Camp Code - Leadership & Staff Training Podcast for Camp Directors

In this podcast, the hosts discuss the importance of setting personal boundaries and how they can impact relationships and mental health. They share personal experiences and insights, emphasizing the need for self-care and effective communication. The podcast also highlights the significance of understanding boundaries as doors, rather than walls, and provides a framework for setting boundaries. Additionally, the hosts invite listeners to celebrate their 100th episode and share their favorite advice from past episodes.

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/transition-camper-to-staffIf this is your first summer back after COVID, this may be THE focus for your training this year. As we step into 2022, we shift our focus on transitioning CITs from the mindset of a camper, to become a staff member. As always, we recommend frontloading these potential staff members with information to ensure that these young people feel like they are part of something larger. Beth comes up with three simple rules: connect with the potential staff, communicate to them what leadership training is all about and commit to them that as an outcome of leadership training, everyone will grow. Gabz takes aim on explaining the “why” we work as camp leaders. Helping your new potential staff to understand the importance of summer camp leadership training. Ruby is back and comes out stating the facts. Future staff will have employers beyond camp and those employers are going to be looking for leadership skills therefore, the training your potential staff will get from summer camp will only better prepare them for life outside of camp! With summer camp hiring right around the corner, this episode is full of ideas on how to engage with your potential staff to help you hire the right people to start planning for a (hopeful) more “normal” summer. Have a listen today! -We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Beth AllisonYour future camp staff members may have been your previous campers, meaning you’ve interacted with their parents throughout life at camp. As much as we advocate for summer camp training, parents will also be looking for information. Frontload as much as you can on what life as a staff member looks like at camp. Clearly define what parents can expect as their children transition into staff. -Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau-Thanks to our sponsor…UltraCampWouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/train-future-staff-campersTake a look at your campers, can you spot the next program director? The gang’s all here! Join Ruby, Beth and Gabz to hear about their best practices when it comes to searching for staffing talent in your camper pool and empowering them to be the future decision-makers at camp.It’s like a crystal ball except you have a say over the outcome!Tune in to hear about:Why is it important to provide leadership training opportunities to campers?How can we start thinking about this now?What are some practical tips and tricks for every age of camper?How to help campers reflect and process the experiences that you are providing to them.We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Ruby ComptonBurn ban campfire - Nalgene + Headlamp “logs” and warm glow twinkle lights. Create the ambiance and magic of a campfire, no matter where you are or how great you are at building an actual fire!-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau-Thanks to our sponsor…UltraCampWouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/staffing-summit-2021Welcome to the show, Kim Aycock!The American Camp Association (ACA) recently held its virtual staff summit. The event featured talented speaker panellists, roundtables and other learning sessions. One big topic that we’ve already covered was staffing shortages and discussing new innovative ways to recruit and retain staff. Today, we are fortunate enough to sit down with Kim Aycock who is known in the camp industry as a staff training expert. At the staff summit, experts explored trends we are seeing in the industry and go to hear about some common challenges that organizations are faced with. In this episode, we unravel the challenges and then we ask Kim to explore some of the solutions that she heard to help camp leaders begin to prepare for next summer. We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Kim AycockWe all know staff training is important to camp success. As part of training, perhaps you can develop an internal certification program as a way to recognize the training your staff takes. Level one certification can be mandatory training required for all staff and level two certificates can focus on specific training and can be optional. Those who take part in the optional certificate programs can be eligible for leadership opportunities and can proudly show off their skills with pins or stickers to show what certificates they have completed.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauKim Aycock  - Camp Consultant and Trainer - www.kimaycock.com - TikTok - @workatcamp-Thanks to our sponsor…UltraCampWouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/learning-loss-staffIt’s been a long time since a proper staff training, hasn’t it?It’s already November, which means that as camp leaders, we’re hopefully (and finally) well-rested. It also means that with winter approaching, we need to start planning for next year. Winter recruiting, hiring and planning out staff training is what awaits us! For a lot of reasons, this year feels different.For a lot of us, camp was either non-existent or looked very different for the past two summers. If your camp was able to run, chances are you had minimal staff and for the camps that were able to take part in normal summer programs. With summer 2022 fast approaching, it means that our camp staff haven’t had a ‘normal’ camp leadership experience or that your camp is about to take on brand new staff because all of our staff resources that were planning to work at camp, are all a couple of years