The Day Camp Pod - From Go Camp Pro

Send us a textCrafts 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/

Send us a textThanks 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!

Send us a textCamp 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)   

Send us a textA 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/

Send us a textLITs, 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

Send us a textWhether it’s this summer or next, we’re going to have to prepare our staff for the opening of Post-Pandemic Day Camp. Dr. G is here to help!The first summer after the 2020 pandemic is going to be a weird one.Logistics, health procedures, insurance, programming, it will all look different.One thing that we absolutely can’t miss is how we address the staff that we’re going to be working with this summer.How we address them, how we listen with them and how we empathize with what they’re going through now, will show your true colours as a camp leader.We don’t know what their current pandemic normal is and we can’t assume.We have to remember that no matter their age, our staff need to know that you are there for them and that you have their best interest in mind.This is definitely one of those “easier said than done” types of things. To help, Dr. Deborah 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 CampDr. Deborah Gilboa, “Dr. G”, Parenting & Youth Development Expert - www.askdoctorg.com

Send us a textIs 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)   

Send us a textHow do get virtual training right? Because we may have to be a little “socially distanced” this staff training.  A mini-pod from the Day Camp Pod!Hey Day Camp Pod fans!We’ve received a lot of emails this season about wanting more Day Camp Pod goodness. We’ve heard your cries and are here to deliver!We’re going to be experimenting with the “mini-pod” a few times before the end of this season. These short (~20min) episodes will appear every other week in between our usual full-length episodes.In our first mini-pod, Andy is joined by Evan Heltay from Expert Online Training to talk about a subject that is (potentially) more relevant than ever as we work through the COVID-19 era. Whether you are relying on it, or choosing to do it, virtual training is a great way to give staff some of the information that you may not have time to cover in orientation.Thanks to Evan for joining us!-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 ProjectEvan Heltay, Co-Founder & Director of Operations, Expert Online Training

Send us a textFind 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!

Send us a textWhat we know about COVID-19 and how it is affecting summer camps as of March 20th, 2020.In these interesting, uncertain, wild, scary times, we wanted to keep the camp world up to date with what the leaders in the industry are thinking, saying and doing when it comes to COVID-19 and it’s affect on the summer camp world. Andy, Sam and Ehren are joined by Joel Bennett, a camp veteran and consultant who recently led an excellent ACA “crucial conversation” webinar about the coronavirus situation. We also have with us Colette Marquardt, the Executive Director of ACA Illinois, and Travis Allison the curator of the Summer Camp Professionals Facebook Page, co-owner of Go Camp Pro and the curator of the Go Camp Pro Coronavirus Slack Group.In this emergency episode, we discuss:Open Houses, Camp Tours, etc. - Everything is on holdEffective communication in an era of disinformation with current families, prospective families, hired staff, prospective staff and campersCash flow - marketing, purchasing, staffing, lines of credits, loans, etc.What if the Camp Season Doesn’t take place? Developing creative solutions for potential staffing challenges.Working Remote without Missing a Beat: Best PracticesDid we miss something? Please let us know in the comments or by email: daycampquestions@gocamp.pro-DisclaimerThis is not legal advice, nor does it act as a substitute for keeping yourself up to code with your governmental health regulations. Please act with an informed and current perspective.-ResourcesGo Camp Pro’s COVID-19 & Camp Master Resource Page​Go Camp Pro’s Camps & COVID-19 (free) Slack team (even if you have an existing Slack account you'll need to create another one for this new Team)View Joel’s Webinar here-Your HostsAndy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampEhren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood - Robin Hood Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park DistrictJoel Bennett, Principal @ Joel Bennett ConsultingColette Marquardt, Executive Director of ACA IllinoisTravis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro