of the things you want to learn. 2020 has brought on us an overwhelming amount of online content as organizations adapted to virtual work. Conferences and courses are two things that have gone primarily online and we’ve outlined a few resources to make it easier for you. 

Online Conferences - There are a ton of these around, some to note are as follows: 

• Women in Camp Summit Conference
• InBound conference

As for free online resources, there are podcasts, videos, free university courses, but to get you started...here are a few of our favourties:

• Go Camp Pro’s 5-Minute-Friday Program - 
• Youtube Learning
• University and college courses - There are various resources for this, one that you can check out is https://www.edx.org
• Skillshare - https://www.skillshare.com/ - This was one of Gabz’s favourties spots to learn and embrace her inner creativity. 
• Podcasts - We’re huge fans of learning this way and we would recommend any of the GoCamp.Pro podcasts to learn all aspects of camp and beyond. 
  • Camphacker Podcast (the one that started them all for GoCamp.Pro) - https://www.camphacker.tv/podcast
• The Day Camp Pod - https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod
• First Class Counsellors - https://www.camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors
• The Camp Owners Pod - https://gocamp.pro/ownerspod
• Beyond Camp - https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp

The resources listed above are just a sneak peek into some of the ideas that Beth, Ruby and Gabz are happy to share. To hear the rest, have a listen! 

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Leadership Training Best Practice

From Beth Allison

Interview people and not to hire staff. If you know people that you think you can learn from, make that list! Next, send out some invitations to those people asking them for 30 minutes or less of their time and specify what it is you want to discuss. After you meet with them, it is a great idea so write them handwritten thank you cards and send it to them in the mail. 

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Your Hosts:

• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tv
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Find more at https://camphacker.tv/camp-code

It’s going to be easy to de-prioritize yourself in the lead up to be 2021, let Camp Code help you move yourself up your to-do list. 

In part-two of the four-part series focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to help you take care of one of the most valuable things in your life, you! To be the most effective camp leader, you cannot forget to stop, take a moment of mindfulness and recharge the batteries. Ruby, Beth and Gabz are here to share what each of them do to recharge and be ready to be the best versions of themselves. 

For Ruby, it’s all about having a day without time. Ruby takes off her watch and puts the phone away. Rather than being caught up in the busyness that life can bring you, taking a day to disconnect and live your day from sunrise to sunset. 

Gabz takes a slightly different approach as living at camp during a pandemic has its perks. She takes the morning to do meets, emails and computer work, followed by some “her time” (usually a nap) and then spends the afternoon doing some labor around camp. 

For Beth, taking care of herself is all about understanding her emotions and really capturing how she is feeling now. She taps in to an article by Jonathan L. Zecher (source: https://theconversation.com/acedia-the-lost-name-for-the-emotion-were-all-feeling-right-now-144058) where the author reminds us that we are exhausted of zoom meetings, cocktails and parties. Our days of baking bread and other means of distraction during a pandemic is over, now it is time to take care of you. 

Taking care of yourself starts now, not tomorrow. Have a listen for some tips and tricks to get started!

We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

Leadership Training Best Practice

From Ruby Compton

Singing songs is the perfect way to take time for yourself. It doesn’t matter if you can carry a tune or not, but taking the time to sing; in the shower, in the car or loud and proud for everyone to hear, a song can change your mood. 

Your Hosts:

• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tv
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Video continues to be a powerful resource in this day and age. Beth, Gab, and Ruby discuss 12 more of their favorites that can be incorporated into staff training this year.

Gabz Videos

Misunderstandings

Knowing our limits

Visual Note Taking

This Grandma Is Trying To Use Google Home

Beth’s Videos

Raising Successful Kids

Transgender Kids

Failure is the only way to Learn

The Power of Introverts

Bonus: How to Start a Movement

Ruby's Videos

Say My Name Right

Where the Wild Things Play

TED Talk - Dark Side of the Subjunctive

Fear Setting

On the day of this 50th episode, Gab, Beth, and Ruby want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of our listeners for tuning in, sharing ideas, and continuing to lead extraordinary staff orientations each summer. Thank you for making the camping industry great. Here's to 50 more!

     

Consent at Camp - Camp Code #49

56 perc 49. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton

Teaching campers and staff about consent in a vitally important way

Though recent headlines have brought this concept to the forefront, this has been a conversation that has been ongoing. This is not a fad conversation and right now, there is an opportunity for youthe development professionals to dive deep and make influence real change in the world. It is critically important that the concept of consent is taught at camp to both campers and staff this summer and from now on. #Wehavetobebetter and bring the conversation forward. The industry of camp has a role and responsibility to reset the narrative of the disrespect and disconnection that leads to allegations and assault.

Teaching campers about consent within the framework of empowering campers to take ownership of giving consent over their own bodies, not only in sexual situations, but in the broader context of everyday life.

Best Practice in Leadership Training

Consent is not a male-female issue. It is a power issue. Recognize that people in your camp community have different levels of power and the concept and language of consent allows for a discussion that helps empower all voices to be heard.

Consent as Tea

Campus Toolkit for Creating Consent Culture

Ask Doctor G Youtube Channel

University of Minnesota Consent Policy

Teachconsent.org

 

Tell us your ideas or reflections on this episode by using the following hashtags: #wehavetobebetter and #campcode.

 

 

Want more Camp Code?

Gab, Beth, and Ruby are offering a 12-week masterclass to help directors build their staff trainings this winter/spring called Designing Staff Training: A Masterclass with the Cohosts of Camp Code. Over the 12-weeks, participants will partake in weekly phone calls, set aside time to build staff training schedules, and discuss ideas for training with other like-minded #camppros who can't get enough of talking about training!

This course will...

• help you design the best staff training.
• provide access to a private Slack workspace.
• hold you accountable to your staff training design timeline.
• break down staff training planning into digestable chunks.
• provide a small and personal community of likeminded #camppros.
• help you have your best summer yet.

Registration is open now and enro

Using Mealtime Intentionally During Training - Camp Code #48

43 perc 48. rész CampHacker.TV: Ruby Compton, Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill

Meal times offer opportunities for connections and teaching and every second of staff training is valuable. Every person has to eat. Can these three truths come together and help relieve the time pressure so many of us feel during staff orientation? Consider how much of your summer is spent collective in mealtime so if you aren't already treating the meal like a program area, this summer think about the shifts you can make to use that time as efficiently as possible.Best Practice in Leadership TrainingIn the spirit of creating a safer and more inclusive eating space for all your campers, instead of asking others if he/she "wants seconds or thirds" instead simply ask, "Do you want more?" This alleviates any stigma that may come with wanting seconds, thirds, fourths, and beyond.Have you heard?Gab, Beth, and Ruby are offering a 12-week masterclass to help directors build their staff trainings this winter/spring. Over the 12-weeks, participants will partake in weekly phone calls, set aside time to build staff training schedules, and discuss ideas for training with other like-minded #camppros who can't get enough of talking about training! If staff training feels like one big project where you aren't sure where to start, or you want to revamp your training and give it a fresh new look, this course will help you design the best staff training, and in turn, have your best summer yet. See you there?

      

Balance of Theory and Practice for Training - Camp Code #47

41 perc 47. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton

It can be tricky to strike a balance between sharing with staff why certain topics they learn during staff training are important with the time invested in practicing the skills they are taught. Join Beth, Gab, and Ruby for a discussion about how to get just the right mix of thinking and discussion and hands-on activities for your training this year.Best Practice for Leadership Training At the end of your week, write out all the things you want or need to get done for when you return to work. Then take a critical look at your list and evaluate whether what's there is doable for one day. Reassign deadlines or weed out tasks as you see fit.When you return to work (after the weekend or after vacation), reassess your list and set realistic deadlines for the tasks on your list as you plan for your week.Give yourself permission to go on vacation and turn off the ever-running to do list that is the camp director brain.

      

Moving Forward After a Really Great Summer - Camp Code #46

35 perc 46. rész CampHacker.TV: Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton, Beth Allison

When things go wrong, we tend to analyze and question what could have been done differently and how to prevent these scenarios from playing out again. Sometimes, we have really fantastic summers when everything pretty much goes as, or better than, planned. These summers are worth reviewing as well to be sure to capture what is worth repeating, what should remain in that glorious summer, and what should change for the future. Was it a great one for you this summer? Tell us what you plan to do again using #CampCode.Best Practice for Leadership TrainingRemember the concept of maintenance! You may be focused on launching new programs and reviewing how to improve them in the future, but don't forget about the old standards that may need some upkeep. Often cleaning is a big part of maintenance. Clean out that arts & crafts closet. Have staff clean program supplies and gear regularly. Set aside time to clean your office and workspace, not only throughout the summer, but also DURING the summer. And if it's not you who has the time and space to do so, don't be shy about spending the money to get that cleaning and maintenance done.

      

Training for Satellite and Offsite Staff - Camp Code #45

36 perc 45. rész Camphacker.tv: Beth Allison, Ruby Compton

If your camp runs programming with staff that are off-site for most of the season, this podcast is for you! Beth and Ruby discuss best practices for carrying on camp traditions, setting these staffers up for success, and providing support and training even if you are on different sides of the continent.

      

Creating an Inclusive Camp Community - Camp Code #44

41 perc 44. rész CampHacker.TV: Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill, Beth Allison

In a world where exclusion can quickly become a theme, camp professionals are remarkably good at creating a safe space where campers and staff can feel empowered to find themselves and be themselves. I think we can all agree that the world would be a different place if every child went to camp and learned how to co-exist with the community around them. Listed below are some resources mentioned during the podcast for leading sessions to promote an inclusive community. Connectability.ca Trainingforchange.org teampedia.net University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching Best Practice for Leadership Training This episode's best practice comes not as a practice, rather more of a quote. Thanks to Maggie Howe from Gwynn Valley, she shared the insight that "The stronger an organization's culture is, the more exclusive they may become." Consider this idea as you integrate gaining buy-in from staff and campers and celebrating diversity. Camp can change the world and being welcoming to all is a place where we can really raise the bar.

      

Training Employees Who Know More Than You - Camp Code #43

49 perc 43. rész CampHacker.TV: Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton, Beth Allison

Whether you are new director at an established camp or are simply training staff in program areas that aren't in your repertoire, sometimes we have to train staff who know more about some subject areas than we do. Joining the Camp Code hosts today is Chantal "Match" Jackson to share some ideas for how to create an engaging training even when you don't know it all (even if your staff think they do!) Best Practice for Leadership Training Ask your staff to create a list of things or skills they can each teach. Be creative in how you display these to the rest of the staff. Make sure everyone’s names go beside “What they can teach.” Have them put those aside and then ask staff to write in their journals a list of things they want to learn. When they are all done, put them in small groups to share what they can teach and what they want to learn. After some time to share, gather the group back together and discuss what talents and skills have been exhibited and make a plan for how to continue fostering a learning environment for the staff.

      

12 New Ideas for Staff Training - Camp Code #42

46 perc 42. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton

Thought you had heard all that the Camp Code hosts have to offer? No way! There's always new ideas flowing out of this podcast! Check out this week's episode to hear twelve brilliant brand new ideas for staff training that you can plug into staff training this year in this quickfire style episode. Best Practice for Leadership Training Encourage employees to have a personal or creative project for the benefit of the organization to work on during some portion of their work hours. This will allow employees to think critically about what they can create for the organization and offers opportunities for sharing and buy-in among your team. Come say hi! Also, the Camp Code team will be on the camp conference circuit and presenting this season so check them out at ACA National, Tristate, or Midstates! If you are listener, please come find Gab, Ruby, or Beth and tell us what you want to hear in future episodes.

      

Essential Training for a New Director - Camp Code #41

38 perc 41. rész CampHacker.tv: Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill, Beth Allison, Travis Allison

While we spend a lot of time planning staff training for our summer staff, it is not uncommon to expect new year-round directors to jump in without providing them the tools for success. Beth, Gab, and Ruby are joined by special guest, Travis Allison for this special episode of Camp Code. Best Practice for Leadership Training As a new director, build your support system and include at least one of each of the following: a person who is always willing to listen, a person who is objective and can tell it like it is, and a person who has been working in camping who can serve as a mentor.

      

Saying Goodbye To Long-Time Staff Members - Camp Code #40

45 perc 40. rész Gabrielle Raill, Beth Allison, Ruby Compton

If you work in camp long enough, you will either watch a long-time staff member (director, year-round staff member, long-time seasonal staff member) leave or you, yourself, will opt for something different from #campdirectorlife. While camp directors tend to be the types to be inclined to keep this kind of news on the extreme DL, it is imperative to the health of your camp community that you create space and time for campers, their families, and staff to say goodbye. Best Practice for Leadership Training Write all of your teambuilding and group games on individual notecards (1 game per card). Divide them by type (Examples: icebreaker, active, large group, easy initiative, fixed elements). Grab an index card box and organize all of your games in the box with the appropriate labels. When it comes time to design a program, just pull out the cards you need for the day. You may want to number them too so it's easy to get them back in place! (HT to Travis for this best practice!)

      

Staff Applications Are Part Of Your Training - Camp Code #39

51 perc 39. rész Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill, Beth Allison

Puzzled by why you can't seem to find the right staff each summer? Perhaps it is because of the wording, structure, and requirements of your staff application. Gab, Beth, and Ruby discuss the must-dos (and a few must-don'ts) to help you start your staff training before your people are even hired. Best Practice for Leadership Training Is there a way to add a creative element to your staff application so folks with a wide variety of talents can exhibit their strengths? Have you thought about sharing your expectations for a job at your program via video, podcast, or original song? Using visual tools and letting applicants hear from you and other people really sets the tone for community building and gets the expectations across in your tone.

      

Cleaning Up After the "Perfect Storm" Summer - Camp Code #38

42 perc 38. rész Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton

As camp people, we sometimes find ourselves looking around thinking "Universe, what else could you possible throw at me?" and sometimes that all happens before 9 AM. Some summers are just like that and often it is due to circumstances totally out of your control. This episode will talk about how to heal and recover from the "perfect storm" summer and how to lead your team when it feels like very little went right. Best Practice for Leadership Training Build a relationship with a local mediation organization. Face it, in camping, we are in the relationship business and sometimes an objective ear and voice can be the key to working through conflicts. Often these organizations may be able to provide training for your year-round and seasonal staff as well.

      

Linchpins at Summer Camp - Special Summer Wishes from Camp Code

8 perc 34. rész Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill

      

Last Minute Staff Training Checklist - Camp Code #37

43 perc 37. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton

Season 3 of Camp Code wraps up with THE checklist to ensure you are ready for staff training this summer. Invest some time in to making sure all of these things are done to ensure a smooth training and thus a smooth summer for all. Best Practice for Leadership Training This week's tip comes from Skyline Camp and Retreat Center's Director Matt Henry. Divide staff training in half. Do five days at the beginning of the summer and then do five more in the middle of the summer to dedicate to retraining staff. Think about how much fatigue, burnout, and drama that could be dealt with with a few days to refocus the staff back on the mission. If you can't do a full five, think about in scheduling your session dates next year if there is a way to carve out some time to do staff development midway through the season. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

      

Engaging Return Staff During Training - Camp Code Episode #35

50 perc 35. rész CampHacker.TV: Ruby Compton, Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill

"Coming back for your second, or third, or 85th season at camp can be a glorious thing. You understand the weird rituals and chanting that seem to spontaneously erupt throughout the day and when somebody whispers Color War, you understand exactly what is about to happen. But man, training is such a drag because it is all the same stuff all over again. Why do I have to attend training when I've seen it all before?" If your return staff seem to take this attitude, then this podcast is a definite must listen for you. Best Practice for Leadership Training Hold a Program Area Fair during staff training. Activity Leaders staff a booth about their activity. This gives Program Staff an opportunity to share some of the ideas about what they will be doing in the activity for that summer. Play a game, display a craft, or decorate your booth in the best way possible to represent your game. The rest of the staff can mosey from booth to booth carnival style and learn more about the various program areas around camp. This helps staff to understand what will happen at that activity all summer and also allows Activity Leaders to take ownership and show off their talents and specialty area for the summer.

      

Summer Flings and Healthy Partnerships: Training for Relationships at Camp - Camp Code #34

34 perc 34. rész CampHacker.TV: Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton, Beth Allison

Ah...the birds and the bees and the smell of horomones at camp in the summertime. Whether in a single gender or co-ed environment, the reality of it is people fall in love at camp. And some people think they fall in love at camp. And it makes sense as folks are living and working closely together and acting genuinely and passionately day in and day out. Many of your staff likely have common values in life and when they find each other at camp, it can be a beautiful thing. Or it can be disruptive and fueled by drama. Today's podcast focuses on how to train your staff on what it means to have a relationship at camp and some best practices that Beth, Gab, and Ruby have found can lead to a drama-free summer. Best Practice for Leadership Training Never underestimate the power of a handwritten note to provide praise and establish that you acknowledge the impactful work another person is doing. Whether it is an employee, a supervisor, a conference presenter, or a random person you encounter in life, everyone can appreciate a small token of acknowledgement from another person.

      

Is This How It Looks To Get Fired? - Camp Code #33

50 perc 33. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill

By talking about what it looks like to get fired from camp, you may find that your staff make better decisions, which, in turn, actually reduces the likelihood of you having to fire staff as often. Gab, Beth, and Ruby discuss how they train their staff about the termination process, what worked and what didn't, and some best practices for letting someone go at camp be as drama free and mission-focused as possible. Best Practice for Leadership Training Gather your male and female staff members separately and discuss with each of them how they want to treat the other gender. Bring the groups back together and have the groups share with one another their commitment to how people should be treated at camp.

      

Teaching Your Staff to Sell Camp - Camp Code #32

34 perc 32. rész CampHacker.tv: Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill, Beth Allison

Your summer staff are trained on your mission and are bought in to the why of camp. Who better than your staff to help you market camp than those who really know it inside and out? Tune in to today's podcast to learn how to teach your staff some basic sales strategies that will impact your bottom line. Best Practice For Leadership Training: Track which of your cabin staff from the previous summer have the most campers returning this summer. Give public praise to these staff members (whether they are returning or not) during staff orientation this summer and challenge your summer staff to be one of those counselors that managed to provide such an incredible experience for their campers, that they all HAD to come back to camp. Additionally, tell your staff the retention rate from the previous summer and challenge them to go above and beyond that number.

      

Managing Up: Training Your Bosses and Board - Camp Code #30

42 perc 30. rész CampHacker.TV: Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill, Beth Allison

When hiring seasonal staff, directors look for applicants that are trainable. However, you inherit your boss/board/Executive Director/CEO when you accept a position. Ever wish you could conduct staff training specifically for your higher ups so they will do things the way you want to do them? In this episode, learn what it takes to get those above on you on the organizational chart on board with your ideas. Big shout out to Rosanne Badowski for the term Managing Up. You can check out her book on Amazon right now. Best Practice for Leadership Training Today's best practice comes from our friends Scott Arizala and Dr. Chris Thurber and their unofficially titled "Stump the Hunks" EPIC session at ACA National in New Orleans in 2015. When asked how to get the boss to do what you need them to do, they suggested this tactic. Have your boss happen to accompany you to witness whatever challenge/inefficiency/problem that you are hoping to address. Ask "Have you noticed how when it rains, our staff get particularly grumpy while waiting in the rain with the kids to go into lunch? Do you have any ideas for how we could make this better?" or for the bold ones of you out there, instead state the following as a follow up to your Have You Noticed question, "I've noticed this as well and I wonder if we gave each cabin a large umbrella to decorate to use on rainy days if they would be more excited about rainy days?" By simply asking "Have you noticed...", you bring the boss into the discussion and make them a part of the problem solving, even if they don't do any of the problem solving.

      

Recovering When Things Go Really Wrong - Camp Code #29

51 perc 29. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill

Episode #28 we talked about when the literal stuff hits the fan. This episode addresses some of those worst case scenario moments and how camp directors can best recover and move forward with their staff members. From the tough conversations to doing what is right for camp to some of our worst nightmares as directors, Beth, Gab, and Ruby share some of their best tips for handling circumstances no one wants to talk about and training your staff to minimize liability exposures in their jobs. Best Practice for Leadership Training Following a bad or hard situation, show staff members how to align their focus with the solution, not the problem. Teach staff that professionals focus on where the organization is headed from here, rather than reveling in the drama or sadness of the crisis itself. Give staff time to feel and be human and process the experience. Provide external resources to help with that processing. Then set your sights forward and lead them towards healing.

      

Training for Camp Directors for Detoxing from Summer - Camp Code #27

52 perc 27. rész CampHacker.TV: Gabrielle Raill, Beth Allison, Ruby Compton

Hooray! The off-season is upon us! The campers have gone home and your staff are returning to their mundane lives. It is critical for directors to understand that there is a certain "detox" period from camp every year. Everybody experiences this re-programming a little differently and the Camp Code team shares some of the tips as well as their challenges with adjusting back to off-season camp director life. "So what do you do the rest of the year," they ask. Have you tried answering, "What do I not do?" Best Practice for Leadership Training At the end of the summer, consider yourself an athlete in recovery. Michael Phelps wouldn't be asked to jump right back in the pool and compete at his highest level immediately after the Olympics have concluded. You need time to recharge and reflect and get away. At your next annual review, ask your supervisors for the time you need at the end of the summer and for these days to not count as your vacation days. Consider asking to work only half days the week after camp. Perhaps your only responsibility for that week is keep up with email. Or, perhaps you will turn on your vacation reply and have a staycation. Make a list now for what you need at the end of next summer and ask for it.

      

Maximizing Training Time to Get to Know Your Staff - Camp Code #25

49 perc 25. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill

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 during staff training and so it can be difficult to make time to get to know your staff as well as you can. However, it needs to be a priority. Getting to really know the people who will be fulfilling the promises we've been making all year to parents is critical to your stress level this summer. Best Practice for Leadership Training Present a session about the Art of Public Speaking. This can happen just prior to a meal so that during the meal your staff can give toasts during that meal. Give staff topics and a small notecard and writing utensil to write notes if they need to. This will tell you how staff rise to the occasion, how comfortable they are speaking in front of others, and how they operate creating something on the spot. Who shares gratitude? Who is sarcastic? Who is hilarious? There is much to be learned from this activity and much to be shared. Enjoy!

      

Building Confidence in Leaders - Camp Code #24

60 perc 24. rész CampHacker.TV: Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill, Beth Allison

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. Millenials may be labeled as unconfident, unsure, and constantly desiring feedback but the Camp Code team thinks they make wonderful leaders and explain how to get your young leaders to reach their full potential. Best Practice for Leadership Training Add a spot at bottom of lesson plan or curriculum for your training sessions for “What would I have done differently?” After running a session, write down quick notes based on a self-evaluation of the session. What would be more effective if shifted around? What seemed to really speak to the staff? If there are training pieces or “I wish I had done…” moments, then you can add some of those throughout the rest of the summer. This process will really help when planning for the next year.

      

Best of #ACANat15 - Camp Code #23

41 perc 23. rész CampHacker.TV: Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton, Beth Allison

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 three Camp Code hosts meeting in person together, and then presenting a session together too. In this episode, the Camp Code team reflects on their key take homes from the week of networking, education, and fun. Ultimate Tic Tac Toe Notes from "I'm Going to Make This Place Your Home" Tool: Evaluation of your camp day - Ritual vs routine Best Practice for Leadership Training Thanks to Scott Arizala's presentation at the National Conference. Today's best practice is backward induction. First, set the goal and then work backwards so staff will know, do, and believe everything about their job. Start with with the end product and figure out the steps immediately proceeding reaching that end goal. Next write down the steps for those steps and so on until you have worked backward to where you are standing right now. This process helps take a seemingly huge task and break it down into smaller projects while also building your program in as intentionally as possible. A big thanks to all of our listeners who attended our session at #ACANat15! We loved meeting each of you.

      

Staff Training Themes - Camp Code #22

44 perc 23. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton

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 returning leaders to create a memorable experience for those around them. On this episode, the Camp Code team presents nine different themes and activities that can be plugged in to your staff training today. Best Practice for Leadership Training Have your staff "come as a child!" Everything about training can be framed through the experience of a kid. When staff arrive, greet them with known childhood characters. Make time everyday to play for the sake of playing. Build forts and have story time. Hold a meeting as superheros in secret headquarters. Host a tea party. Make puppets. Plan a birthday party evening program. Create a space that reminds your staff of the audience they will be catering to all summer long. It will help your staff reconnect with their childhood experiences and teach them how take those memories and recreate them in more intentional and purposeful ways.

      

Use This Video Clip! A Quickfire Dozen YouTube Videos to Enhance Training - Camp Code #21

29 perc 21. rész CampHacker.TV: Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton

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 Hands Aimee Mullins - The opportunity of adversity 10 Most Awkward Moments Improv Everywhere - Subway Art Gallery Opening, Salvation Army Bell Choir

      

Training at a Boys Camp - Camp Code #20

53 perc 20. rész CampHacker.TV: Ruby Compton, Luke Durham

 

      

Best Interview Practices - Camp Code #19

59 perc 19. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill

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 a discussion of their favorite interview questions and time-tested ways to figure out if an applicant is a good fit. Best Practice for Leadership Training Your hiring process has to be what is best for camp. It is a hard job but you, as the director, are the one that has the big picture. You must put the effort in to make the hiring process be whatever the camp needs. It may involve re-interviewing return staff and asking some hard questions. These are the most important decisions you will make all year. If something feels off, trust your gut. Ask questions to your return staff about things that didn't follow your camp philosophy that happened the year before. You can say "I am offering you a job but here is my concern from last year and that cannot happen again." Hiring is not about being their friend. Make sure they understand that you must do what is best for camp. And never apologize for high expectations.

      

Live Different: Interview with Cristal Earle - Camp Code #18

29 perc 18. rész CampHacker.TV, Ruby Compton, Beth Allison, Cristal Earle

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 organization.

      

Ask Dr. G: Respect, Responsibility, and Resiliency - Camp Code #17

31 perc 17. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Deborah Gilboa

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 tips we picked up from Dr. G is that parents today often strive to keep their children happy always. However, for a child to be able to seek out his or her own happiness as they grow older, they must learn how to cope with setbacks and seek internal motivation and rewards on their own. Best Practice for Leadership Training Check out Dr. G's YouTube Channel for a parenting videos (uploaded every Monday) for tips on how to handle specific behaviors in your campers. These make for great content for your camp's social media, as well as training tools for your staff.

      

Training at a Girls Camp - Camp Code #16

58 perc 16. rész CampHacker.TV: Ruby Compton, Gab Raill, Beth Allison

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 your female leaders.

      

Building Your Summer Camp Leadership Team - Camp Code #15

46 perc 15. rész CampHacker.TV: Gab Raill, Beth Allison, Ruby Compton

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 done to fulfill it but are passionate about the work to be done. Best Practice: Look for leadership team members who want to have their own staff members succeed. That leadership team candidate must be capable of doing the frontline job but even more importantly, he or she must understand the value of letting others stand up and be in the spotlight.

      

How to Start Working on Training Now - Camp Code #14

54 perc 14. rész CampHacker.TV: Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Gab Raill

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 leadership training should look like this summer. A Best Practice for Leadership Training Ask your staff the question "What tips and tricks would you share with someone in your position next year?" This can be done during their exit interviews, final coaching sessions, or during return staff interviews for the next summer. Asking this will tell directors what lessons really stuck with the staff throughout the summer (what you taught well or what the staff needed the most) and it will also show what was missed or not stressed enough during training. When you are wondering where to start with building training now, this question will provide your foundation.

      

Memorable Moments - Camp Code #13

46 perc 13. rész Camphacker.tv: Ruby Compton, Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher App

      

That was LAST Year...this is THIS Year - Camp Code #12

43 perc 12. rész Camphacker.tv: Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton, Beth Allison

“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 to training sessions on time by making the times memorable. Have your sessions begin at times like: 9:03, 10:47 or 2:18. If they still have trouble, take a page from Michael Brandwein and wait for the stragglers to arrive, calming and gently explain that you will all leave the room together and, in 2 minutes, all come in together to begin the session. Chances are, they will never be late again.

      

Intelligent Leadership Training Design - Camp Code #11

60 perc 11. rész Camphacker.tv: Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton

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 staff is well-rested and ready to go when the campers finally arrive. As always, we want to be intentional with everything we do. A Best Practice for Leadership Training:It is vitally important to learn the names of your staff. It is an important step in making your staff, especially new ones, feel like they are appreciated and being cared for. Do whatever you have to do to learn their names ahead of time: create a cheat sheet, study your staff bios, practice with other staff. Repetition is the key. Be sure to introduce your staff in engaging and personal ways.

      

Staff Manuals: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Camp Code #10

35 perc 10. rész Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton - CampHacker.TV

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 your staff manuals. Here are the 1st three instructions in the book (1) carry this with you everywhere you go (2) follow instructions on every page and (3) order is not important.

      

Interview with Tom Heck - Camp Code #8

45 perc 8. rész Beth Allison, Ruby Compton

Read more about Tom Heck (and Duct Tape Team building Games) at http://www.teachmeteamwork.com/

      

Returning Staff Facilitating Training - Camp Code #9

45 perc 9. rész Gabrielle Raill, Beth Allison, Ruby Compton - CampHacker.TV

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 of staff. What avenues can we explore to make training a useful and positive experience for staff who’ve done this before? A Best Practice for Leadership Training: Thanks to Dr. Tim Elmore, we learned to put our training on ICE: When teaching this generation of staff, make sure to use... I - images that lead to C - conversations that lead to E - experiences that change their lives.

      

Training Youth Development Professionals - Camp Code #7

37 perc 7. rész Ruby Compton, Beth Allison, Gabrielle Raill

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 create people who will change the world and make a difference. How do we prepare our staff?

      

Teaching Them To Teach - Camp Code #6

46 perc 6. rész Beth Allison, Gab Raill, Ruby Compton - CampHacker.TV

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 are teachers every moment of every day and (b) they understand how to be creative, intentional, well-prepared instructors. A Best Practice for Leadership Training: The games and activities that we actually play are not made to just go through the motions. As we develop our skills at camp, sometimes the intent behind what we are doing gets lost. What are your goals, what do you want the end picture to look like? Make sure staff members experience the intent behind what you are doing.

      

Training Beyond Training - Camp Code #5

39 perc 5. rész Gabrielle Raill, Ruby Compton, Beth Allison - CampHacker.TV

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 or not to pay” - when do we pay for seasonal staff members to get certifications or training that we need them to have to meet accreditation standards?

      

Teaching Boring Topics in Innovative Ways - Camp Code #4

54 perc 4. rész Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Gab Raill - CampHacker.TV

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.

      

Community Building, Part 1 - Camp Code #3

51 perc 3. rész Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill

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.

      

The Mission: Training Staff on the Compass of Camp - Camp Code #2

68 perc 2. rész Beth Allison, Ruby Compton, Gabrielle Raill - CampHacker

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.

      

12 Things You Should Say During Your Staff Training - Camp Code #1

43 perc 1. rész Beth Allison - CampHacker

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 "boysenberry". Let me make this perfectly clear. I am here to support you. You will make "ripples". This training is for you so use it. What do you want to offer camp this summer?