The Day Camp Pod - From Go Camp Pro

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

Send us a textWhat 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/

Send us a textSummer 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

Send us a textThere are less fish in the camp staff applicant pool than ever, so you need to step up your fishing gameReview us on iTunes!Many reports have shown that over the next 10 years, fewer and fewer youth 16-24 will be entering the workforce. This rate has already been in decline for the past 20 years and it seems that more and more, Day Camps across North America are feeling the staffing squeeze as the summer creeps ever closer.The worry of being under-staffed can be utterly consuming for camp directors, especially those who are hiring 400+ staff each season.Like all things in our industry, we need to adapt to circumstances in order for our camps to thrive and be full of the leaders of tomorrow. That means that this recruiting season, you need to get creative.To help you find the best ever, Sam and Andy are joined by Mark Hemmerdinger from Crestwood Country Day Camp in Long Island, Ryan Rosen from Camp Kinneret just north of Los Angeles and Jonathan Nyquist, the founder and current CEO of Camp Canada Inc.Tune in to hear about:Strategies for recruiting counsellors from your current camper baseHow to look outside your camp-sphere for new hiresTips for standing out at hiring fairsThe secret to the perfect follow-up with a staff you are interested in.What to look for in potential counsellors, activity leaders and administratorsMuch, much, more!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 to! Just head to http://ratethispodcast.com/dcpTHE DAY CAMP PROGRAM TIP OF THE WEEKAndy: Mid-Season Staff Training Sam: Bubble Painting Mark: Star of the Week Ryan: Creatively teaching campers the power of voting…by shaving the director’s beard!Jonathan: Themed BingoYOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Lib

Send us a textEnsuring our Day Camps are inclusive for campers, staff and families of all genders.We know the power of a week at camp. A child’s life can be changed for the better simply by spending 5 days at our day camps.Now that we’re firmly planted in times where most people value inclusion, camp directors know that we need to keep being leaders and a bastion of inclusion in the world. In a lot of cases, camps have done a fairly good job evolving to reflect those inclusive values, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the conversation.Part of being inclusive is to be constantly be reflecting and re-evaluating our programs, hiring & facilities to ensure that we aren’t creating barriers for people to feel included and welcome at camp.When it comes to gender, we need to recognize that being inclusive means going just beyond not limiting the programs that boys and girls can take part in. We need to look deeper into things like what programs we are offering, what language we are using every day and even how our staff hiring practices can have some biases in them. What about campers and staff who identify as transgender? How are you evaluating your camp beyond just male and female?This kind of thing is tricky! It can be hard to navigate, but that’s why you’re here with us on the Pod! To help us all learn, joining Sam, Ehren and Andy on this episode are Leslie Keller from TIC Camps in Maryland, DC & Virginia, and Genna Singer from Camp Settoga and the JCC of Manhattan to discuss with us the ins and outs of gender issues in Day Camp programming and operations.We know that this isn’t the end of the conversation about Gender and Day Camps. What did we miss? What would you like to hear more about?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: “Camp-Paign” 2020Sam: Negative Space Tye DyeEhren: Question CardsLeslie: Stereotypes vs. StatisticsGenna: Time Capsule/Settoga MomentsYOUR 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 ProjectEhren Gluckstein