older. Our camp pros are here to help, and this time, they brought back up! We are excited to have Kate Taylor as a special guest on this episode. Kate Taylor is the Camp Director for Camp Kanawana at the YMCAs of Québec. In this episode, Gabrielle, Beth and Kate talk about ideas to combat the loss of learning that our staff have missed out on for a couple of years. One thing our experts refer to is the Summer Learning - A Bridge to Student Success and America’s Recovery by the National Summer Learning Association. Without giving away any further spoilers, we encourage you to listen, learn and adapt your teaching techniques as we all prepare for summer 2022. We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Kate TaylorIt is imperative that we have downtime throughout staff training. If this means making staff training slightly longer to give your staff half a day off DO IT. Taking that break allows your staff to reflect on everything they’ve been taught during training sessions. Further, when you have downtime, make sure you have some non-mandatory activities for your staff. This will help some people struggling with social anxieties practice social skills and build boundaries with their colleagues.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauKate Taylor, Camp Director - Camp Kanawan at the YMCAs of Québec-Thanks to our sponsor…UltraCampWouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/best-staff-experience-possible-pt-2It’s STILL time to focus on the staff.Listen to part 1 here: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/best-staff-experience-possible In this episode, we continue to explore how summer camp leaders can help staff achieve their best possible experience as a leader at camp. 2020 had many camps in North America shut down and in 2021 as many camps adopted programs to align with public health guidelines, camp leaders struggled to find resources and keep staff for the entirety of the summer. With the 2021 season behind us, Beth and Gabrielle have their sights on the early phases to start prepping for summer 2022. Throughout the episode, our hosts explore things that camp leaders can do today to help prepare folks to apply to camp and be ready for the camp season.One of the biggest lessons learned is that camp staff have a strong desire to feel supported. As leaders, we need to reshape our recruiting techniques and the way we prepare and develop our camp programs next summer in a way that puts both the mental and physical health of our employees as a priority. Prioritizing employees right from the recruiting phase helps to foster a foundation of trust, preparing staff for the challenges of camp as the summer approaches. The lessons from this summer have created an opportunity for growth. Listen in on this episode to gain further insights from our camp pros!-We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Beth AllisonDuring staff training, why not take the time to build a coping skills toolbox. It is not only good to teach coping skills, staff will realized that they need to cope. This is an idea from Baldwin County public schools in Alabama and they have PDF downloads available at Baldwin County Public Schools / Homepage (bcbe.org). A toolbox allows you to store a collection of healthy items when you are feeling stressed or anxiety to help you to build resilience. There are five tools within a coping toolbox: Self-soothing - what can you do to comfort yourself? Examples include a stress ball or your favourite photos.Distractions - Something that will take your mind off something. Examples include a puzzle, sudoku, knitting needles and yarn. Emotional Wellness - how can you express your feelings? Examples can be a journal or art suppliesMindfulness - Checking in with your mental state. Examples include a yoga matt, reflective prompting journals, serenity rocksCrisis plan - who at camp do you go to when your coping skills are not enough?-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/best-staff-experience-possibleIt’s time to focus on the staff.In this two-part series, we begin by exploring the topic of giving our staff the best experience possible and helping us deliver a great summer program. Coming on the high side of the pandemic, staffing and retaining staff was a challenge for many camps. We know that for staff to be committed, we have to find ways to keep our staff engaged and consistently developing. There has been a shift focusing on the camp employee where now they are asking themselves important questions such as “Am I resting enough?”, “Am I getting paid enough?”, “Is my time worth it?”Fundamentally, this shift means that summer camp leaders have to refocus on how they recruit, staff and maintain their employees. As Gabrielle identifies, the pressure to create an unforgettable moment for campers, takes a toll on our staff. Finding ways to advocate and practice mindfulness and to explore our current state of mental health is now more important than ever. Further, in the past, we have expected our staff to work six days a week and having to be physically and emotionally available for our campers at all hours of the day. To help alleviate this pressure, Beth brings up the idea about introducing “floaters” as a way to hire extra staff to provide additional support to staff, giving them additional rest time. Camp staff do not need to follow a strict program day in and day out. Camp is home for our summer staff, we need to make it feel more like home and allow folks to be comfortable and not be “on” 24 hours a day! To hear more about Beth and Gabz thoughts on the current state of summer camp staffing, have a listen now! We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Gabrielle RaillThis week’s tip is more of an anecdote! If you feel lost and you don’t know what to do, it’s because we don’t know what is coming in the future. We use our experiences, education and knowledge to make decisions. When those decisions impact someone else’s mental health, that decision becomes more complex than we will ever know. We cannot fully understand the mental struggles that people are going through and one of our largest strengths that we can use is to demonstrate empathy, listen with conviction and understand their perspectives.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/09/camp-unionHow might (or might not) a union help serve Camp Pros as they navigate an increasingly stressful profession?At the end of August, a particularly thought-provoking post was made in the Summer Camp Professionals Facebook group.After hearing about some of the horror stories of this, and past summers, a pro posted this:“…Its become clear to me in the last few months that the people in charge of camps are often not the people that run summer camps and this can lead to some wild expectations including around hours, pay, vacation time, parental leave, etc. because the ACA hasn’t put these things in the standards, I’m wondering if having some sort of body to educate people on best practices around expectations for staff would be helpful.”That pro, was Alana Matteson, and she is our guest this episode to kick off ournew season of both Camp Code and the CampHacker Podcast!Alana joins Travis and Ruby for this discussion on not just Unions, but the type of advocacy that pros need in general to have more successful, fulfilling and sustainable careers.-Do you read the show notes?  Let us know - click the following link to receive 10% off a lifetime subscription of Go Camp Pro's 5-Minute Fridays. (psst. Even if you don't buy anything, clicking this link will still help!)(click here - https://bit.ly/pod-notes-discount)-Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: WorkSharpRuby: Personal Recipe BookAlana: Power Beats High-Performance EarbudsYour Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsAlana Matteson, Summer Camp Professional-Rate and Review the CampHacker Show-Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCampWouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/campcode

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/how-the-heck-are-yaHello from the other side!With summer coming to an end, we are checking in with all of you to just see how you are doing. For us, we are doing just okay. It turns out that many of the camp directors we’ve spoken to are feeling like us, tired; tired of COVID; tired from having to constantly adjust camp programming to meet public health guidelines; tired of being understaffed. As summer camp leaders, now is the time for all of us to recharge and start focusing on ourselves. For Gabrielle, that is taking the month of September off to recharge. For Beth, it’s focusing on mental health, stepping away from social media and getting outside into nature. For Ruby, getting out on the river for a paddle or being outdoors is what brings her joy. In this episode, our hosts focus on checking in with our listeners, prompting all of you to take the time to rest, recharge and focus on next year.-We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Ruby ComptonDon’t just do something, sit there! The sit spot routine is where camp staff members find a spot at camp to sit, relax, reflect or journal about their time at camp. When you use the same spot from spring to fall, you can take in the beauty of nature as it transforms throughout the seasons.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau-Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCampWouldn’t it be refreshing if your registration software gave you MORE time? With UltraCamp, you can track attendance, manage staff applications, streamline registration, and much more. Get back the time you need to focus on what is really important: CAMP! Find out more at summercampsoftware.com/campcode

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/hopes-for-pros-this-summerOur hopes for you as you go into the summer of 2021.In this season finale, we are not going to give you last-minute tips and tricks for summer camp training because chances are, if your camp is able to run this summer, you already have the tools to make this unique summer camp training memorable. Instead, our hosts Beth, Gabz and Ruby are here to remind you of some of the training we’ve taught this summer and the theme for this episode is hope. To parents and campers, summer camp is an oasis where parents get relief in the daily hustle of life and campers get to play, learn and grow. Although camp is perceived to be an oasis for kids and parents, for you as a leader, camp is your real world. Being a summer camp leader is a real job with real stress, anxiety, laughter, sadness, smiles and songs. Camp is a magical place for children and you never know when you may spark a memorable moment for a child which they will remember forever. As the camp pro, you got this! Our hope is that your staff understand that everything they do this summer may be magical, but in fact is very real this summer. Camp is also full of emotions that can be seen through people in the form of laughter, smiles and songs. However, there are also negative emotions such as sadness, fear or confusion. Our hope for you this summer is that you will continue to practice examining your capacity to hold boundaries to help control the stress and anxiety that can bring you down. Positive emotions always burst out in laughter or song however, negative emotions tend to build up, pushing us to our edges. Daily reflections, mindfulness and gratitude journals are great ways to keep your boundaries intact and helps to ensure that our negative emotions are controlled, processed and digested out of our systems. As always, our hosts have a lot more to say throughout the episode, so have a listen to be inspired to do great things. Another season of Camp Code is coming to an end so as always, thanks for the listening friends. -We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Beth AllisonTo close off the season, in this episode we’re doing something a little different. Beth takes us down a journey that she calls “Here’s to you”. It starts at the 17:18 mark in the episode and I encourage you to share this segment with your camp staff.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau