Podcasts about American Camp Association

In this episode of CampWire, we talk with Christen Peterson, ACA's director of inclusion and belonging, about Ms. Opal Lee—known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth—and her inspiring movement, Opal's Walk for Freedom. Learn how camps can honor her legacy, engage their communities, and take steps toward a more inclusive future. Join us as we explore how a single walk became a national movement—and how your camp can be part of it. Show notes: Juneteenth Camp Celebrations Opal's Walk for Freedom The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

In this episode, we're joined by Kendra Perkins and her beloved therapy dog, Harbor, to explore the heartwarming impact of therapy animals at summer camp. Kendra shares how Harbor supports campers through moments of anxiety, homesickness, and emotional challenges—while also bringing smiles, connection, and calm to the entire camp community. Discover how therapy dogs like Harbor are helping create more inclusive, supportive, and emotionally resilient camp environments. Special thanks to our sponsor, UltraCamp. Show notes: Contact Kendra Camp SAY Alliance of Therapy Dogs AKC Recognized Therapy Dog Organizations Innovative Camp Company The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

In honor of Women's History Month, we're diving into the impact and evolution of women in the summer camp industry! Join us as we chat with Colette Marquardt, CEO of the American Camp Association, Illinois, and founder of the Women in Camp Summit. Colette shares how the summit grew into a thriving community with an annual conference, pop-up events, and year-round support for women in camp. Special thanks to our sponsors: UltraCamp Percussion Play Show notes: ACA, Illinois Women in Camp Women in Camp Summit The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

Looking to take your camp career to the next level? In this episode, we're joined by Erec Hillis, owner and Executive Director of Camp Champions in Marble Falls, TX. Erec is speaking at the upcoming Tri-State CAMP Conference and sharing insights on the new Camp Career Accelerator program — designed to help camp professionals grow their skills and chart a path for long-term success in the camp industry. We explore what it means to be an indispensable part of your camp community, with practical tips on leadership, adding value to your team, and advancing your camp career. Show notes: Camp Career Accelerator Tri-State CAMP Conference Camp Champions The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

Episode 044 | The Queen of Joy, Dr. Meena Julapalli, is BACK!If you're new around here or missed it for any other reason, I recommend that you first enJOY episode 022 and follow it with this one.Dr. Julapalli is a triple board-certified in pediatrics, dermatology, and pediatric dermatology.After 7 years in academics as an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at the University of Texas - Austin and the University of Colorado, she opened her own direct care pediatric dermatology practice, Bluebird Dermatology, in Houston, Texas.Dr. Julapalli is passionate about providing comprehensive, integrative, and personalized care that acknowledges and supports not just the physical aspects of her patients' skin conditions but also their unique social and emotional needs. She believes that by fostering sacred relationships of love, trust, and mutual respect and creating an environment and community whereby children and families affected by skin disease feel seen, heard, understood, valued, and supported, they are empowered, transformed, and healed in profound and life-changing ways.Dr. Julapalli has been blessed to facilitate and witness these transformations through her involvement with support groups and camp programs throughout the country, including the American Academy of Dermatology-sponsored Camp Discovery, Paul Newman's SeriousFun Network, and the American Camp Association, as well as through local workshops and healing circles that she leads.She is the founder of The Joyful Path, whose mission is to help children build the intuition of how to nourish their mind, body, and soul so that they may live, love, and serve generously with an open heart, intention, and purpose.In addition to her philanthropic pursuits in her local and national communities, Dr. Julapalli is dedicated to serving children abroad. She has volunteered her time and expertise at a pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic in Lesotho, Africa, at orphanages and schools in Nicaragua, with children and adults with albinism in Tanzania, and most recently with people in impoverished villages in northern Thailand.Dr. Julapalli's adventures also include being a children's book author, wisdom coach and yoga instructor for kids, Reiki master, world explorer (she has been to all 7 continents, all 50 states), avid hiker, meditator, sound healer/instrumentalist, and amateur swing dancer!She's also simply one of the most truly joyful and generous people I've ever met. I'm honored and grateful to call her a friend and colleague and am thrilled to have her back on the show.

Self-confidence. Leadership. Resilience. Faith in daily life.These are all character traits we measure. There is real data that says camp in exceptional at building character through the highly experiential, highly relational programs you offer. And that's a good thing, because the research says parents and caregivers care as much about the character being built in their kids as anything else.On this episode we'll break down what character is from a lens of faith and why it matters at camp. Plus , we'll talk bit about what the American Camp Association and camps like yours are doing to bring another level of intentionality and energy to building character at camp (and  even how you could receive grant funding for your best character-building idea or program).Stay connected with the Character at Camp Initiative at watch out for the opening of subgrant applications at aca.org.Download the #StatOfTheWeekCome help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

It's time for the 2025 ACA National Conference! Tune in for a conversation with John Beitner, ACA's senior director of programs, to learn all about this year's conference.   Special thanks to our sponsor, UltraCamp.   Learn more about the 2025 ACA National Conference.   The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Tim Raines to explore the transformative impact of culturally responsive practices in youth development. Dr. Tim shares his insights on why understanding and embracing diverse cultural perspectives is essential for fostering growth and belonging in young people. Special thanks to our sponsor, UltraCamp! Show notes: Dr. Tim's website Camping Magazine article: Planting Seeds of Inclusion: Practical Strategies for Inclusive Mentoring in Camps Webinar: Partnerships to Increase Equity and Inclusivity The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

Camp is meant to be a safe environment - physically, mentally, and emotionally. So, how do we hold space for our campers and staff who may be dealing with trauma? On this episode, John Hamilton from the Alliance for Camp Health joins us to discuss cultural trauma and creating safe, supportive, and connected spaces at camp and beyond. Special thanks to our sponsor, UltraCamp! Show notes: Article, Holding Space for the Splash Zone: Dealing with Cultural Trauma Alliance for Camp Health CampWell   The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

Join us for October 28-30 for the 2024 Staffing Summit! In this conversation, we hear from keynote speaker Jill Lyons about her camp experience and its role in her journey into the corporate world. Click here to register for the Staffing Summit! Special thanks to our 2024 Staffing Summit sponsors: UltraCamp CampHire Chaco Redwoods Group Odyssey International Camp   The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

Join us for October 28-30 for the 2024 Staffing Summit! In this conversation, we hear from keynote speaker Dr. Patrice Buckner Jackson about her background as an educator, coach, speaker, author, and more! Dr. PBJ's sessions will offer insights and tips on disrupting burnout.  Click here to register for the Staffing Summit! Show notes: Dr. PBJ's website and podcast Disrupting Burnout: The Professional Woman's Lifeline to Finding Purpose Special thanks to our 2024 Staffing Summit sponsors: UltraCamp CampHire Chaco Redwoods Group Odyssey International Camp   The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

Join us for October 28-30 for the 2024 Staffing Summit! In this conversation, we hear from closing keynote speaker Leah Mesches about her background, connecting the camping industry to the corporate world, and what we can expect from her session at this year's Summit. Click here to register for the Staffing Summit! Blog post: Can I Really Spend Another Summer Working at Camp? Special thanks to our 2024 Staffing Summit sponsors: UltraCamp CampHire Chaco Redwoods Group Odyssey International Camp   The views and opinions expressed on CampWire by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.

Simply put…Ian is camp, and camp is Ian. He began his career as a camper, counselor, Division Leader, and administrator at a traditional day camp in New Jersey. Ian has only missed 2 summers at camp since he was 3 years old! He takes pride in his hands on approach to camping. His personal leadership and spirit are reflected in Black Bear Lake's rich traditions, extraordinary staff, and quality program. Ian is an active member of the American Camp Association and regularly attends and participates in industry events and conferences to find ways to further improve the camp experience. Ian graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Economics and a focus on Business Management and Entrepreneurship. He lives in Monmouth County with his wife Dara, whom he met at summer camp!

The U of M Economic Growth Institute in collaboration w/ the American Camp Association issued a new report: The US youth camp industry contributes $70B to the national economy and employs more than 986,428 workers, resulting in $23B in labor income and positively impacts the state of Michigan's economy.

Each summer more than 26 million children nationwide enroll in summer camp. However, as demand for camp increases, many parents are planning earlier and spending more money to secure a camp spot for their child. According to the nonprofit American Camp Association, the average cost of summer camp is around $87 a day with overnight camp tuition closer to $173 a day. Nicole D'Antonio is live in Washington DC with a breakdown of the potential price and the additional resources to help.

Episode 022 | Dr. Meena Julapalli is triple board-certified in pediatrics, dermatology, and pediatric dermatology. After 7 years in academics as an Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at the University of Texas - Austin and the University of Colorado, she opened her own direct care pediatric dermatology practice, Bluebird Dermatology, in Houston, Texas. Dr. Julapalli is passionate about providing comprehensive, integrative, and personalized care that acknowledges and supports not just the physical aspects of her patients' skin conditions but also their unique social and emotional needs. She believes that by fostering sacred relationships of love, trust, and mutual respect and creating an environment and community whereby children and families affected by skin disease feel seen, heard, understood, valued, and supported, they are empowered, transformed, and healed in profound and life-changing ways. Dr. Julapalli has been blessed to facilitate and witness these transformations through her involvement with support groups and camp programs throughout the country, including the American Academy of Dermatology-sponsored Camp Discovery, Paul Newman's SeriousFun Network, and the American Camp Association, as well as through local workshops and healing circles that she leads. She is the founder of The Joyful Path, whose mission is to help children build the intuition of how to nourish their mind, body, and soul so that they may live, love, and serve generously with an open heart, intention, and purpose.In addition to her philanthropic pursuits in her local and national communities, Dr. Julapalli is dedicated to serving children abroad. She has volunteered her time and expertise at a pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic in Lesotho, Africa, at orphanages and schools in Nicaragua, with children and adults with albinism in Tanzania, and most recently with people in impoverished villages in northern Thailand.Dr. Julapalli's adventures also include being a children's book author, wisdom coach and yoga instructor for kids, Reiki master, world explorer (she has been to all 7 continents, all 50 states), avid hiker, meditator, sound healer/instrumentalist, and amateur swing dancer!She's also simply one of the most truly joyful and generous people I've ever met. I'm honored and grateful to call her a friend and colleague.In this episode:

Summer is quickly approaching, which means summer camps are in full swing! Summer camp is usually an extremely positive and beneficial experience for any child - but for burn survivor children, camp offers more than just fun. It provides a supportive community where they can share feelings and experiences with other children who have experienced similar trauma, fostering a sense of belonging and understanding. In this episode, Rachel is joined by two esteemed guests, Daniel Chacon and Kristen Quinn. Both are renowned burn camp experts and board members of the International Association of Burn Camps (IABC). They delve into the benefits of burn camps, offer valuable tips on preparing your children (and yourself as a caregiver!), and guide you on selecting the right camp. Rachel and her guests also share cherished camp memories and ways to keep the 'camp magic' alive long after camp ends. Looking for links? Check out our show's description on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Enjoyed the show? Tell us by leaving a 5-star review and sharing on social media using hashtag #GirlswithGrafts and tagging Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors!   Meet Our Guests Kristen Quinn has been a passionate advocate for burn survivors and meaningful aftercare programs since 1993. She started her career as a burn center Child Life Specialist, earned her Masters in professional counseling in 2000 and spent the next 24 years as a mental health clinician at the burn center, with aftercare and burn camp as her focus. Kristen believes that every interaction, activity and discussion at camp has the ability to foster emotional growth and that camp provides challenges that allow campers to push beyond perceived limitations.Kristen has two children who are now forging their own lives as young adults. She has been married to a fire fighter for the past 30 years. There is always at least one dog in the house. Joy is found on rivers, hiking trails, in a good book or over a great meal. Friendships mean the world to Kristen.Daniel Chacon is the Executive Director of the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, a California-based nonprofit organization that is committed to preventing burns and fires, and providing services to those who have been affected by burn injuries. Before joining AARBF, Daniel worked as an emergency dispatcher, firefighter, and high school teacher.Daniel is a proud member of various organizations such as the American Burn Association, the American Camp Association, and the International Association of Burn Camps, where he served on the board of directors in 2016 and was the immediate past president. He is passionate about discovering outcome measurements and has partnered on numerous research studies for burn survivors. He has also presented dozens of conferences throughout the United States.Links Learn more about the International Association of Burn Camps (IABC) View the IABC Camp Directory Learn more about the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn FoundationLearn more about the University of Utah Health Burn Camp ProgramResearch: Impact of a pediatric residential burn camp experience on burn survivors' perceptions of self and attitudes regarding the camp communityRead “Burn Camps Offer Unique Growth Opportunities”Read “Taking That “Camp Magic” Home With You”Podcast Sponsor Today's podcast is powered by the National Fire Sprinkler Association! NFSA aims to protect lives and property through the advancement of fire sprinklers. Learn more about fire sprinklers, fire advocacy, and how to get involved by visiting nfsa.org. Sponsor Girls with Grafts Interested in becoming a sponsor of the show? Email us at info@phoenix-society.org.  

This week, we are thrilled to be joined by the Executive Director of American Camp Association, New England, Michele Rowcliffe. The ACA is a guiding force in the youth camping industry, "a community of camp professionals who, for over 100 years, have joined together to share our knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp program." A great conversation, and we're thrilled to talk with Michele.

 With summer just around the corner, this timely conversation with DCAC Clinical Support Director, Lyndsey Smith,  sheds light on preparing for a safe and healthy summer. Brooke and Lyndsey discuss reporting, free time, camps, and screen time and more. With the conversation centering around these topics, you and children in your life will be better equip for an enjoyable summer ahead!  Visit the references mentioned to learn more:American Camp Association - www.acacamps.orgNetSmartz- MissingKids.org/netsmartz/resources#overviewCyberTipline- Report.Cybertip.orgTake It Down- Takeitdown.ncmec.orgDarkness to Light- www.D2L.orgQuestions about the episode?Contact community@dorchestercac.orgWant to learn more about DCAC?Visit dorchesterchildren.org

This season on Baring It All with Call Me Adam I am highlighting My Entertainment Idols.Today, I am going back in time and Behind-The-Curtain to bring you this blast from the past, my 2017 interview with then Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb.At that time, Lisa was getting ready to release her new family album Lullaby Girl, and celebrating the 23rd Anniversary of her platinum-selling hit song "Stay (I Missed You)." In this interview, Lisa is Baring It All with Call Me Adam about:The creative process behind Lullaby GirlWhen there was a time that Lisa felt like saying "Reality Bites"What is something she didn't want to see "The Way It Really Is"?A quirk her friends made fun of her forSo much moreThis audio has been edited down from its original version. If you want to read the full interview, you can do that here!More on Lisa Loeb:Grammy nominated Lisa Loeb is a singer-songwriter, producer, touring artist, author and philanthropist who started her career with the platinum-selling Number 1 hit song "Stay (I Missed You)" from the film Reality Bites. A trailblazing independent artist, Lisa was the first pop musician to have a Number 1 single while not signed to a recording contract. She followed that remarkable feat with the hit singles "Do You Sleep," "I Do," and "Let's Forget about It" and the albums Cake and Pie and No Fairy Tale, among others.Lisa continues to craft irresistible pop songs for the 21st century, while designing Lisa Loeb Eyewear, writing children's books, and supporting non-profit causes. The Los Angeles based mother of two is well-known to parents and kids for her albums Catch the Moon (with Elizabeth Mitchell) and Amazon Music exclusives, Nursery Rhyme Parade! and Feel What U Feel (featuring Craig Robinson and Ed Helms). She has also published two picture book-CDs for Sterling Children's Books: Lisa Loeb's Songs for Movin' and Shakin' and Lisa Loeb's Silly Sing Along.In addition to these family albums, Lisa's Camp Lisa raises funds for The Camp Lisa Foundation to allow kids, who wouldn't normally have the opportunity, to go to summer camp, and in 2015, the American Camp Association, New England named Lisa Loeb as their Camp Champions Honoree.Lisa's recent film and television appearances include Netflix's Sandy Wexler, TV Land's Teachers, Amazon's Creative Galaxy, @Midnight with Chris Hardwick, Last week Tonight with John Oliver, About a Boy, and Hot Tub Time Machine 2. Lisa is currently touring around the United States and Canada, releasing new styles of her signature eyewear through Lisa Loeb Eyewear, and will soon be releasing music videos to coincide with her Amazon Music family record, Feel What U Feel.Special Thanks:Gina Tolentino, Missing Pieces GroupTheme Song by Bobby CroninPodcast Logo by Liam O'DonnellEdited by Adam RothenbergConnect with Me:Website:

If you're considering sending your child to sleepaway camp or you're not sure you've found the right one, this episode of The Paige Kornblue Show is for you. I welcome Melissa Fitzgerald, co-owner and co-director of Camp Highlander, to explore the transformative power of sleepaway camps. Melissa shares insights into the ideal age for kids to embark on this adventure, highlighting the multitude of benefits such experiences offer. We delve into the importance of disconnecting from technology during camp and offer practical tips for both campers and parents when it comes to overcoming camp nerves and anxieties. We also discuss the significance of accreditation by the American Camp Association in upholding safety and quality standards for all camps. From cabins to campfires to confidence, it's all right here!   Learn more at www.CampHighlander.com   I: @camphighlandernc   F: @camphighlander   www.PaigeKornblue.com   @PaigeKornblueMedia

On this episode of Real Talk, Susan and Kristina are joined by Dr. Christopher Thuber for an insider's guide to summer camp success.     Dr. Thurber has dedicated his professional life to improving how trusted adults nurture others and to enhancing the lives of adventurous youth. A graduate of Harvard and UCLA, Dr. Thurber has served as a psychologist and instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy since 1999. Over the past 25 years, he has been invited to lead workshops on five continents.   His best-selling family resource, The Summer Camp Handbook, was recently translated into Mandarin to help launch the youth camping movement in China. And his most recent book, The Unlikely Art of Parental Pressure, was described by The Atlantic as “a tour de force” and “the rare parenting book that respects both parents and children.”   Dr. Thurber's research and writing have focused on homesickness prevention and healthy parenting, especially in the domains of pressure and learning from mistakes.     LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW: https://drchristhurber.com/  https://www.exeter.edu/faculty/christopher-austin-thurber  https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Your-Kid-Parents-Todays/dp/1637743807   SHOW NOTES:   Introduction and the importance of planning for children's summer camp (00:21) Introduction of Dr. Christopher Thurber (00:57) Ideal age for children to start attending overnight summer camps (1:53) Benefits of longer stays at camps and how they affect homesickness and personal growth (3:07) Insights into the positive impacts of summer camps on children's social skills and self-confidence (5:54) Choosing the right summer camp and what to look for (7:34) The role of camp advisors and the best time to start looking for summer camps (9:19) Indicators of a camp's quality (10:14) Tips on how to vet summer camps (11:46) Addressing homesickness and how to prepare your child for camp experiences (14:32) Impact of technology and social media on children's camp experiences (17:00) Guidance on managing communication with children at camp (19:19) Advice for parents on conversations to have with their children before sending them to camp for the first time (22:55) Importance of not making 'pickup deals' with children and fostering independence (24:24) Tips for selecting the right camp (26:00) Conclusion with final advice for parents on preparing for the camp season and fostering a positive experience for their children (28:00)   TRANSCRIPT: Susan Stone: Welcome back to Real Talk with Susan Stone and Kristina Suler. We are full-time moms and attorneys bringing our student defense legal practice to life with real candid conversation. Susan Stone: Kristina, believe it or not, even though we're looking outside and there's a lot of snow out there, yuck. Did you know what time it is? Kristina Supler: Well, umm, if I'm thinking about what we're going to talk about today, I'm gonna guess that we're in the time of year that despite the snow outside, we have to start planning for our children's summers. Susan Stone: And especially summer camp. Believe it or not, if you want your child to go to one of the more, uh, popular summer camps, now is the time that you would register. And it's hard to think about it because like Santa Claus hasn't even come down that shoe. Kristina Supler: I know, and I'm particularly excited to speak with today's guest because I'm in, in my own family, wrestling with the idea of sending my son off to camp. And so this is, I'm really looking forward to today's talk. Susan Stone: We might learn a little something on real talk. Why don't you introduce our guests? Kristina Supler: Sure. Today we are joined by Dr. Chris Thurber, who has dedicated his professional life to improving how adults nurture others and enhance the lives of youth. A graduate of Harvard and UCLA, Dr. Thurber has served as a psychologist and instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy since 1999. Susan Stone: I've heard of it. Kristina Supler: Sure, he's written some books. His best-selling family resource is the Summer Camp Handbook, which has been translated into Mandarin. Believe it or not, and more recently, he has authored The Unlikely Art of Parental Pressure, which was described by the Atlantic as, “the rare parenting book that respects both parents and children”. Dr. Thurber's research and writing have focused on homesickness prevention, healthy parenting and helping children learn from mistakes. So Doctor Thurber, thanks for joining us today. Dr. Chris Thurber: Thanks for having me as a guest. Yeah, I'm excited to be here. Susan Stone: So it's so funny. I was thinking about summer camp and I still remember that when my oldest, whose birthday it is today, happy birthday, Alex. But when she was in 3rd grade, I went on a field trip to Maine with her and we looked at camps together. Kristina Supler: I can only imagine. Ohh camp touring. What a life. Susan Stone: Yeah, it was great. We had the best bonding time, but the question is for you. I chose for to be a rising 4th grader as a time to go to camp. We looked at camps when she was a rising 3rd grader. In your professional opinion, what is the best time to send students away for a summer camp and experience? And I just have a second part to that question. I chose a camp where I just threw my kid in for seven weeks because I was told on from a well-known Cleveland area psychologist that they do better with a longer stint because when you do a shorter stint, just as you're getting over homesickness, you're yanking them away. Thoughts? Dr. Chris Thurber: Well, in terms of what age a child should be at overnight summer camp and I, I do think that like any experience overnight timer camp is not for everyone. But I would say that in my experience as a parent, as a researcher, as a psychologist, there's probably a camp for everyone. And I think it's a perfect complement to the traditional classroom setting. So a way of boosting kids social and emotional learning, a way of increasing their social skills, their confidence, their sense of adventure. And there's wonderful research to support all of my life experience and anecdotal evidence. The age at which a young person might go to overnight camp for the first time depends a lot on their previous life experiences and a little bit on their personality, and I think the way I would answer that question is not by giving you a number like 7 years old or 8 years old or 9 years old. But I could say that most overnight camps uh would take children as young as seven or eight. So that tells you something about 150 years of trial and error has landed us at that age, but for particular child, it really is gonna depend on that parent or primary caregiver looking carefully at that child's readiness, which depends a lot on what previous experience that child has had away from home. I don't know for Alex, but I would imagine that she had spent overnight at a friend's house, or she'd been at her grandparents house without you there for a couple of days. And that's the perfect sort of preparation for multiple weeks at an overnight camp. Susan Stone: And do you have a thought about the second part of my question, 4 weeks versus 7 weeks or maybe even shorter depending on the camp? Dr. Chris Thurber: Well, I haven't in my experience noticed a difference in the factor that your friend cited, which is intensity of homesickness. In fact, this was what I wrote my dissertation on was homesickness and have followed the research that's been done since then, quite closely enough to know that there isn't a difference in, say, homesickness intensity between someone who's staying at camp for two weeks versus 4 weeks versus 7 weeks. That again, I would say your friend was right in that longer stays and I would say four weeks or more result in a more immersive experience for young people and that shorter stays just a few days are a good taste of what? Overnight camp is like, but aren't gonna create the kind of social bonds and result in the sort of self-reliance and you know, willingness to try new things that will happen with a longer stay. Susan Stone: That's exactly what I learned at that time. That you'd really takes a good chunk of time like 4 weeks as the minimum before you can really develop the friendships, develop leader styles, or even reinvent yourself. You could be that nerd at school and that fabulous person at camp. It's a chance of really defining yourself. Kristina Supler: Sounds like a good movie. Dr. Chris Thurber: It is very cool in that way. Well, it's a good movie and an even better experience. It's one we, you know, we underestimate sometimes. I think the social pressures that young people feel in elementary school even and you mentioned the unlikely art of parental pressure that I wrote with Hank Weissinger. We took a look at a lot of the research that's been done and were surprised ourselves to see how pernicious the effects of unhealthy pressure are for even elementary school age children and a lot of it is about pressure to conform, conform to dress, conform to preferences for favorite TV shows and how you present yourself online. So there are a lot of different domains of conformity, all of which happily evaporate at the best camps, and I think that that sort of reinventing yourself and boost in self-confidence can happen in as little as two weeks. I would also agree with you that a longer stay like 4 or 7 is going to strengthen that young person's confidence. Kristina Supler: Dr. Thurber, I'm curious to hear your thoughts for our listeners out there, parents with the child, let's just say in grade school age is irrelevant, but a child who's maybe only slept at grandparent's house or has had maybe one or two sleepovers with a friend family member, whomever, what advice would you give those parents for sort of the building blocks to help ease your child into this experience to go away from home? Dr. Chris Thurber: To have more of those, I mean, and we were at deficit because of having to quarantine many of us during the pandemic. So we have some catching up to do in providing healthy experiences for kids away from home. And just as you suggested in your question a day here a night here a couple days expanding to you know, two or three days, those sorts of experiences are what give a young person confidence in their ability to spend time away from home without their primary caregiver or caregivers and they can alert you as a parent to any sort of anxieties that need to be sorted out prior to a camp stay. Susan Stone: What should parents look for in and overnight camp? Kristina Supler: Hmm. That's a good question because no camp is gonna say yeah, send your kid here. We're OK. I mean, every camp has a long list of superlatives. Best, most fun. Exciting. You name it. You know, everyone's smiling on on the video on the website. What do you what should parents look for when vetting camps? Dr. Chris Thurber: You guys are cracking me up and it's such a great question. First of all, can I just say how happy I am that we're recording this in late November and hopefully it'll be provided to your listeners soon because as you said in the opener, this is the time. This is the time uh. I get asked to do podcasts all the time in May, right? Kristina Supler: But well, I know this was and this was Susan's idea, this idea, an experienced camp mom sender offer. Dr. Chris Thurber: Well, may all moms and dads be as pression as Susan and Kristina? Seriously, it's it's, you know, this is the time to be thinking about it. This is the time, as Christina said, to be preparing with practice time away from home and what you should look for in a summer camp is a great question because and you were joking about it, you go into a camp's website. Remember that that's marketing, and I'm not deriding camps or their websites, and it's important that they have them and there's great information on them. But remember, it's marketing and the the camps are gonna look similar. I mean, you can distinguish the all boys camps from the all girls camps, from the all gender camps, from the Coed camps and the ones that have horseback riding from the ones that don't have horseback riding. And that is information that you can call from a website, but that's not telling you anything about the quality. So I would say three things that I think parents need to look for and you have listeners all around the world, but let's bring it down to North America. In Canada, there are provincial camp associations like for Ontario and for British Columbia, et cetera. In the United States, we have the American Camp Association. These are the accrediting bodies for camps, and it doesn't guarantee that a particular camp is a great match for your kid. But these associations are a first step that can't that parents should look for is the camp accredited to be an operation? It needs to be certified by the Board of Health in most states, so you can assume that that's the case, but you can ask to see their, you know, Board of Health cert. Then I would say by whom are you accredited knowing that accreditation happens once every few years and it is a way of saying at the time this camp was visited by trained peers and the camp world it it met these minimum criteria? Or maybe exceeded them then is where it gets interesting, and that's why Jon Malinowski and I wrote the Summer Camp Handbook, because there are lots of accredited camps and some of them I wouldn't ever send my own child to and some of them I would be glad to. So I think what you need to look for is first and foremost after it's passed Board of Health and accreditation. Is this a place where there's a good deal of tenure among the staff now? Potentially, the director who was there for 30 years, just retired, and so the new directors only been there for a couple of years. But you wanna look over time? What's the average tenure of the director? What is the average tenure for the other senior staff, assistant directors, program directors, waterfront directors and how long did the staff who work there generally work there, and that tenure tells you a lot about the loyalty and the spirit and the consistency that will exist at that camp, which I think are all important contributors to a young person having a really positive experience. Next is where do they get their staff and how do they train them? And this is really my wheelhouse because yeah. Susan Stone: I remember that because the camp I had sent my children to through a lot of counselors that they receive from Australia and England, and I remember because they made my kids eat Vegemite and they thought that was hilarious, but they were great. They really had some really fun and they were learning the fun, cute accents and they love it and I don't know if you agree with this, but I really like that the camp we ended up selecting had a therapist and staff to deal with the issues and it really was quite helpful. Dr. Chris Thurber: Yeah, I endorsed that wholeheartedly. And I think that people in that position, a mental health professional who's part of a camp, often also participate in the staff training. So as I was saying, where the staff from where they how are they hired? How are they trained that that's really crucial, right? I mean, the centerpiece of the camp experience is gonna be your child's new relationship with this young adult surrogate caregiver. Will they make peer friends? Yes, of course. But who influences the experience more than anyone else are the young adult leaders. And so you wanna know as much as you can about them. Kristina Supler: That's a really great piece of advice for parents out there listening to this though, to look at the tenure of staff and employees, how many come back year after year because that speaks volumes for the nature of the experience, happy staff then hopefully translates to happy campers. So I love that. Dr. Chris Thurber: It definitely does. Susan Stone: Now, I don't want to date myself in my next question. Do you remember the Alan Sherman song? Hello mudda. Hello fada. I won't sing for everybody. It's like one of my favorite songs. It's a really funny song. Alan Sherman. Hello mudda. Hello fada FADDUH. Great song for you listeners out there. I would play it, but it talks about homesickness and  you know, I remember when I sent my kids to camp. I I thoughts homesickness was normal, so when I got the first I miss you mom letter. I knew it was temporary and then by the time you picked them up, they're like, oh, I wanna stay in there crying that they're leaving. However, my kids were young and went to camp pre COVID and pre the mental health issues that Kristina and I wrestle with every day. I mean, I believe that kids are wrestling with social media. My kids did not have cell phones when they went to camp. It was unthinkable that a young child or a middle schooler would have a cell phone. Kristina Supler: That's so interesting that you say that, Susan. I hadn't thought about that, and imagining well my daughter, I mean, I guess I have a direct experience with this, but I hadn't really tied it to the context of our practice. When she's away at camp in the camp experience, she has every summer's two weeks of sleep away and there's no electronics or anything like that. And she's fine. I mean, she adores her camp experience, but for many students who are so tied to their devices, social media, all those connections to then have them ripped away, it makes the transition all the more difficult. And pile on top of that homesickness. It actually is a lot. It's a tall, emotional order for adolescence. Susan Stone: So how do you know Doctor Thurber between normal homesickness, that a parent should go, huh that'll pass, versus something's curious I need to check in on this and how. What is the appropriate way to check in on this? It is not get on a plane I assume and pull your kid out immediately. But is it? Dr. Chris Thurber: No, absolutely not. Susan Stone: I could be wrong. Dr. Chris Thurber: No, you're not wrong. Again, you're right. You're also again present in, saying that home sickness is normal because it absolutely is. Of course, it varies in intensity from one person to another, but adults miss things about home when they're away as well, like on a business trip or something like that. So right, so look, the and this is really essential preparation in addition to what I said earlier about some practice time away from home. But letting your child know that you expect that there will be some things they miss about home. Maybe it'll be home cooking. Maybe it'll be you, or if there's another parent in the household, maybe it'll be the comforts of their room. The dog, dog, sibling, whatever it might be and you know it's different things for different people. But with practice time away from home and with an understanding that this is an absolutely normal phenomenon. And I tell kids. Look, there's something about home you miss that means there's something about home you love. That's wonderful. And all those things that you love are gonna be there when camp wraps up. So love this while you're at camp, love this experience. Make yourself at home here and look forward to what you're going to return to. You know, it's fantastic, however. There are instances when you know the intensity of home sickness is getting in the way of that child's enjoying activities and participating in other ways at camp. It's getting in the way of their making new friends and it's getting in the way of their eating and sleeping and well-trained staff are gonna know. How to spot that? Here's a kid who isn't eating well, sleeping well, not participating, not making friends. So those sort of primary functions of a camper when they're, you know, a day or two, we're going to make it if it's that extreme on a chronic basis, that camper is not eating well, sleeping well. Connecting participating. The first thing that's gonna happen again with at a camp with a well-trained staff is someone at camp is gonna contact you and say, here's the situation. Here's how we've been managing it. Let's talk about options, but it would be a huge mistake for any parent to preemptively respond to what is in 99.9% of cases, a normative, homesick letter by getting themselves to the camp and robbing their child of such an important developmental experience. Kristina Supler: Do phone calls help or hurt a child sort of weather the storm of homesickness. Dr. Chris Thurber: Unequivocally, they hurt until you've passed at least the two-week mark and then phone calls, if it's a four or seven week experience, are appropriate if they are scheduled not as a treatment for homesickness, not you missed your mom or you miss your dad or and so let's get them on the phone. It's never a treatment for homesickness and it if it's ever used by camp directors who don't know the research, haven't been to one of my workshops or parents who, you know, haven't read this summer camp handbook. And again, these are loving, well-intentioned people, but it is absolutely the wrong thing to do. If it's a scheduled contact after the two-week Mark that's used simply as a way to keep in touch, great. Even better though, letter writing. Because think about the difference you have to ponder You have to personalize. You have to reflect and then to get a response you have to wait and that's really good for kids. They don't have enough practice. Susan Stone: Delayed gratification.   Kristina Supler: Though I will say that all the the shishi camps now, there's still some letter writing, but then there's the there's emails and it's not, you know, unfettered access, but you have to wait a day for your response. So there's a little bit of delayed gratification, but it's not like a week for the post to be delivered. Susan Stone: Oh, what about care packages? Because I know that I remember this like it was yesterday. What started out as send a few pieces of candy, then became my kids were saying this one got this and this one got that, and you don't love me if you don't send me this and…. Kristina Supler: The status thing, it almost turned into as well. The comparisons who got what. Susan Stone: And I was always on the bottom. Does that surprise you? Kristina Supler: I doubt that very much. Susan Stone: And I'm telling you I sent some good care packages. Thoughts? Dr. Chris Thurber: Well, if you know if, if you're bored this summer, you could send me some care packages just to my home because I won't be. But now I see it it that is the problem you just described it and most camps are moving to a policy of no care packages. Sending your child to camp investing your you know time and your money. Although many camps also offer financial aid, you did a wonderful thing by involving Susan, your child, in the search for what camp is it going to be? It gave Alex decision control. She felt involved in the process. That is a wonderful way to diminish the intensity of homesickness. So without having a conversation, the two of us, you did so many things well. And I would say if the camp now is not allowing care packages, they're doing something well, because having your child go to camp is a way of showing you care in all caps, bold exclamation point, italics underlined. This is a way of showing you care and the camp has wonderful food and snacks and lots of things to do. So you don't need to send care packages and that makes it easier for everybody, not just in the name of equity and preventing this kind of comparison, but also in the name of hygiene, you know, camps that allow care packages. Susan Stone: Or lack thereof. Dr. Chris Thurber: Ohh. Or exactly? Susan Stone: I mean, I came back and saw some yellow teeth. I doubt we're brushed, but you know that's part of it. Dr. Chris Thurber: Yeah, well, there's that. There's that, but there's also raccoons and mice and squirrels and all the other, you know, creepy crawlies that also love your chocolate chip cookies. Susan Stone: Yeah. Who wouldn't. Kristina Supler: I'm curious, are there any conversations that sort of come to mind that you encourage parents to have with their children before sending them off? Probably the first time or so to camp. Dr. Chris Thurber: So it's it, you know, it's normal for expect that your child is gonna express some kind of trepidation. It could be, what if I feel homesick? Or what if I don't like this? Or what if I'm not making friends, but the response that I coach parents to have when there's some kind of expression of, you know, concern is or anticipatory anxiety? Hey, I'm glad I'm glad we're talking about this. I think there will be some sort of adjustment because it's a new place with new traditions, different menu of activities and food. And of course, like that takes some getting used to. It's also part of the excitement is that it's different, different from home. It's different from school and I've every confidence that you will be able to push through those periods of adjustment those days when you feel like, ohh, you wish you had another friend or you're missing something from home or you don't like what's served for lunch. That's part of the experience and then you know, so that's the conversation to have is one that expresses optimism, optimism and confidence. The conversation not to have at any cost in any circumstance is the pickup deal, so saying, well, if you don't like it, I'll come and get you. Susan Stone: Umm, Nope, not happening. Dr. Chris Thurber: If you feel homesick, yeah. Because you have, you have just, you know, incapacitated the camp staff, whatever they would say to coach your child through a normal bout of homesickness is immediately surpassed by your offer on the table, which is there something you don't like? I'm gonna come and get you. What we wanna be doing as loving parents is saying, you know, there's something you don't like or if you're uncomfortable, I want you to learn the coping skills to manage that right. I mean, and you don't have to use those words, but when you say you can persevere, the camp staff are there to help you write to me about how you feel. And I'll write back. You know, this is this is what we want to say. Without ever, ever putting on the table a pickup deal it just it it it's horrible. Kristina Supler: But what's interesting is that essentially what I'm hearing you say, reading between the lines are listening between the lines. It is parents don't insert yourself in the process. So no, I'll come get you if you're miserable. Don't insist on phone. Let your child have an opportunity to excel and navigate conflict and emotions on on the child's own footing. Dr. Chris Thurber: Yes, PS:, we deserve a break. As you know from full-time parenthood, so enjoy yourself. Susan Stone: Amen. Well, if you can't do the pre summer before the summer tour, which I have to say I could do for my first child. But then two and three didn't have that luxury. What is the advice you give parents right now, end of November, early December, to help give students the choice of camps. Would it be helpful because you really can't do a camp visit now? Camps are closed. So would you say have them look online and watch those great videos and then maybe have a call with the camp director? Dr. Chris Thurber: That would be perfect. I think they're probably some things you can do before you go online, such as, you know, open ended conversation about what do you imagining you'd like to do at camp and are you imagining that you would like to be at an A Coed camp or an all gender camper or voice camper or girls camp? Are you imagining you would like to be in the mountains close to the shore on a lake. So you can throw some of those parameters out there, and if you have camp experience, you can also describe the camp where you at and what that was like and then you can go online and do a bit of a virtual tour, but the American Camp Association website and kids camps and a few other places, if you Google databases of summer camps, you're gonna be able to find keeping in mind that the American Camp Association database and the provincial camps associations databases are the only ones that camps are not paying an extra fee for to advertise. So yes, it's all marketing. Yes, it's all advertising and yes, you have to pay to be a member of the American Camp Association or the Ontario Camp Association, but you don't have to pay anything extra to be listed. You do have to pay extra to be listed in these other online listings, so you may not get a complete list, but you can narrow it down and then you can start as you said, going on to the websites and taking a peek. And it's wonderful to be able to talk to the camp director. One other thing that I would ask the camp director is could you give me the names of some families local to me who have kids at camp right now or have in the last few years. And the reason I would phrase it like that families local to me is twofold. One, if you say give me the names of some families, they're going to give you the names of the two families that are their personal friends who loved camp the most and are an extension of the marketing. If you say families local to you, that means that they can't hand pick the two families to zoom with, their local to whatever town you're in. Plus, if they are families local to you, this is the best thing getting families together, whether it's during this winter break or you know sometime in January, February or maybe the March or April break. But you know, so the kids can talk camp. You know, I'm talking about a returning camper and the parents can chat about what helped their child and what helped their own adjustment, because of course they're gonna miss their kids. But I think that's wonderful. So just add that as the cherry on top to your virtual tour idea. Susan Stone: I remember doing that by the way, calling the parents were local. I did and I also used, they were great, a camp advisor where I spoke to the person and said what I was interested and they generated a list and it was free. So parents should know. You know, I don't know how you feel about camp advisors. There are people who take their fees from the camps and not the parents. Dr. Chris Thurber: Mm-hmm. Right. Susan Stone: Umm. Is that something you would recommend as well? Dr. Chris Thurber: I think that as long as you recognize what it is that is being paid for, either by you or the camp which is access camp advisors can be enormously helpful in meeting a family, meeting a child, helping that child cull down you know their interests or listen to what their interests are and cull down the list of camps, knowing that you're going to be getting a choice or be offered a few camps that are already on that camp advisor's list. The pro being that camp advisor has personally vetted those camps, so they've done some of the background research for you. The downside being the list is limited to the camps that paid to work with that advisor or you know it's a limited by the advisor's geographic scope, but it can be enormously helpful and wonderful dimension to finding camps. You do your virtual camp tour and then talk to a camp advisor. You start to get some like convergent validity if you're coming up with the same two or three camp names, right? Kristina Supler: Absolutely. Look, Doctor Thurber, this has been a real treat. I think that you've given us some really, really great information and food for thought. Dr. Chris Thurber: Oh good. Kristina Supler: For parent listeners out there and I'm glad that we were able to talk summer camp, but gives us something to look forward to on this cold snowy day. Susan Stone: Kristina, do you think that we could go to summer camp? Kristina Supler: I wish. Spa weekend. That's our summer camp, right? Dr. Chris Thurber: There you go, Club Med. Susan Stone: A spa hour, if we're lucky. Susan Stone: Thank you, Dr. Thurber. We really loved having you. Dr. Chris Thurber: Thank you both. Susan Stone: We really loved having you. Dr. Chris Thurber: I love being here. Happy holidays. Kristina Supler: Thanks for listening to Real Talk with Susan and Kristina. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our show so you never miss an episode and leave us a review so other people can find the content we share here. You can follow us on Instagram, just search our handle @StoneSupler and for more resources, visit us online at studentdefense.kjk.com. Thank you so much for being a part of our Real Talk community. We'll see you next time.  

Is your child spending excessive time gaming, scrolling through social media, or watching online videos? Worry no more! Join us as Michael Jacobus discusses a digital detox program to help children thrive in today's digital world. Tune in to hear valuable insights on how you can assist your kids in regulating their screen time and fostering a healthier relationship with technology.     Key takeaways to listen for Reset Summer Camp: Their origin, goals, and dynamic youth development approach Telltale signs your teen might need a digital detox How video games are designed to be addictive Strategies to guide and regulate your teen's screen time Key points to encourage teens to join tech detox summer camps     Resources Are you concerned about your teen's screen time habits? Go to https://www.resetsummercamp.com and download our "Top 8 Signs Your Teen is at Risk of Technology Addiction" document for FREE!   Dive into a life of growth, balance, and adventure for your kids with Reset Summer Camp. Visit www.resetsummercamp.com and use promo code "18summers" to enjoy an exclusive 10% off on our basic and premium courses - enroll now!     About Michael Jacobus Michael is a camp professional with over 30 years of experience in youth development and leadership training. In 2018, he made a significant impact by pioneering the world's first clinical summer camp program dedicated to addressing unhealthy screen time habits, social media, and gaming addiction. He also shares his expertise in youth development as a speaker and facilitator for the American Camp Association.    Michael's extensive background includes working in program, administration, and development roles for organizations such as the Boy Scouts, various non-profits, church groups, and private camps. Notably, he represented Global Camps Africa while working with HIV-affected youth in Soweto, South Africa. His multifaceted experiences make him a valuable contributor to the field of camp professionalism and youth development.     Connect with Michael  Website: Reset Summer Camp LinkedIn: Michael Jacobus     Connect with Us To learn more about us, visit our website at www.18summers.com or email us at info@18summers.com. To get a copy of our book “The Family Board Meeting”, click here.   Subscribe to 18 Summers Podcast and leave a rating and written review!     Social Media Channels Facebook Group: 18 Summers LinkedIn: Jimmy Sheils Instagram: @18summerstribe

As more children emerge from the pandemic grappling with mental health issues, their parents are seeking ways for them to build emotional resilience. And toy companies are paying close attention. While still in its early phase, a growing number of toy marketers are embracing MESH—or mental, emotional, and social health—as a designation for toys that teach kids skills, like how to adjust to new challenges, resolve conflict, advocate for themselves, or solve problems. The acronym was first used in child development circles and by the American Camp Association 10 years ago and gained new resonance after the pandemic. Rachele Harmuth, head of ThinkFun, a division of toy company Ravensburger, and resilience expert and family physician Deborah Gilboa, formed a MESH task force earlier this year with the goal of getting manufacturers to design toys with emotional resilience in mind and to have retailers market them accordingly. “We just need to educate parents and educators just a little bit to know that we could be using their playtime a little bit intentionally,” Gilboa said. Many toys that could be considered MESH happen to already be in children's toy chests—like memory games, puppets, certain types of Legos, Pokémon trading games, and Dungeons & Dragons. But some worry the MESH approach might end up promising parents something it can't deliver. There's also a risk of companies preying on parents' anxieties about their kids' mental health. “My fear is that MESH will be used as the next marketing gimmick,” said Chris Byrne, an independent toy analyst. “It will create a culture of fear that their children are not developing socially and emotionally. And that's not really the job of the toy industry.” Dave Anderson, vice president of school and community programs and a senior psychologist in the ADHD and Behavior Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute, applauded the toy industry's efforts to likewise address emotional resilience. But he said parents need to be careful about claims that companies may be making. While there's evidence that skills highlighted by the MESH taskforce can build resilience, there's no evidence that the toys themselves will, he said. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

As the founder and CEO of the TLC Family of Camps and Inns, Jay Jacobs is the majority owner of 3 sleep-away camps, 3 day camps, a preschool and two country inns, one in the Catskill Mts and one in the Poconos. Jay's camps are some of the premier camps in the country. In 1991 Jay co-founded the non-profit SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education). SCOPE funds camp scholarships (camperships) to send kids to camp. From the SCOPE website, "Summer camp is an essential component of the year-round educational continuum and plays a critical role in helping children from underserved communities to thrive. The vast majority of children in low-income communities have little or no access to summer opportunities, resulting in an enormous achievement gap and summer learning loss. SCOPE bridges this gap by making summer camp accessible to as many deserving children as possible." To date SCOPE has sent over 25,000 kids to camps. Additionally in 2001 Jay founded and currently serves as chair of Heal the Children, a program of the American Camp Association that provides free camperships to the children of victims of the 9/11 tragedy. On this episode Bobby and Jay talk exclusively about Jay's success as a camp founder and operator, please know he gives as hard as he works. Outside of camp Jay is the Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee. We spend the last quarter of this episode asking Jay about how he balances his political duties with his business responsibilities. No matter what side of the aisle you are on, you will get a lot out of that part of the episode. Especially if public service is a calling for you while keeping your business or day job alive and thriving. To learn more about Jay's camps, inns and programs head on over to camptlc.com. For now, enjoy Bobby's cup of coffee with Jay Jacobs.

It has been some time since we have recorded a new episode! The reason being is Bobby has experienced a major shift in his work and today's episode is a reflection of that. In October of last year Bobby joined the TLC Family of Camps as a co-Director at Timber Lake West Camp in the Catskill Mountains of NY. On the next episode we will share more information about this new role and more about what Timber Lake West is all about. If you are curious now, head on over to TimberLakeWest.com. Today on the podcast Bobby has coffee and conversation with summer camp professionals Dave Brown and John Hamilton. Dave Brown grew up as a camper at Mountain Camp, a co-ed sleep-away summer camp located near Lake Tahoe. Growing up at camp Dave went on to work at camp as a Counselor in Training (CIT), a Junior Counselor and then a Cabin Counselor. After camp Dave went on to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and rejoined Mountain Camp as a year-round director. When not at camp, Dave offers training and consultation for youth-serving organizations such as camps, schools and non-profits through his company Fence Post Learning. Over the past 20 years, Dave has worked directly with children and families in a variety of roles and settings. As a Therapist, Counselor, Camp Director and Trainer. He has worked in treatment centers, schools, nonprofits and summer camps. John Hamilton is a leader in the camp, out-of-school time (OST) and youth development fields. John currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer for the Alliance for Camp Health whose mission is Working toward healthier camp communities. John has a deep understanding of mental, emotional, and social health (MESH) needs of youth and a hope-filled perspective for our youth. John has a masters in Leadership and Cultural Justice, has been named the American Camp Association's Subject Matter expert on MESH and Trauma-Informed Care at camp and is a former Executive Director of Camp Alta. From the ACH website, "With perspective from hands-on experience overseeing fifty-plus programs around the country, being onsite at an average of ten different camps per summer, and consulting organizations, John's voice will help restore belief in the future of our work and guide us to discover ways to create healthier summer learning communities." That right there is why this conversation is so very needed and valuable. Many of you who are regular listeners are coaches and camper directors. Those of you from non-youth serving worlds, I know many of you are parents. When we say we sit down with leaders and we talk about culture and connection, in my opinion there is no better leader than a parent, no better culture than a family and no one better to connect with than a kid. Please enjoy Bobby's cup of coffee with Dave Brown and John Hamilton.

Episode SummaryShane Woods is a woman in STEM advocate. She believes in equity and diversity in STEM and wants to be STEM be equitable across all stations in life. Her experience as a Black woman in STEM and as a teacher has taught her how to advocate for all in STEM. She is thoughtful and mindful of the experiences that children are having in school and has sought to be an answer to the problem. Girl Start is a blessed organization to have her at the helm. Shane Woods BioShane is Girlstart's Executive Director. She began her career as a middle school science teacher in the Fort Worth Independent School District. In her 17 years with the district, Shane was able to make her mark in every position she held from department chair to leading the entire district as the K-12 Science Director overseeing curriculum and assessment development while supporting teachers in honing their skills through year-long professional learning opportunities. Most recently, Shane acted as the Senior Director of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas STEM Center of Excellence, which is a 92-acre living laboratory where kids of all ages can explore and develop their competence and confidence in science, technology, engineering, and math – all while cultivating essential skills such as confidence, resilience, leadership, risk-taking, and problem-solving. Shane has a B.S. in Biology from Xavier University of New Orleans and an M.S.Ed. in Middle-Level Science and Mathematics from Walden University. She remains active in her community as a nationally recognized and award-winning leader and speaker in science education. Shane holds leadership positions with National Science Education Leadership Association, American Camp Association, and the Women Leading Technology Sorority.Website: www.girlstart.org                      https://www.brainstemconsultants.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-woods-stem/  Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showYou can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:https://www.drtoshia.comSTEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/reflections-and-dreams-2022Before the pandemic, we would never have dreamed of starting a podcast. Now, we're wrapping up season three! Three seasons of Zoom, Slack, Facebook, and virtual everything. Three seasons that feels both like a lifetime and like it has passed in the blink of an eye. Today marks the final episode of the third season of beyond camp. Join us as we get vulnerable once again, reflecting, challenging each other and dreaming of the future. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and settle in, we are so grateful you are with us.BONUS LINK FROM THIS SHOW:A letter to my child's staff person . . .-Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/dont-lose-your-friendsLearn from our mistakes…here's how to make sure you keep your friends this summer.They say making friends as an adult is hard… but whoever said that for the first time had never tried being an overnight camp director, juggling the demands of a 24/7 job with friends back home. We don't claim to be experts on this, we have certainly lost some friends and damaged other friendships over the summer and we want you to learn from us. Grab your coffee, tea or other beverage and listen in.-Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/being-a-mentorGiving back isn't as hard as you think!Many of us are fortunate to have incredible mentors in our lives, people we can turn to, ask questions to and share our failures with. But how do you become a mentor? Do you have to have worked in the industry for 50 years? Do you have to be a walking encyclopedia of answers? We would argue no - the best mentors are those who know themselves, know what they have to offer and can connect you with others.You're ready to be a mentor, we believe in you!-Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/self-care-community-careIs self-care really the be-all and end-all of mental health?Every felt like self-care just isn't cutting it? What about shifting from me to we? We know we are stronger together and that the weight of the world is more easily shared when carried together. Join us as we push to shift our mindset from self-care to community care because together we can do hard things. And no one deserves to be alone.-Links from this show:https://fashionmagazine.com/flare/self-care-new-zealand-muslim-attack/https://www.wellandgood.com/what-is-community-care/#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20ways%20that,we%20can%20better%20heal%20ourselveshttps://jack.org/About/Be-There  -Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/camp-corporate-worldWhen you trade in your Keens for dress shoes…will camp still be with you?From camp counselor to a director for Health Canada, Etienne's passion for camp hasn't wavered, if anything it's grown stronger. A moment at a staff meeting percolated in his head until years later when a light bulb moment struck and changed the way he saw the world forever. The passion that Etienne has for how important camp leadership skills are beyond camp is contagious, so grab a cup of coffee and listen in.-Bonus LinksThanks for checking out the show notes!Book recommendations from Etienne Compass: Your Guide for Leadership Development and Coaching Leadership BS -Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/is-all-fun-created-equalThe different types of fun you've experienced as a camp pro, and what it's like now…Have you ever had a moment during the summer where you question your very decision to end up where you are at that current moment, but then once the summer is over you look back and say ‘wow that was incredible!'? That might just be type 2 fun. Join us as we dive into different types of fun, why they are important and how we can create them.-Recharge Station - Charge your batteries!From Rachel KentHave some fun this week - Type 1 AND Type 2!-Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/beyond-eco-anxiety-climate-changeOur campers are some of the most eco-aware campers ever. Are you ready for them? Climate change, eco-anxiety, swimming lessons, transportation, intersectionality. Today's episode with guest Alyssa Porter touches on all these topics and more. Grab a cup of coffee and join us as we hear from Alyssa about how climate change impacts camp and how we can empower young people to learn, be inspired and make a difference for generations to come.-Recharge Station - Charge your batteries!From Rachel and Cassie:Find. Your. Person.-Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario CouncilAlyssa Porter, Director of Youth and Family Programs - Chautauqua Institution-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/how-to-have-funThe “How To” episode you didn't know you needed!Do you ever get jealous of how easy it is for a kid to have fun? When was the last time you had fun? Do you get stressed about trying to play epic, fun events for your team? Well join us as we break down the science of how to have fun… don't worry it isn't as scary as it sounds!-Recharge Station - Charge your batteries!From Cassie:Read More, easily, it's not free but Lucid - visual reading, breaks books into smaller pieces and even has a comprehension question at the end of each chapter.-Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/lessons-you-may-have-forgotten-2Do you ever find yourself wiping a table a particular way? Or able to navigate a difficult conversation and say to yourself “thanks, camp!” This episode is for you.It would be an understatement to say that we learn a lot in our camp careers. In fact, we learn so much that we can't possibly keep it all top of mind. Cassie and Rachel are back to remind you that whether or not you're still in the industry, you've got a library of knowledge on your side to navigate the rocky seas of work and life.Tune is to remember about:Goal-settingEffective self-careBuilding trustSelling yourself and what you doStaying hungry for knowledge and opportunitiesFinding and building communityBalanceA great book recommendation - The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander-Recharge Station - Charge your batteries!From Rachel:“Find a good friend who will call you out on your shit.” Period.-Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/beyondcamp/mental-health-and-campMental Health and Camp - the new soy butter and Jelly!Camp professionals know that mental health is a challenge at camp but often being able to articulate just where the gaps in our knowledge are can be challenging. Today our guest Erin Sunstrum shares with us how she identified those gaps and has taken steps in her own camping journey to help bridge those.Tune in to this episode to hear about:How do you identify? What words would you use to identify yourself? Do you think about your privilege? What privilege do you think you carry?As a leader do you feel responsibility or pressure to discuss your identity? How do you cope with that? You are currently working at camp but also in school. what made you decide to do this?How did your time at camp influence your choice of program?Are there any lessons from camp either as a camper or staff member you carry with you now or reflect on?How has camp shaped how you work with young people/how you want to work with young people?Are you moving away from camp/how do you plan on incorporating your education into camp?-Recharge Station - Charge your batteries!Firm & Fair Boundaries-Your Hosts:Cassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario CouncilErin Sunstrum, Director, Camp Wanapeti-Thanks to our sponsor:The American Camp Association of Illinois is made up of nearly 289,000 members, volunteers, campers, families, and professionals who believe in the power of camp. We work to disrupt the effects of poverty by providing fundamental services for children and families, and learning opportunities for camp professionals. Learn more about ACA Illinois by visiting acail.org

Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/mini-marcy-browerA spotlight on a wonderful woman in camping, Marcy BrowerReview us on iTunes!There are some amazing people who blaze a trail for change;Marcy and Bob founded and operated Circle M Day Camp in Wheeling Illinois for 45 years, one of the first private camps to hire minority staff and enroll minority children.Her interest in opportunities for children eventually influenced the whole of private camping in the national organization of private camps.Marcy and Bob founded the Mid states Camping conference in 1993. And Marcy was an American Camp Association Illinois Board member and then served on the National Board and an endless list of committees.Marcy was active in the civil rights movement and in the struggle for the rights of the LGBTQ community, particularly in ACA. She raised funds for civil rights groups and labor unions by sponsoring folk music concerts on the campgrounds during the 1960s, and marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington in 1963.Here is an article they wrote in the 1960's for American Camp Association:https://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/articles/desegregating-circle-m-day-camp-determination-succeed-Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro-YOUR HOSTS:Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Vice president ACA IllinoisGUESTS:Colette Marquardt, Executive Director of ACA Illinois-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/-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://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/mini-scott-brodyHow Scott Brody and The ACA supported camps through the dark days of summer 2020.Andy is joined by his longtime friend, colleague and business partner, Scott Brody, who also happens to be the Board Chair of the American Camp Association, with a concentration the past 4 years on Government affairs.Tune in to hear about Scott and the ACA's response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and what they did to literally give camps the playbook to run in a pandemic.Hear more about:How Scott got into camping, and what his current position is important position in this important moment of time.What is it about the sleepaway spirit… at Day Camp?Explain the extensive work that the ACA has been doing BEHIND THE SCENES, starting with the pandemic response- EHEDo you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro-Relevant Links:https://www.kenwood-evergreen.com/https://www.everwooddaycamp.com/https://www.sewataro.com/ACA Covid-19 resource page-YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampGUESTS:Scott Brody, Owner & Director - Camps Kenwood & Evergreen-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/-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 more at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/eleanor-eellsCelebrating a foundational Camp Professional. Tune in to learn about Eleanor Eells and her legacy in camping in part, through Title XX funding.Review us on iTunes!Eleanor P. Eells was a leader and inspiration within the field of camp throughout her life. She was an active participant in the Settlement House and Social Service Agency camp movements and a pioneer in therapeutic camping. She was one of the founders of the Fund for Advancement of Camping and served as its director through FAC's formative years.Eleanor Eells had an equally important influence on the American Camp Association. She worked with FAC to support programs such as ACA's 1970s standards research and rewrite; the pilot Camp Director Certification Institute; the Camping Unlimited/Intergrouping Project; ACA's last reorganization; and securing government funding for campership use. Her greatest contribution was helping individuals and camps start new programs. When these programs were operating, she shared results with countless others.Eleanor Eells' life was an example for the camp professional. The first recipient of ACA's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, Eleanor Eells passed away in her 94th year in Calgary, Alberta.We're so excited to welcome Gordie Kaplan to this mini-pod to discuss an extremely important figure in the camping industry, Eleanor Eells!Tune in to hear about:1. How did you end up working with Eleanor?2. What was the societal problem that the two of you were trying to remedy that led to Title XX?3. Describe Tittle XX?4. Title XX in the COVID year, how we adapted program's to still serve campers.-Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.proIf you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It's SUPER easy, too! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcpYOUR HOST:Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Vice president ACA IllinoisGUESTS:Gordie Kaplan, Camping Industry Veteran - ACA-IL-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/-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!

This week's episode features another visit to our coastal cousins in California, where we meet up with Nate, who has been "Doing Big Things," since his grade school days.  A DMV kid who tasted global promise during his four years in Miami, Nate takes us behind the scenes of his quarantine, spent buying a 100 year-old fixer-upper with no previous know-how, pushing forward an event production company in a landscape with no events, and reminding himself just how Rich we all are.Learn more about DBT Nation at www.dbtnation.com and follow him @dbtnation on IG.This episode was made possible by the American Camp Association, which has been helping seven-year olds manage their homesickness for over 100 years.(8/11/2020)Music: www.purple-planet.com

Crafts that are both in-person and virtual-camp friendly! Thanks, Sam and Diana!Review us on iTunes!As we truly dig-in to one of the weirdest summers of our time, we wanted to equip you with some crafts and program ideas that will help you run the best program you can, whether it's virtual or in-person.And when it comes to incredible Day Camp Programs, who do we turn to? Sam Thompson of course!Tune in to this mini-pod to hear about some of the best fidget and sensory-friendly crafts that Sam and her co-worker Diana Vroman have found!HERE'S A PDF WITH SOME OF THE CRAFTS - THANKS FOR THIS, SAM!-What do you think of the mini-pod? Please let us know by commenting here and leaving us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp-YOUR HOSTS:Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Vice president ACA IllinoisDiana Vroman, Elementary Schools Site Director - Crystal Lake Park District-SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Thanks for the season, Day Camp friends! Here are our favourite episodes and some goals for your next summer!Review us on iTunes!It's been a wonderfully full second season for the Day Camp Pod! 19 full episodes, 5 mini-pods (2 more on the way, still!) and over 10,000 downloads, we've certainly come a long way!On behalf of the team at Go Camp Pro, we're so grateful for Andy, Sam and Ehren for their radical openness and dedication to sharing the tips and best practices that will make everyone's Day Camp better.As well, to our incredible guests, thank you for joining in on the fun! We're grateful to all of you not only for what you did for us, but in general for making our industry as great as it is.To wrap this season, our hosts share their favourite episodes and takeaways from Season 2 followed by some goals for the next summer season their camp will be running.Thanks for the season, friends!Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro-Our Favorite Episodes From Season 2EhrenLeveraging Your Brand and Knowledge with Audrey MonkeStaff Meetings at Day CampSamEven More Inclusion - with Lucia Thoensen and Terri SoutherlandSpecialists and Activity Leaders Working Effectively with Day Camp Staff - with Michael BrandweinAndyTreating Your Day Camp Like A Business - With Jonathan GoldDebriefing Your Summer Season-YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood - Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Vice president ACA Illinois-SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/-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!

Camp should be for every child. Here's how to ensure your Day Camp is inclusive for children of all abilities.A lot of camp professionals operate under the belief that every child deserves a week at summer camp. However, when it comes to the execution of that “every” child, we can sometimes fall short when there is a camper who's needs we feel like we don't have the means to serve.What we need to do is shift our paradigm of thinking that inclusion programs at camp are “more work” and think of them as “work worth doing”.As you'll hear on this episode, the benefits of an inclusion program stretch far beyond just the individual. From fellow campers, to staff, even directors, everyone has a ton to gain from welcoming campers and adults with differing abilities into your program.To learn some of the best practices when it comes to inclusive programs, Andy, Sam and Ehren are joined by Lucia Thoensen from Tamarak Day Camp and Country School and Terri Southerland from Liberty Lake.Tune in to learn:Why do inclusion? What are the benefits to your other campers?Having conversations with the parents about additional needs before, during, with the child present. What key questions should we ask?What information do you share with the other campers/parents?Training the whole staff about InclusionWhat happens if we can't serve a child(he isn't making progress)?What happens when they “age out”? What opportunities can we give them?-If you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It's SUPER easy, too! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp-THE DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEKTerri: Harmony Hut - A calming place for campers who need some time and space.Lucia: Envelope system for camper behaviourEhren: Sensory overload staff training exercise to help build empathySam: Craft for children with fine motor issues. Use egg cartons, plaster of Paris, water and paint and you've got some big chunks of paint!Bonus Resource:Andy's ACA Presentation with lots of great Liberty Lake intake and scheduling resources:https://libertylakedaycamp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Day-Camp-Inclusion.pdf -YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood - Robin Hood Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park DistrictLucia Thoensen, Director - Tamarak Day Camp and Country SchoolTerri Southerland, Inclusion Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp-SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

A glimpse into how things are going to change in the Day Camp world, post-pandemic. Dr. G is back again!A more logistical follow-up to last mini-pod's conversation with Dr. G.If you make the decision to run camp in 2020, OR if we're still here for 2021 (heaven forbid), there's going to be a lot to think about as we're preparing to welcome people to our sites.It's going to take time, but you definitely want to start with a medical perspective, and that's why Dr. G is back!These logistics is definitely one of those “easier said than done” types of things. To help, Dr. Debi Gilboa (yes, THE Dr. G!) talks to Andy about how to authentically remind your staff that they are cared for beyond just their employment status with you.If you listen to this and feel that you need some more help, Dr. G is offering her help to consult with directors and leadership staff to meet with parents, staff, and families and help foster cultures of emotional resilience. Find out more at askdrg.com.-What do you think of the mini-pod? Please let us know by commenting here and leaving us a review at http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp-YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs ProjectDr. Deborah Gilboa, “Dr. G”, Parenting & Youth Development Expert - www.askdoctorg.com-Sponsors:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

LITs, CITs, CILTs, Interns, Future Leaders - whatever you call them, they are the keys to your camp's future! Here's how to give them the best day camp experience ever.One of the most difficult parts of directing camp is that it can be hard to really be “in the moment” at camp. After all, it's our job to have long term vision. If we're not thinking a week, month or year ahead of where we are now, we may miss an opportunity, or end up having to scramble down the road.One of the things that can often be a long term stressor is staffing. If we aren't putting in a consistent recruiting effort, we could be missing out on a potential all-start candidate.What if there was a way to find that all-star 4 years in advance? Better yet, what if 4 years down the road, that all-star will know your program like the back of their sweaty, ga-ga ball playing hand?An effective teen leadership program is like a staffing crystal ball. Not only does it create a successful staff team down the road, but it also gives teens the 21st-century skills that are going to help them for the rest of their lives.Teen leadership programs are really the best of both worlds - but only if you do them right.To help you get them right, Andy, Sam and Ehren are joined by Ryan Rosen from Camp Kinneret and Liberty Lake Director, Brandi Carnivale.Tune in to this episode to hear about:Why do a teen leadership program in the first place?When is the best time to begin teens on their leadership journey?What are some examples of effective structures of teen leadership programs at different camps?How to give teens a meaningful experience beyond just the program and counseling work they assist with?What are some special moments to add to your program that will make it memorable and truly empower teens to be the world's leaders of the future?Wilderness Trips, Board Breaking, Mentorship and many more gems from our hosts-If you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It's SUPER easy, too! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp-THE DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEK Sam: Make your own sidewalk chalkEhren: Instagram party just for teen campersBrandi: Board breaking ceremonyRyan: At the end of every summer, look at what your staff are struggling with, and look back to re-design the leadership program to start emphasizing those skills now.-YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park DistrictBrandi Carnivale-Anderson, Director - Liberty Lake Day CampRyan Rosen, Director - Camp KinneretSPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJAM Skier InsuranceCommercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)  -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.

Is your staff training as good as it can be? We've brought in the Camp Code pros to help you get it there!We're releasing this episode in April 2020. Aka one of the most unsettling points in our industry's history. Right now, we don't know if camp will happen.What we do know is that if (and when) it does, we need our staff to be ready to give kids the most amazing, outdoor, socially non-distanced experience of their lives.The quality of your staff is the key to camper retention and the quality of the intention that you put into your training is the key to the quality of your staff.Get it?So whenever you're ready to think about your next staff training, this is the episode for you. We're so excited to welcome Gabrielle Raill and Ruby Compton from the Camp Code Podcast from Go Camp Pro - a podcast entirely dedicated to staff training and leadership development in camp staff.Tune in to hear about:Why staff training starts in the job application and interviewWhy your “why” is absolutely critical to address in staff trainingHow to ensure that the new staff feel especially welcome at trainingHow online training can both hinder and help your training goalsMany more GENIUS tidbits from Ruby and GabDid we miss something? Please let us know in the comments or by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro-If you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It's SUPER easy to! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp-THE DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEKAndy: Orientation LeadersSam: Closing Ceremonies by using the Camp Counsellor Manifesto by Joe RichardsEhren: Fast-paced pre-camp training with lots of variety in terms of speakers, space, timing and location.Ruby: We don't have enough time! Setting staff training objectives clearly and then sticking to them relentlesslyGabz: Give your Sr. Staff who will lead sessions this session format: Lecture -> Do -> Lecture -> Do -> Review. You can even gather your staff team's skills to lead some of the “Do” (interactive) parts of the training.-YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood - Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park DistrictGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors-SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Find full show notes, bonus resources and program tips of the week at http://daycamppod.comDid you know that 5/6 kids in the US don't go to summer camp? Let's change that ratio and get those kids to your camp.Did that stat blow you away? For us camp folk, it's almost unbelievable that we are part of the mere 17% of people that really understand the transformative, wonderful, magical power of a week, month or summer at camp.What this means, is that unless you have a 100% return rate (you wish!), then this is a prime audience!The thing is, we are really GOOD at talking to the 17%, but really BAD at talking to the 83%. We make so many assumptions that people already know what the benefits of camp are. We also assume that they are looking for the type of experience that our core camp families say that they love about our program.To help us all access that mystical 83%, Sam, Ehren and Andy are joined by Eric and Allison Wittenberg. Eric comes from the Berkshire Soccer Academy and an incredible camp marketing business, CamperMachine. Allison is a longtime membership director and trainer at the American Camp Association, NY/NJ and now working as a consultant herself.Tune in to hear about:How Eric and Allison grew up at camp and found themselves back in the industryWhat is preventing non-camp families from signing up to your campHow to switch up your marketing language and messaging to reach families who don't get campHow to analyze your sales funnels to get the best chance of finding something that clicks with new familiesUnderstanding the difference between your camp's features and benefitsSome awesome program tips that will make your camp better THIS summer!Did we miss something? Please let us know in the comments or by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro-YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park DistrictAllison Wittenberg, Senior Consultant at Change ImpactEric Wittenberg, Chief Marketing Officer, Camper Machine-Sponsors:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/-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!

What Day Camp Directors need to know about the major trends in the industry.Part of the job of every great Camp Director should be time set aside for big picture thinking. In that time, directors should not only be thinking widely about their organization but the landscape of the industry as a whole.In many cases, if you are up to date on the latest trends in the industry, there are many things that you can proactively do NOW to set your self up for success LATER.Your staff, families and campers will thank you for the deep-thinking you did 2 years ago.On the Day Camp Pod, we usually focus on a specific topic that Day Camps need to know about. For this episode, we are zooming out to give Day Camp Pros some time and space to look broadly at the industry.To help with that, Sam, Andy and Ehren are joined by some incredible Day Camp Pros that have an incredible vantage-point on the industry. As former staff, directors, owners and now consultants, Jed and Roz Buck (https://www.rozandjed.com) are here to add to a discussion on the hot-topics that you should know about as you prepare for the upcoming season.Tune in to hear about:Jed and Roz's camp experience, classic camp love-story and how they got to where they are now.How the customer-service expectations are changing in our industryWhat camps are doing to assess and change their cultureUnique perspectives and ideas on staff training and engagementDid we miss something? Please let us know in the comments or by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro-If you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It's SUPER easy, too! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcp-THE DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEKAndy: Doggie Dive Sam: Handshake - for jobs/internships (https://www.joinhandshake.com) + games laminated on a keyring for staff! Ehren: Staff scavenger hunt teaming old and new staff, incorporating camp songs and other camp cultural pieces.Roz: Making the downtime FUN-time! Giving them games intentionality. Jed: BEFORE orientation actually starts - give the staff something to do- games, anything- make it fun!!!-YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood - Robin Hood Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park DistrictRoz and Jed Buck, Camp Consultants - rozandjed.comSPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/

Summer camps thrive when they are relentlessly driven to serve their mission.Do you have a belief about how the world should be for kids? Do you feel strongly about the types of environments the kids and youth of today should be growing up in? Do you ever wish there was an intentional place that gives kids the space to express their true selves in a welcoming community?Well, hello!? That place is Summer Camp!No matter what type of camp we are a part of, we all believe in the common cause of creating a great place for kids to spend their summer.This episode is for those camps who want to take that universal belief to the next level.In this episode, we are going to focus in on two mission-driven camps that are so incredibly intentional about carrying out their “why”. Sam and Andy are joined by Tiffany McDuffie from Purposeful Play and Yoni Stadlin from Eden Villiage Camp. Both Tiffany and Yoni are doing some amazing things to serve their mission. This is definitely not an episode to miss!Tune in to hear about:Tiffany's camp origin story and how she created Purposeful PlayYoni's story and what Eden Village does to serve its missionTips for applying these mission-driven principals to your Day CampSome awesome program tips that will make your camp better THIS summer!What do you think? Please let us know in the comments or by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.proIf you love the Day Camp Pod, we would be grateful if you subscribed and left us a review. It's SUPER easy, too! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcpTHE DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEKAndy: Star PointsSam: Program Assessment Tool - to determine the validity of a program for your missionEhren: Facilitator BlueprintTiffany: Kobe Bryant Quote: “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they do.”Yoni: Angel Walk YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin HoodSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park DistrictTiffany McDuffie, Executive Director - Purposeful Play  Yoni Stadlin, Founder and Director - Eden Villiage CampSPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:American Camp Association, NY & NJ   http://www.acanynj.org/AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com