CampHacker Podcast - CampHacker.TV: Recent Episodes
CampHacker from Travis & Beth Allison
CampHacker aims to create great camp communities so that camps are inspired to change the world. Featuring hosts Travis Allison, Dan Weir, Gabrielle Raill, and Joe Richards. CampHacker is brought to you by summer camp consultants Travis & Beth Allison.
Please review us! - Click here!
Are we doing our staff and campers a disservice by not better managing the expectations around their phone time at camp?Travis and Chris sit down with Max Claman to chat about effective digital detox and the psychological impacts of removing screens. They also discuss the role of AI in streamlining operations and provide practical tips for integrating technology while preserving the authentic camp experience. Packed with valuable insights and real-world examples, this discussion offers essential advice for camp directors and educators looking to enhance their camp programs.
Hear more about:
- 01:57 Max's Camp Journey
- 04:17 Technology and Phones at Camp
- 08:27 The Impact of Technology on Campers
- 11:23 Balancing Technology and Camp Life
- 20:42 Educating Campers on Technology Use
- 24:21 Generational Perspectives on Technology
- 29:27 Developing a Digital Detox Plan for Camps
- 31:43 Engaging Parents in the Digital Detox Process
-
Resources from this EpisodePrompt-building link: https://mitenmit.github.io/gpt/https://account.aftershoot.com/referral-signup?referrer=V31CAJ02
Use this to append to prompts to get you better answers:
Ask me clarifying questions until you are 95% confident you can complete the task successfully. Take a deep breath and take it step by step. Remember to search the internet to retrieve up-to-date information.
-
Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Brother printers * Travis - unapologetically ADHD - podcast and book * Max* - Claude.ai
-
Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Max Claman - Principal - VestEd Consulting
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
Navigating AI for Camps: From Scheduling to Staff TrainingIn this episode of the CampHacker podcast, Travis and Chris explore the revolutionary impact of artificial intelligence on summer camp management. They dive into AI's role in streamlining operations, automating tasks, and enhancing staff training and parent communication. Discover specific tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Notebook LM, which improve efficiency while addressing privacy concerns. Learn how AI can transform everything from scheduling and communication to monetization and fundraising, making camps more effective and enjoyable.
Hear more about:
- 4:03 AI's Impact on Summer Camps
- 16:36 Staff Training and AI Scenarios
- 26:46 Understanding AI's Limitations
- 27:35 Career Coaching with AI
- 28:41 AI in the Gig Economy
- 29:27 AI in Camp Photography
- 31:54 AI's Role in Camp Administration
- 35:04 Addressing Privacy Concerns
- 37:54 Future of AI in Camps
-
Resources from this EpisodePrompt-building link: https://mitenmit.github.io/gpt/https://account.aftershoot.com/referral-signup?referrer=V31CAJ02
Use this to append to prompts to get you better answers:
Ask me clarifying questions until you are 95% confident you can complete the task successfully. Take a deep breath and take it step by step. Remember to search the internet to retrieve up-to-date information.
-
Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Game - Once Upon a Time - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1234/once-upon-time-storytelling-card-game * Travis* - Match Puzzle Game
-
Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
Are camps so packed with activities that it's actually detrimental? In this episode of the CampHacker podcast, hosts Travis Allison and Chris Hudson discuss the concept of overprogramming at camps, questioning if an abundance of scheduled activities could be detrimental. With insights from camp consultants, they explore balancing structured and unstructured time, considering the interests of children, parents, and staff. They also discuss generational changes in camp staff and touch on post-pandemic effects on camp programming.
- The Impact of COVID on Camp Structure
- Pros and Cons of Free Play
- Parental Concerns About Free-Play
- Balancing Structure and Free Time for Kids
- Understanding Children's Needs and Preferences
Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Radical Candor by Kim Scott - https://www.radicalcandor.com/ * Travis* - Hoverair X1 - drone - https://hoverair.com/
Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Remember what sparked your passion for camp? UltraCamp knows it’s about the people, not the paperwork. That’s why they built a platform to simplify your camp management. Learn more at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Activity schedules are the backbone of every camper’s experience. If there’s a staffing change, it’s really hard to find a person that knows your camp and the nuance your schedule takes. Come check out Camptivities to learn more about our scheduling tools, designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
If we were starting a summer camp from scratch, here’s what we can do!200 episodes and over 14 years, the CampHacker Podcast has been around literally so long that we actually can’t find the first few episodes (seriously, if you find them, holler!).
After 200+ hours (that’s 1.5 weeks, people!), it’s time to put our money where our mouths are…hypothetically at least.
In this episode, Travis and Chris take their collective camp and education experience, alongside the realities of running summer camps today, and put it together to share how they would build and launch Camp Hudson (get it, Hudson + Allison?).
From site ownership (hint, they wouldn’t), to who they serve (hint, start local), to marketing (hint, often and BIG), this episode covers a lot of ground.
Join us in this hopeful and intentional thought experiment as a send-off for the summer of 2024.
Thanks for the season, friends!
-
Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Game - Once Upon a Time - https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1234/once-upon-time-storytelling-card-game * Travis* - Finch app - https://app.befinch.com/share/TRJD
Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
You can be a camp professional and have ADHD - there are lots of them out there!You probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that as we have gotten more comfortable talking about exceptionalities, disabilities or diversabilities, the rate of diagnoses for those exceptionalities, disabilities or diversabilities has gone up.
More and more people (kids, teens and adults are like) are discovering how their brains work best and are starting to understand their potential when the spaces that they are in work in their favour.
As with most things - the camp industry, by and large, is catching up on making sure that their spaces are using Universal Design Principals when thinking about how they create the day-to-day of staff training and summer camp.
Travis and Chris are joined by Lisa Drennan, founder of MERGE Diverse Abilities Inclusion Consulting and an absolute PRO when it comes to making spaces more inclusive for kids, teens, young adults and adults who identify as neurodivergent.
-
Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - The Book of Virtues - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25774.The_Book_of_Virtues * Travis* - ConqueRing Fidget Ring -https://myconquering.com/ + New Canva - Meet the NEW Canva | Canva Create 2024 Updates✨
- Lisa - https://thearcofmass.org/toolkit-organization/
Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Lisa Drennan, Founder of MERGE Diverse Abilities Inclusion Consulting
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
How are you doing at pushing past the overwhelm and considering the big picture?If you’re reading this on release (mid-May) - it may feel impossible to get out of the weeds and think about the future.
That’s fair - and - in order for our industry, and even our camps to make it the next 10 years, we need to consider the challenges that we’re going to face and the opportunities we’ll discover along the way.
Thank goodness for people like Stephane (and Travis - it’s not him who writes these show notes, so he’s not being an arrogant jerk by mentioning himself) to help us zoom out and think of the big picture.
In this episode, Travis and Stephane use their combined experience to share what camps and camp leaders will need to do to ensure they not only survive until 2035, but to thrive along the way.
-
Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Stephane - 5 Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni * Travis* - High-Quality Post-Its + Sharpie + Big Wall Brainstorming
Your Hosts* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Stephane Richard, Owner and Lead Consultant, Stephane Richard Consulting
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
New and new-ish Camp Directors, this one is for you. Kick some butt this summer.There are a TON of full-time camp professionals that have entered the industry post-COVID.
For those of us that have been around for a while, we know how incredibly difficult the first few years of the job are. You’re figuring out what this level of responsibility means for you and your team and with problems emerging, it can really feel like a whack-a-mole type of situation.
So - Travis asked fellow camp podcasters to combine their joint 200+ years of full-time directing to distill their best pieces of advice for people just like you.
You’ve got these 13 (and many more) people behind you - so get out there and do what you do!
We’re grateful to the following people for sharing their tips:
-
Your Hosts - In order of “appearance”:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Allison Krabill, Executive Director - The Summer Camp Society * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer & Host - Camp Code Podcast * Cole Kelly, Owner/Director - Camp Weequahic, Podcast Host - Campfire Conversations * Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Podcast Host - The Day Camp Pod * David Sherry, President - The Sherry Group, LLC, Podcast Host - The Sherry Group Podcast * Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher, Professor & Consultant, Podcast Host - The Pudding * Jack Schott, Founder/Owner - The Summer Camp Society, Host - The Summer Camp Society Podcast * Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer - Go Camp Pro, Podcast Host - First Class Counselors * Abigail Stuart, Director of Operations - Doxazo Ministries, Go Camp Pro Contributor * Andy Pritikin, Owner - Liberty Lake Day Camp, Podcast Host - The Day Camp Pod * Etienne Lefebvre, Director of IT Service Management, Podcast Editor - Camp Code Podcast * Beth Allison, Founder - Go Camp Pro, Podcast Host - Camp Code Podcast
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
What is one thing you learned working at camp that surprises people when you talk about?The fact that people don’t understand what we do full-time is not just and “us” problem - it’s a problem for our entire industry.
It’s annoying as all heck - yes.
And.
It could be the reason why you’re under-enrolled and understaffed.
One of the biggest issues facing our industry is our reputation. We are consistently fighting against Hollywood stereotypes and the notion that camp is a luxury item for privileged kids or glorified child-care.
We - meaning consultants, associations, directors, staff, etc. - need to do a better job articulating what camp does for it’s leaders and the types of people that it creates.
If we don’t, how do we expect families and staff to value the experience enough to trust us with their kids or their summer employment?
Do these show notes sound like we’re up on a soap-box? Well just wait for the episode.
Tune in to get a (kind) earful from Travis and Chris!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Notion.so * Travis* - https://deckofbrilliance.com/
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Elective-based, choice-based, whatever you call it, it just may be the future of camper programs.We welcome back one of our original hosts, Dan Weir and welcome back Jack Schott from The Summer Camp Society (and TSCS Podcast!) to unpack all things choice-based programming.
You’ll hear:
- How do we actually define choice-based programming
- Why was this model so radical 10(ish) years ago
- What are the benefits of giving campers more ownership over their camp experience
- How does a choice-based model tie into equity, intentionality and positive social development (yes, we go deep in this one!)
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Argh! Pirate Ship! * Travis - ear filter - Flare Calmer - 🇨🇦 https://amzn.to/3VI3MkW 🇺🇸https://amzn.to/3VDWOgW * Jack - https://www.allinpodcast.co/ or https://getaway.house/ * Dan* - Wireless
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Jack Schott, Co-Founder - The Summer Camp Society * Dan Weir, Sr. Consultant - immersive1st - Day Camp Community
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
What are the most important things staff need to know to be successful this summer?Right now (March), camp directors everywhere are starting to think about staff training…or, intending to do so at least.
There are a trillion things that we want to teach staff and it would be literally impossible to pack it all in during training and even harder to decide on which one is the most important.
This episode, Travis and Chris put themselves in the shoes of camp directors the day before the kids arrive at camp. If this was the only advice they could give to camp staff - what would it be?
Unsurprisingly, they couldn’t narrow it down to one each, but it’s all great.
Please pass this on to your camp staff! The keeners will thank you!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorChris - http://makeplayingcards.com
Travis - Talknotes https://talknotes.io/app
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
The number one recruiting tactic? You got it - retaining!As the summer creeps closer, the staffing woes of the industry rear it’s ugly head again.
Wouldn’t it be great if staffing wasn’t the thing that stole your focus from creating the best program you know you could be? Well, it’s a long road, but one of the biggest shortcuts on that road is retaining last summer’s staff!
And, how do you do that? Well, because this is a Go Camp Pro podcast, you know we have to talk about being intentional in your strategy. How do you be intentional? Well, we’re here to help with that, too!
In this episode, Chris and Travis go deep into the very nature of intentionality and how that can apply as you look to retain your best staff.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorChris - Big Dumb Cup: https://www.stanley1913.com/collections/tumblers
- Be aware of lead in the bottom of the mug
Travis - Beeper App https://refer.beeper.com/XYMr2p
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
Is AI going to ruin the summer camp industry?AI really proliferated right before we all went to camp in 2023.
Some of us started playing with it, but over the summer, while we were living in our “unplugged” utopia, many parts of the world began to change without us.
Now that we’re back, directors and industry partners are readily using AI, but in our haste to catch up, have we taken a second to consider the bigger picture?
No shame if you haven’t yet. You’re busy, and that’s why we’re here!
We welcome back EmJ and Jack from The Summer Camp Society Podcast to help guide Camp Pros on unpacking this important discussion.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Beanie w Headlamp (🇺🇸 - https://amzn.to/47reRJJ, 🇨🇦 - https://amzn.to/3NRlnm0) * Travis - Emergency - Neil Strauss (🇨🇦 - https://amzn.to/3H61PGv, 🇺🇸 - https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780060898779) * Jack - How to run great meetings - How to Run Effective Meetings | Matt Mochary | The Tim Ferriss Show podcast * EmJ* - Giant Postits - 4 x 6 (🇺🇸 https://amzn.to/3H9dTai, 🇨🇦 - https://amzn.to/3H8ISmJ)
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Jack Schott, Co-Founder The Summer Camp Society * EmJ Juszczyk, TSCS Podcast Producer and Programs Director at Project Kindred
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
Recycling programs and talking nature education programs are only step 1.When we talked about climate change and camp 10 years ago, the conversation usually was about how we can be a bit more sustainable, how to teach campers about nature appreciation and maybe looking at recycling a little bit closer.
That’s not what this conversation is about.
We need to seriously consider how the climate emergency is going to fundamentally impact many of our programs. Power availability, infrastructure, air quality, the sheer ability to go outside - as some would say - the very essence of camp is on the line here. Maybe not for us, but surely for the next generation at our camps.
Chris and Travis are joined by Danny Sudman from Green Camps, an organization that empowers camps to reduce their environmental impact and inspire the next generation of eco-leaders.
This isn’t just a “doom and gloom” episode (although, there’s certainly some of that), the team brings solutions and inspiration to help camps feel inspired to think about this in a serious way.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Windproof Waterproof Rechargeable Lighter (🇺🇸 - https://amzn.to/3S9bhPG, 🇨🇦 https://amzn.to/423B3IR) * Travis - Warheads for Panic Attacks - https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2023/12/01/tiktok-warheads-trend-panic-attack-experts/71754898007/ * Danny -* Energy and Water Efficiency Checklist for Camps and Retreats https://www.greencamps.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ES_Checklist_Camps_Green-Camps-co-brand.pdf
-
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Danny Sudman*, Founder & Executive Director - Green Camps
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
Where did the momentum go?We believe that summer camp should be an accessible place where individuals feel welcome and included for the unique and wonderful things they bring to the community.
Right?
While many camps would say that they believe this - but if they honestly look in the mirror, would their commitment to DEI be the same as it was in 2020?
While DEI may not be in the headlines as much these days (which, isn’t good on it’s own) - camps that truly believe that camp should be for every child and staff member, need to keep their foot on the gas.
Chris, Travis and Gabz join to share what they have been hearing from the industry, why DEI initiatives are still essential, and how we can get back at it.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Gabz - Highlighter Pen - staff gift during exam time * Chris - The Hundred’s Years War on Palestine * Travis* - Bottle Brush
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
Are you being thoughtful about how a changing demographic will affect your camp?Whether you are a camp with a wait-list, or you’re hoping for a few more “bums in bunks”, something that we need to seriously be thinking about is the potential to serve a the demographic in the world. And, this isn’t just in a “be better at DEI” lens (although we should all be consistently trying to be better with our DEI practices). Communities are getting older, more racially diverse, more neuro-diverse, more accustomed to technology, privacy - the list is literally endless.
For camps that are being thoughtful about this, it’s an opportunity to not only bring in new campers, but to bring in new investments into your programs and facilities.
But - it doesn’t come easily.
Luckily, you’ve got some incredible camp pros on your side. Travis and Chris are joined by Jack and EmJ from The Summer Camp Society Podcast to help guide Camp Pros on unpacking this vast discussion.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Jack - https://jamboard.google.com/?pli=1 Mr. Pen- Dry Erase Board https://amzn.to/3SNTCxW - US - https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Erase-Board-Black-Marker/dp/B08L45NSRM?th=1 * EmJ - Canva Magic Studio https://www.canva.com/magic-home * Chris - Ali Abdaal’s Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@aliabdaal * Travis - https://getreadytosend.com/*
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Jack Schott, Co-Founder The Summer Camp Society * EmJ Juszczyk, TSCS Podcast Producer and Programs Director at Project Kindred
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
Is the “no technology” policy at your camp compatible with the campers of today?“No technology at camp” is a sacred part of many of our summer camp cultures. The value of unplugging. Being “in the moment”. “Being real” are all things plastered all over our website and marketing materials.
Is this the right way? Or is it just the way that…wait for it…we’ve always done it.
The answer definitely isn’t clear - but Travis and Chris wade into the murky deeps of the techno-sphere and how camps can more intentionally think about technology at their camp.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - JBL Clip 3 Mini Bluetooth Speaker * Travis* - OLIGHT I1R 2 PRO - Can: https://amzn.to/3QRBuRk US: https://amzn.to/3SLHE87 & - https://www.reddit.com/r/summercamp/
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
How confident are you that your camp parents will read and act on your emails?Getting your information to parents. The most necessary and maybe one of the most difficult parts of the job.
Even though the communication landscape is constantly shifting, what remains the same is that you have important information that parents need. So - adapting is once again - the name of the game!
Chris and Travis get together and talk about the hellish present and…maybe less hellish future of communication with parents.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorChris - An earpiece for your walkie talkie! Total James Bond!
Travis - Photo sorting and AI editing: https://aftershoot.com/downloads/
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
How do you measure magic?Every camp professional, whether new or seasoned, knows what we mean when we say “camp magic”.
For most of us, we think of camp magic as this ethereal, indescribable, ever-present part of camp. This “magic” is what many of us feel sets camp apart from everywhere else.
To a camp researcher, this camp magic is something that is actually definable.
Tune in to this episode to hear Travis and Mandi unpack their vast experience living and researching this “insiders-only” concept.
You’ll hear about:
- What does camp “being a bubble” have to do with camp magic?
- How are the people at camp integral to creating that magic?
- What elements go into creating this “world apart”?
- At what point does “camp magic” become “camp cult?”
- How to support camp staff while they’re living and working in the “bubble”
-
Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro
Please review us! - Click here!
Setting yourself up for long-term efficacy doesn’t take as much as you think.Travis is joined by Dr. Lydia Hughes Evans to discuss systems of project management, personal efficacy and organizational development that any camp pro can pick up and start using today.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Dr. Hughes Evans’ Organizational Health Assessment
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Dr. Lydia Hughes-Evans, CEO, Author and Speaker
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
What is research, and what can it be for camp pros?We need to start here.
Before we get into how to use research to empower our marketing and recruiting efforts, we need to unpack the basics of research.
So, whether you’re a research buff or not, this episode is meant to get everyone on the same page before we really dig deep.
You’ll hear about:
- What are the basics of research and the process behind it that we need to know?
- How do we know who the right people to talk to when selecting candidates for qualitative research?
- Why it’s important that we ask kids and gain their insights in the research process
- Why it’s important to consider the context when the research was conducted.
-
How do you find research on camp? How do you know what is worth reading?
-
Pro-tip: Use Google Scholar - https://scholar.google.ca/
- Pro-pro-tip - just email the researcher and they may just give you a copy!
-
-
Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro
Please review us! - Click here!
We are good at so many things as camp pros. Boundaries, writ-large, is not one of those things.We are excited to kick off this, the 13th season of CampHacker with an episode that will especially resonate with those coming off of a wild summer.
We are grateful to our guest Kyrah Altman for not only suggesting the topic but for agreeing to come on the show! Kyrah is a summer camp alumni and is the co-founder, CEO and President of Let's Empower, Advocate, and Do (LEAD).
Kyrah Chris and Travis break down the art of setting boundaries and helping your staff do the same.
Welcome back!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Chris - The Big Idea Book Series * Kyrah - Resurgence Burnout Recovery Journal - Link * Travis - Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara - (🇺🇸 link) (🇨🇦 link)
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Kyrah Altman, Co-founder, CEO and President of Let's Empower, Advocate, and Do (LEAD)
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!UltraCamp
Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/camphacker
Camptivities
Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
Please review us! - Click here!
Did you know that the positive experience of summer camp is a proven fact?Yes. It is!
In this new mini-series from Go Camp Pro, join Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison to focus in on prominent and emerging research in the summer camp world.
This episode will set up the rest of the season so tune in and get excited!
You’ll hear about:
- How Mandi found her passion for camp and where the research part of her journey came to be
- Where should we be starting our discussions when it comes to research and camp?
- How do we navigate the research that’s already out there?
- What topics will we cover in this mini-series?
-
Your Hosts:* Dr. Mandi Baker, Researcher - Summer Camp, Outdoor Recreation, Sociology and Hospitality/Tourism - getlamped@gmail.com * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro - travis@gocamp.pro
Please review us! - Click here!
What will you be putting your brain to keep you focused this summer?Well folks, if you’re reading this in June - you’re in it now!
Us, too! As we wrap up this season to take our focus to the summer, we want to leave you with a wickedly practical one.
Producer Matt and Dan Weir join Travis, Chris, Gabz and Joe to share the tools that will keep them focused, happy and thriving this summer.
Here are the tools! Have a great summer!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris*:
1. r/outoftheloop
2. The Art of Gathering
3. Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
4. All of the camp scenes from Addams Family Values
5. We’re Here on HBO
6. Inclusive Conversations**Gabz:**
1. Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown - TV Show Crave a show about understanding emotions
2. Feeling Weird - Podcast - a podcast with the intention to: *DE-STIGMATIZE* all aspects of life, *DIRECTLY TALK ABOUT* the taboo things we've been told NOT to talk about, *NORMALIZE* the experience of being alive, *SUPPORT* listeners to understand their emotions, parts and inner-worlds and *EMBRACE* the WEIRD!
3. All of My Relations - is a podcast where hosts Matika Wilbur (Swinomish and Tulalip) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation) invite guests to delve into different topics facing Native peoples today.
4. Maintenance Phase - is a podcast hosted by Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon where they debunk the junk science behind health and wellness fads.
5. **The Neurodiversity Podcast**- The Neurodiversity Podcast talks with leaders in the fields of psychology, education, and beyond, about positively impacting neurodivergent people
6. **The Feel Good Effect** **a book that helps readers to Reclaim their Wellness by Finding Small Shifts that Create Big Change****Joe:**
1. Notion Mastery Course https://notionmastery.com/
2. Urgent Optimist Community https://urgentoptimists.org
3. Ursula K. Le Guin Library - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula\_K.\_Le\_Guin\_bibliography
4. YouTube -
1. YoTricks https://www.youtube.com/user/yotricks/about or
2. Van Neistat https://www.youtube.com/c/vanneistat/about or
3. Make Something https://www.youtube.com/c/MakeSomething/about or
4. Anne of All Trades https://www.youtube.com/c/AnneofAllTrades/about or
5. Laura Kampf https://www.youtube.com/c/laurakampf/about6. Podcast - Rumble Strip hosted by Erica Heilman https://rumblestripvermont.com/
7. Steaming Services - Barry on Crave | Wanda Vision on Disney+**Travis**:
1. Domestika.org - Creative Watercolor Sketching for Beginners
2. Study Beats, No Words playlist on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/playlist/13xpyrrtrkmG7TbnMQOnpX?si=82d3b1ed330d4621
3. The Gauntlet RPG - https://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/
4. Light from Uncommon Stars - Ryka Aoki https://amzn.to/39fKVrv
5. Against the Rules podcast with Michael Lewis https://www.pushkin.fm/show/against-the-rules-with-michael-lewis/
6. Get Together - Richardson, Huyhk, Elmer Sotto https://amzn.to/38lEqmD**Matt:**
1. Canadaland Podcast - https://www.canadaland.com/podcasts/
2. Radical Candor Podcast - https://www.radicalcandor.com/candor-podcast/
3. Dr. G’s stressed to resilient
4. Jomboy Media - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl9E4Zxa8CVr2LBLD0\_TaNg
5. StrengthFinder 2.0 - https://www.amazon.ca/StrengthsFinder-2-0-Tom-Rath/dp/1531865313/ref=asc\_df\_1531865313/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=293020323119&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12371691610072831558&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061009&hvtargid=pla-494001805195&psc=1**Dan**
+ The Daily Stoic - https://dailystoic.com/
+ Non-Violent Communication - Book & Video
+ Book - Getting to Neutral: How to Conquer Negativity and Thrive in a Chaotic World - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57931644-getting-to-neutral?ref=nav\_sb\_ss\_1\_18
+ NPR Podcast - All Things Considered - https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510019/all-songs-considered
+ Podcast - David Goggins Getting Interviewed - https://toppodcast.com/podcast\_feeds/david-goggins-getting-interviewed/
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Dan Weir - Senior Consultant - Immersive1st
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Do you wish your camp had the benefits of an engaged alumni community?It’s a gift to have a group of people that intimately “get” what your camp is all about.
And, alumni can be like getting a gym membership or Ikea furniture as a gift. Ultimately useful, but a crap-ton of work to get there.
Once you’ve got it going, alumni can be an excellent and cost-effective source of staff support, mentorship, maintenance, marketing, board guidance, fundraising and more!
So how do you get to the useful point.
The CampHacker team is here, and specifically, you need to listen to what Gabz has to say in this episode. Camp Ouareau has put in the work to not just open its doors wide to alumni, but to specifically direct them to a place that is available to them either as a supporter of camp, or someone who just wants to enjoy the nostalgia.
(Chris, Joe and Travis all have incredible points, too, of course!)
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - https://www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/. * Gabz -A question to ask within a team that could benefit from being seen and building trust. “From working with your teammate what would you say their leadership style is? * Joe - Directors Cupboard Supply Closet - things camp will need that you will just “have” * Travis* - https://www.youtube.com/@Cercle
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
What would we do if we were starting at a completely new to us summer camp?We’re so grateful to have one of our founding CampHacker hosts Dan Weir join us this episode. Welcome back, Dan!
To support the vast number of new camp directors in the last few years, Dan, Chris, Joe and Travis engage in a thought exercise to put take all the knowledge they have now and plopped themselves in a new camp.
This isn’t just an episode for newbies! Having this “newbie” mindset will consistently keep you nimble to the changing landscape of the industry and open to change.
Also, want some help getting there? You should consider a consultant.
Dan, Chris and Travis are great assets for your camp. Check out the host links below.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Todoist - Get your act together! * Dan - Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxietyhttps://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781250241214 * Joe - Retevis Radio/Walkie-talkie - https://www.retevis.com/ * Travis* - Chipdrop - get free wood chips https://getchipdrop.com/
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Dan Weir - Senior Consultant - Immersive1st
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
How much do we really need to accommodate this generation of camp staff?Okay, that header is a little misleading.
Don’t mistake this podcast for one big “okay boomer” rant. This conversation about summer staff and meeting them where they are at (to an extent) is an important one.
If “triggering” a staff member is something you’re worried about. Or staff feeling overwhelmed is something you’re bracing yourself for this summer, this is the episode for you.
Chris, Gabz, Joe and Travis are here to challenge you (and your staff) to think differently when it comes to helping staff set healthy and realistic emotional boundaries.
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Give your mind a break * Gabz -Cueheat Waist heating belt https://amzn.to/3YUOqbm * Joe - Point Salad Card Game * Travis* - Love and Logic
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
We also need to adapt to post-pandemic parents!We need to adapt a whole lot as camp directors.
On the checklist of “things we need to re-assess every 5 or so years”, parents are certainly on that list.
As the majority of our camper parents start to shift toward the majority being millennials, we need to re-think how we are meeting them where they are at. Systems of communication, expectation-building, community-building and trust are all things that we have control over in this special relationship, and one that we need to pay attention to.
Joining the regular panel is returning guest Jolly Corley, a camp pro and parent partner expert to weigh in on re-evaluating this post-pandemic group.
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Thompson Tees - Chris’ fav * Gabz - Loop Ear Plugs - Engage * Joe - Book - The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure * Travis - Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us about the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans - Michaeleen Doucleff https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781982149680 * Jolly* - Fabulous habit app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fabulous-daily-habit-tracker/id1203637303 + https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.thefabulous.app≷=us
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Jolly Corley - Camp Director and Trainer - www.jollycorley.com
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
If the success of your camp is your responsibility, then the success of your staff is your responsibility.The idea that our summer staff need to be set up for success is one of those ideas that is intuitive, yet extremely difficult to get right.
Couple that with a seismic shift in the psychology and expectations of this generation of staff and the “correct path” to properly coaching and nurturing this generation of staff is going to be more important than ever.
Whether this episode is an affirmation of your staffing philosophy, or you’re feeling the strain of this gen of staff, Chris, Gabz and Travis are here to give you practical advice on how to increase the impact of this essential staffing mindset.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Artisans of Spendent Vale * Gabz - Multi colour variety pack zip ties * Travis* - Faster Than Normal - Peter Shankman https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780143131229
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
10 years from now, are you going to be proud of the program decisions that you made today?Last episode, we unpacked the types of programs that we think it’s time to say goodbye to.
And because we all know how annoying it is to have people only give you problems and not solutions, that’s where this one comes in.
Travis, Gabz and Chris are here to talk about not only the specific programs that they are excited to see in the future, but the intentionality that will need to go into them.
Because, it’s really hard to know what the world is going to look like 10 years ago. We’re recording this in 2023 and think about how different the world was in 2013! A smartphone, 4 major social media platforms and a pandemic later, and we could have never seen what was coming.
Whether technology majorly changes or not, we know that it’s “people before programs” so making sure we have the right people and right philosophies around social-emotional learning is what’s going to really move the needle.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Get yourself a foam roller * Gabz - Finch: Self Care Widget Pet * Joe - FUNdoing Fridays - Chris Calvert * Travis* - 5-Minute Fridays - Liz’s AI How To to make marketing writing better, Chris & Alyssa’s work on making a place for Neuro Divergent staff, Michael, Jorgi - all GCP
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Should They Stay or Should They Go Now?Being a culture of change is essential for any camp that wants to be around for a long time.
True camp pros know this, live this and breathe this, but even the best of the best can fall prey to the “way we’ve always done it”-itus.
Camp programs.
Sometimes, camp programs like our rituals, opening/closing ceremonies, activity areas, camp-wide events gain this “sacred” status that we hold onto for simply the idea of it.
Consider this episode your wake-up call.
Chris, Joe, Gabz and Travis put their heads together to call out and call in camp programs and rituals that they think need a good hard look at.
As a preview - Chris is going to make you think differently about Color War.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Laptop Stand https://amzn.to/4022hy2 * Gabz - Image Colorizer https://imagecolorizer.com/ * Joe - Sullivans 36"x59" Gridded Cutting Mat for Home Hobby Table - Jo Ann Fabrics * Travis* - Shade: trees, cooling stations, deep porches, picnic shelters
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
When it’s been a few months without staff or kids, how do you and your year-round team remind yourself why you do what you do? Please review us! - Click here!
We tell our seasonal staff that a summer of camp is a marathon, not a sprint.
But we know that we’re lying to them, right? Or at least relatively.
Being a year-round camp pro is a marathon that lasts YEARS, with sprints embedded within it, just to keep us on our toes.
With burnout being a hot topic for employees of every level, it’s important that we check in on each other. The whole gang’s here to share what they do day in and day out with themselves and their teams to stay connected with the “why” of their world.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Not Just Play: Summer Camp and the Profession of Social Work * Gabz - Rode Videomic ME for smartphones https://amzn.to/3iUgsnS * Joe - Book - 100 Things We've Lost to the Internet - Pamela Paul * Travis* - Pixton
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities
Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
It’s not the same staff as 2010, so why are we treating their wellness like they are? Please review us! - Click here!
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again - this is not the same staffing generation as it was pre-pandemic.
We’re re-building so many of our principals and practices post-pandemic, so why not take a deep dive into how we can (and maybe can’t), better meet the mental and physical health needs of our staff team?
It’s certainly not going to be easy - and it will be tempting to go down the road of “well, we didn’t have it like this when I was a summer staff!?” - even when we know that’s not going to cut it anymore.
Chris, Joe and Gabz are here to help. Listen in as each of these well-seasoned camp directors are being vulnerable and bold enough to be willing to go back to the drawing board in the name of meeting their camp staff where they are at.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Bamboo Plant https://www.thespruce.com/growing-lucky-bamboo-1902994 & Shutterfly - https://www.shutterfly.com/ * Gabz - Coursera - https://www.coursera.org * Joe -* Center Cam - https://thecentercam.com/ | PowerToys (Windows) https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/XP89DCGQ3K6VLD
-
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
-
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)-
Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities
Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
This is definitely a “glass-half-full” type of situation… Please review us! - Click here!
For better or for worse, it’s more than likely that we’ve all had to “start from scratch” at some point in the last 3 years.
However, starting from scratch with your staff team? Now that is one spicy meatball.
Our staff are the core of what we do. The experience they deliver is the one that kids remember, and parents decide to re-register their kids for.
When you’re starting from scratch with staff, we almost have to set aside the program. It’s not the traditions, the zip line and the costumes that give kids a memorable experience, it’s that the staff can create a safe space for campers to build confidence and create connections.
It’s an incredible opportunity to go back to the core of our mission and what makes a great camp staff in the context of our mission.
And who better to join Chris, Joe, Travis and Gabz on the show than the one and only Michael Brandwein!
-
More from MichaelLive Online March 28 & 29, 2023Brandwein on Training: The Step-by-Step System for Planning & Presenting Your Best Staff Training Ever
Early Bird Discounted Registration until Feb. 15
https://acai.wildapricot.org/event-5064766
Live Online May 13, 2023Brandwein on Super Staff SuperVision: The Quick Course on Outstanding Skills to Coach, Motivate, & Bring Out the Best in Staff
Early Bird Discounted Registration until April 1
https://acai.wildapricot.org/event-5064659
-
Books at www.michaelbrandwein.com/store
Staff & Leadership Team Training information at mail@michaelbrandwein.com
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - Love Letter * Gabz - Bulk Lego * Joe - UGREEN USB Charger 65W 4 Port USB C Charger Foldable/Powered USB 3.0 Hub https://amzn.to/3FwS0QH, WENTER 11-Port USB Data Hub Splitter https://amzn.to/3PpY56g * Travis - ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com/chat * Michael* - D305 Flip Chart Easel by Da-Lite
+ Available on Amazon: Search “D305 portable easel”
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Michael Brandwein, Speaker, Trainer and Author - https://www.michaelbrandwein.com/store
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities
Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Our favourite annual traditional…you know…besides camp!Look what’s back, back again, all TOWs back, tell a friend!
Your good friends Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe all share different “tools” that make their lives better in the categories…
- 2 tools that positively affect your mental health
- 2 books you read JUST FOR FUN
- 2 gifts you’d recommend for every camp director
Let’s get to the links!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director2 tools that positively affect your mental health
-
Chris
- You are Here https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781590308387
- Woah
-
Gabz
-
Polyvagal Card Deck: 58 Practices for Calm and Change Cards https://amzn.to/3uTT0K6
- Snoop Dog Affirmation Song
-
Joe
-
YouTube/YTMusic Premium (Family)
- Altra Men's Superior 5 Trail Running Shoes
-
Travis
-
Ear Buds - Mine = Google Pixel Buds Series A https://store.google.com/product/pixel_buds_a_series?hl=en-GB
- Sorting Lego
2 GREAT books you read for fun
-
Chris
- Beyond the Gender Binary https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780593094655
- Amusing Ourselves to Death https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780143036531
-
Gabz
-
Rest is Resistance https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780316365215
- The Deepest Well https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781328502667
-
Joe
-
In Praise of Paths: Walking through Time and Nature https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9781771649957
- A Fire Upon the Deep - Vernor Vinge https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780812515282
-
Travis
-
The Peripheral - William Gibson https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780425276235
- Blitz, A Novel - Daniel O'Malley https://bookshop.org/a/84130/9780316561556
2 gifts you’d recommend for every camp director
-
Chris
- Sodastream
- An (expensive) shower head
-
Gabz
-
Weighted Blanket https://amzn.to/3YrYg4U
- Ready to Eat Chana Masala
-
Joe
-
LaserPecker 2 Super Laser Engraver & Laser Cutter
- Phone Cord Detanglerhttps://amzn.to/3WlpqbS
-
Travis
-
Libro.fm Subscription https://tidd.ly/3Fn4Gto
- Lego - Vincent van Gogh - Starry Night https://www.lego.com/en-ca/product/vincent-van-gogh-the-starry-night-21333
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities
Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
A vision for the future of summer camp support.What would it look like if organizations outside your camp understood the community-building power of summer camp?
We know that camp builds connections that last forever, but telling that story to people outside of the camp world can be tricky - and it’s even more tricky to find outside financial resources to support the community mission.
The work of JCamp180 is an incredible model for how advocacy and support can work on an industry level. Consulting, advocacy, grant-writing, and funding access - all things that JCamp180 has done to support Jewish Camping across North America.
The rest of this industry LISTEN UP.
The industry as a whole, does such a good job of sharing resources and collaboration, but especially when it comes to fundraising, we have this tendency to move into a scarcity mindset and try to do it all on our own.
This model is a vision for us to zoom out and look at how the industry, as a whole, can thrive under a network of financial support and advocacy.
Find out more about JCamp180 at https://jcamp180.org/
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Ari - Time Boxing * Sarah - 7-Minute Workouts - https://www.workoutinc.net/ * Travis* - LED Light strips - battery or plugin https://amzn.to/3EWezy4
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Sarah Eisinger, Director, JCamp180 * Ari Polsky, Consultant, JCamp180
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities
Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
It’s time to start thinking forward - and make sure you’re not thinking alone!Shake off that rust.
Last summer is over. It’s behind us.
Yes, there are lingering emotions, program things to wrap up and reports to write, but it’s time to move on.
With some relative certainty about what the summer of 2023 is going to look like after the shutdown phase of the pandemic, camps need to get back to the forward-thinking mindset that has helped us make it this far.
As we do this, something else we need to move on from is the mentality that we have to think forward alone.
The job of a camp director (even if they are part of a big year-round team) can be incredibly isolating and as we recover from the pandemic, it’s the perfect opportunity to think about how we can take the work that we do and spread it out a bit.
It’s a good long-term solution for your mental health and the organizational health of your camp.
Tune in to hear about how Gabz and Joe are moving forward and bringing others along for the ride.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Gabz - Maintenance Phase Every other Tuesday, Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon debunk the junk science behind health and wellness fads. * Joe - Stream Deck - https://www.elgato.com/en/stream-deck * Travis* - The Conversationalist (thanks to past guest Ari Polsky) - Unify, Amplify, Gen Z, Sophie - camp counsellor https://www.instagram.com/theconversationalist/
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities
Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
None of us are perfect. Come celebrate, and learn from our mistakes!We’ve all been there - so why not be there, together?
The positive way to frame mistakes is of course, “these were just learning experiences”, but it sure doesn’t feel like that in the moment.
We all process mistakes that we make differently. Some people hold onto it. Some immediately move to problem-solving but the true camp pros out there know how to own the suck, not repeat it and set others up for success.
We’re grateful for the vulnerability that Gabz, Travis, Chris and Joe show in this episode by sharing about the small…and not so small screw-ups in their camping careers.
Come commiserate with us in this episode!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Take a trip, get outta your comfort zone! * Gabz: The Future Of Writing… Jarvis ai * Travis: Gauntlet Community Open Gaming Weekend * Joe:* Bar Keepers Friend - Cookware Powder Cleanser and Polish https://amzn.to/343ilas
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities
Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Our summers may have been different, but the common thread is that our industry will never be the same again.If we ever needed something to teach us the lesson that “camp, like it was in 2019 isn’t coming back” the summer of 2022 was it.
Holy moly folks.
We hope that you’re doing okay.
We know that not everyone is in the same boat, and who knows, maybe 2022 was your best summer yet (if it was…will you come on the Podcast and tell us about it?). But we all have to collectively shake our damn heads and realize that things have changed.
PEOPLE, WE’RE THE PEOPLE THAT GAG WHEN SOMEONE SAYS “THIS IS THE WAY WE’VE ALWAYS DONE IT”.
Too dramatic? Maybe. Or maybe not.
This summer 2022 debrief episode with Travis, Chris, Gabz and Joe gets a little bit spicy - but it’s for good reason. We need to keep asking questions, pushing each other and digging in on what our campers, families and staff need as we keep this industry alive.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris - You are Here - Thich Nhat Hanh * Gabz - camp craft that actually looks good - Gnomes! * Joe - CO2 Monitor Portable - https://aranet.com/products/aranet4/ * Travis* - NotePD - https://notepd.com/invite/Travishttps://notepd.com/challenge/things-that-the-summer-camp-industry-needs-to-consider-for-a-sustainable-future-o01ei
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Camptivities
Scheduling is the backbone of every camper’s experience, but when there’s a staffing change, it’s almost impossible to fill that role with someone who knows all of the nuisance a schedule takes. Come check Camptivities out; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
We NEED to tell our story.Coming out of this major phase of the pandemic is our industry’s biggest chance to prove our value. Period.
We need to do everything we can to show the world that camp is more than a place with games, songs and friends. But how do we do that when there are still so many incorrect stereotypes about what we do?
Travis, Joe and Chris share how they, along with many other pros are flipping the narrative and how YOU (yes you!) can get involved.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Buy a Chromebook * Joe: Urgent Optimist - Mighty Network Group - see book - Imaginable - Institute for the Future * Travis*: Gestimer for Mac
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek
Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Because what other “home” comes with a Gaga pit and 20+ dining hall tables?We know you’ve heard it. “Camp is my home away from home!” - some camps even go as far as saying “welcome home!” to everyone that drives up the camp road.
Why does that happen?
What is it about the summer camp experience that causes something in our brains that says “I’m home”.
And what happens for the people that it doesn’t?
Chris, Gabz, Joe and Travis get together for a great philosophical chat about what we do, and can do more of, to make that “home” experience for truly everyone that enters our program.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Codenames https://amzn.to/3xuf8gC, online codenames * Gabz: Monday.com - Online Collaboration Tool * Joe: Super MEGA Lucky Box - Board Game for all - and you can play solo * Travis*: Libro.fm https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm210064
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek
Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
It may not happen often, but when you, unfortunately, have to send a camper home, you need to get it right.One of the unfortunate realities of being a camp professional is that it’s likely that eventually, a camper is going to have to go home early.
Whether it’s because of a medical reason, or a behavioural one, a camper going home is never easy. It can send shockwaves not only to them and their parents/caregivers but to your entire camp community.
That’s why it’s important that you don’t leave the “going home” process to chance and instincts.
It’s a good thing that Kate Taylor has dropped in to share her stories and best practices with Travis, Joe and Chris! Tune in!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Inclusive Conversations by Mary-Frances Winters * Joe: Creative Market - Free Downloads each week * Kate: Avacado Freshness Hack * Travis*: From Stressed to Resilient - Dr G - https://amzn.to/3tx25Z6
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Kate Taylor, Camp Director, Camp Kanawana at The YMCAs of Québec
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek
Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
How to make campers & families feel like insiders - before they even get to camp!After a few years away from a regular summer, we likely have more new families than ever.
One of the biggest “shake off the rust” things that we need to remember is how we welcome and prepare new families for their, or their camper’s first time at camp.
Joe, Travis and Gabz get together and share their best practices for helping new families feel like they already have a place at camp, before they even set foot on the property!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Gabz: Bio Soap: https://savonneriediligences.ca/en * Joe: https://hibid.com | https://bidspotter.com * Travis:* Retract-a-bit - https://amzn.to/3CNW7X8
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek
Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
There’s still time to be proactive. For this summer, and the ones to come.Here we go. The camp season is on its way and while we’re so desperately ready to be back, we have to face the reality that the camp industry, like many others, is facing a real staffing crisis.
Whether it’s pay, whether it’s work-load or whether it’s COVID, we need to be more intentional than ever about how we recruit, hire, and retain great staff.
The whole team is here to talk not just about where they’re at, but what decisions they are making to ensure that the staffing culture (and numbers) is strong for years to come.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Trello iftf.org * Gabz: Silent Fidget Toys * Joe: Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything—Even Things That Seem Impossible Today - Jane McGonigal https://amzn.to/3iIOKXt * Travis*: Magnetic Charging Cable 6-Pack
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek
Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
The year after you leave camp, how will it be doing? How does that reflect on your succession planning?What’s the plan?
Seriously.
When you, or another senior staff leaves…
Who will pick up where you/they left off?
Where are the procedures?
What are the most important parts of the culture?
Who knows the wifi password?
Yes, even that last one. We’ve said it multiple times on the CampHacker Podcast so this shouldn’t be shocking…but…YOU AREN’T GOING TO BE THE DIRECTOR SOMEDAY!
So how prepared are you?
Have no fear, the CampHacker gang is here! Travis, Gabz, Chris (welcome back, Chris!) and Joe are ready to share the ways that they think about succession planning every day at camp.
Bonus Links!Because you read the show notes - and that’s pretty neat!
Joe’s “Your Future at Camp” Activity - Instructions for Folding
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Thanks for the Feedback * Gabz: Spike: Making emails simpler * Joe: Sugru * Travis:* Google Photos screen - Google Next Hub https://store.google.com/product/nest_hub_2nd_gen?hl=en-GB
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek
Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
We don’t just raise staff to be great camp employees, we try to help set them up for success for the rest of their life.Camp has this beautiful, strange and messy blurring effect on the work/life relationship between bosses and employees. It’s tough for a lot of reasons, but we’re going to talk about one of the best parts of it on this episode.
One of the inevitabilities of being a camp director is that simply because we’re leaders, people will look to us. What we’re able to do with that relationship is powerful.
Whatever we pass on, whether it’s how to change a tire, or how to determine your next life steps, we know that it can have a profound effect.
The gang’s all here and they’re full of the advice that they regularly give - and the advice they wish they got!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Chris: Eat Breakfast! * Gabz: Multi Timer App * Joe: Art - (https://www.saatchiart.com/* as an example for discovery)- things that make you happy. Things that make you think. Things that make you remember. Things that speak to you * Travis:** https://www.fastcompany.com/90714184/use-old-phone-as-security-camera
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek
Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
When it’s crunch time, you need to make sure all systems are GO. Here are the 10 most vital tips to make the most of the summer camp home stretch.Not only did we get some great feedback on our last episode with Ari and Abi, they realized that as they were preparing for their upcoming summers, they were relying on some tried and true strategies that their years in the “camp ops” world has taught them.
Like the incredibly generous camp pros that they are, they are back on the CampHacker podcast to share these tips with Travis and all our listeners.
Welcome back, Ari and Abi!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Ari: Adam Grant’s Instagram * Abbie: Gozen - newsletter * Travis:*The UpRooter (thanks, Ruby)
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Abigail Stuart, Director of Operations - Doxazo Ministries * Ari Polsky, Program Manager, Client Services - JCamp 180 (a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation)
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsors!Crazy Creek
Crazy Creek Products has been perfecting Just Sit There for campers and staff alike since 1987. Mention this ad when you email or call in and receive 10% off your entire order and free single-colour logo on your Crazy Creek’s! No tool is more vital at camp than a Crazy Creek! Call 800-446-3446 or email Chelsea chill@crazycreek.com to guarantee your chairs for the 2022 season!
UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Regaining and building trust is one of our top post-pandemic priorities.We know, we know. You have a million other “post-pandemic priorities”, but this is one you can’t let slip!
After 2 years of a pandemic that had us in a consistent tornado of fear AND for some, 2 years of no camp, we have some trust to build with families! But, like many things about the pandemic, there’s a silver lining here.
2022 is your opportunity to completely revamp your communication and family onboarding strategy. It’s time to bust out all of the stops - but where to start?
Gabz, Travis and Joe are joined by camp pro and Beyond Camp podcaster Rachel Kent to give you some of their best trust-building philosophies and strategies that you can implement RIGHT NOW.
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis: Ulanzi Cute Cube Lite https://amzn.to/3mVmiUS | TinyCam (Android) for Keeping Wyze Cams on a portable screen http://tinycammonitor.com/ * Gabz: Vegan Treats for Everyone * Joe: 100 Questions Conversation Toolkit * Rachel: Coffee Subscription -* https://www.muskokaroastery.com/
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Outdoor Experiences - Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Check-in with yourself. What do you need? Here’s how to make it happen.Motivation isn’t innate. There are times that, for whatever reason, we need a boost.
Either it’s a project that we find difficult, or we aren’t getting the support or rest we need, or any number of things that can get us feeling down and distracted.
It happens to everyone, including Joe, Travis and Gabz! So when it happens to you, and them, this episode is dedicated to what you can do to dig yourself out. Tune in to hear our host’s favourite motivation and relaxation strategies to get them back on the horse. We hope it helps!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis: Google Pixel Buds Series-A * Gabz: Thronmax Mic * Joe:* Multcloud | Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
It’s not about selling people on camp. It’s about telling your stories.Do you like every single part of being a camp director? Come on, be honest.
There’s something that is every camp director’s kryptonite - something that you KNOW you need to do, and you probably do it, but just the thought of it makes you feel gross.
For many directors out there, marketing is that thing.
Social media, newsletters, podcasts, word of mouth, ads…yeesh. If it doesn’t come natural to you, it’s hard, but there’s hope.
This episode will take you through all of the emotions through our hosts for today. Travis, the marketing expert, Gabz the enthusiastic marketing camp director, and Chris…on the opposite end of that spectrum. Give this great conversation a listen.
And it’s not just the mushy stuff, there are a lot of great practical tips, so get excited!
Links from this show:Hey - you read the show notes, and that’s pretty neat! These are for you:
Thanks to Camp:Help families, campers, staff and alumni tell your camp story
Canva: Save time and use Canva to create your digital/printed images and with the press a couple of buttons you can create your images in multiple formats.
LOOM: Answer families questions by using Loom, a quick way to record videos of your screen and camera
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis: Zapp Padd https://powerbx.com/discount/GoCamp * Gabz: Multi Device Keyboard Logitech K380 https://amzn.to/32sk7Rr * Chris:* Spot It (https://amzn.to/3nKxGnj) - And the story behind Spot-It
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
It’s time for Camp Directors to stop trying to do everything. Invest in operations.Ari Polsky, the smartie that he is, posed this question in the COVID-19 + Camp Slack last June:
“Based off the texts I have received from a few camp colleagues, and the current setup work I am doing I have some thoughts/questions:
- Are we (as a field) investing enough in operations and systems staff?
- How are we looking to cultivate/train/improve/retain people who keep the trains running on time?
I am talking about the people who can rattle of database queries in their sleep and solve any operations, logistics, camp chessboard problems. It seems like in this time it’s, especially in need.”
The conversation sparked from there and it was clear this was something we needed to zoom in on.
Join Travis, Ari and Abigail Stuart (3/5 of The Brief Newsletter Team!) as they share what their roles have looked like as operational directors and why every camp should consider investing in the position.
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - Dawn Powerwash - https://amzn.to/3C4EwrJ * Abi - iGen by Jean Twenge - https://amzn.to/30pQ6kp * Ari - Bring Your Human to Work: 10 Surefire Ways to Design a Workplace That Is Good for People, Great for Business, and Just Might Change the World by Erica Kesman https://amzn.to/3C9VPHQ
+ Milk Crate https://amzn.to/3F56aqw
+ Miss Excel on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/miss.excel/
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Abigail Stuart, Director of Operations - Doxazo Ministries * Ari Polsky, Marketing, Fundraising and Data Analysis Consultant, AriPolsky.com
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Cue the trombone music, its ALL TOOLS ALL THE TIME!Back by popular demand, back again is our annual All TOWs show!
This year, a focus on gifts for camp directors that promote positive mental health.
Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe all share…
- 2 tools that positively affect your mental health
- 2 books you read JUST FOR FUN
- 2 gifts you’d recommend for every camp director
Let’s get to the links!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director 2 tools that positively affect your mental health*
+ Chris
- A regular old journal - https://amzn.to/3GDIN9f
- Stayfree app
+ Gabz
- My Cats
- Feelin Weird Podcast
+ Joe
- Daily Routine Sticky Note
- Daily Reading - Glimpses of Grace Book https://amzn.to/2ZVYGai
+ Travis
- Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Color Field Box Set of 12 Half Pans - https://amzn.to/3BHZix3
- Anjunadeep Chillout Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4LIb2PKCU2q36oMfA4eNHl?si=8c6c7415c1bc4cfa**2 books you read for fun**
+ Chris
- Misfits by Michaela Coel https://amzn.to/2ZJii1c
- Y the Last Man https://amzn.to/3mC3QAQ
+ Gabz
- Broken Horses: A Memoir - Brandy Carlisle - https://www.audible.com/pd/Broken-Horses-Audiobook/0593340108
- A Reason for Hope - Jane Goodall - https://amzn.to/3BFgx2j
+ Joe
- Lord of the Rings - https://amzn.to/3mCruNJ
- House of Leaves - https://amzn.to/3w76WQJ
+ Travis
- The Galaxy, and the Ground Within - Becky Chambers https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780063069190-the-galaxy-and-the-ground-within
- Bewilderment - https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781039002777-bewilderment**2 gifts you’d recommend for every camp director**
+ Chris
- Voice Amplifier https://amzn.to/3CGnKAi
- Make something!
+ Gabz
- Delicious Coffee Canal
- Eco friendly care packages
+ Joe
- Pick Punch - Upgrade $30 USD
- Sorta Notebook $24 USD- The notebook that changes with your everyday. – Sorta
+ Travis
- Manta Sleep Mask - https://amzn.to/3pZZplu
- Lever Gear CableKit - Portable Micro USB Keychain Charger Cord - https://amzn.to/3mDrTzv
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)
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Who’s the best delegator you’ve ever met?The working title of this episode is “delegate like your life depends on it”.
A bit dramatic? Yes. Kind of true? Also yes!
If you can’t delegate - if everything at camp needs to run by you before it happens - if you need to facilitate every hard conversation - then you (and your camp) may not last very long.
So we know that - but why can’t we do it? There are a multitude of reasons/excuses why we don’t, but there are even more reasons why it’s absolutely necessary.
So let’s dig in. Gabz, Chris, Travis and Joe join forces to share their perspectives on how they became better delegators and how it’s shaped their camp experiences.
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 Director Chris: Once Upon a Time * Gabz: Smart Plug * Joe: Non Slip Furniture Pads X-Protector - Bed Bottoms - future proof * Travis*: Serious Work: How to Facilitate Meetings & Workshops Using the LEGO Serious Play Method - https://amzn.to/31eLP3m
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Don’t just make it survivable, make it AWESOME.We’re releasing this podcast at the time where the previous summer is still “going” and next summer isn’t quite “coming” yet.
However, if you haven’t run since 2019, the summer of 2022 feels like it’s coming fast and furious.
This is the time for deep thinking, planning and rest. It’s possible to make policy revisions on the fly, but it’s better to make them now. It’s possible to think of innovative programming on the fly, but it’s better to do it now.
This episode, Gabz, Chris and Joe talk about what they, and you can do right now to set yourself up for a successful summer.
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 Director Chris: TV Time * Gabz: Instagram Feeds to Follow: PrideCamping, The Summer Camp Society , S’more Melanin, Oaaars, TransPlaning * Joe:* Jabra Speak 510 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
No more warm-body syndrome. Hire great staff and have a great summer.This isn’t the first Go Camp Pro Podcast about staffing, and it certainly won’t be the last.
This year all of our shows are going to cover many topics on staffing - where to find them, how to interview them, how to keep them, etc.
But when you get down to it, we need to take a step back from the current staffing crisis and remember that if we hire the absolute best staff team we can, it is more likely to make the absolute best experience for the campers.
This episode, Gabz, Chris and Joe pick apart the DNA of what makes an incredible camp staff member and why it’s important that you are relentless in your pursuit of looking for those qualities at hiring time.
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 Director Chris: Yeti Microphone * Gabz: Shift App - Desktop * Joe: Adjustable Light Stand/Tripod*
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Part 2 of our conversation about the big changes needed in the Camp World.To listen to part 1: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/10/future-of-camp-pt-1
Last episode, we gave a laundry list of what’s NOT going well in the industry.
Here, we shake off the doom and gloom start to unpack what it might look like to fix some of these changes that seem big and foreboding.
A big thanks to Ruby and Jolly for joining us for these two episodes! Make sure you check out all of the great things that they are up to: https://rubyoutdoors.com & https://gocamp.pro/jolly
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 Director Chris: Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture * Joe: Festool TSC 55 KEBI-F Plus Cordless Track Saw * Ruby: Roll of Tyvex * Jolly: Pre-postaged postcards * Travis:* https://app.jqbx.fm/
Your Hosts: Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Jolly Corley - Camp Director and Trainer - www.jollycorley.com* * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Yes - S*it scared.As Ruby points out in this episode, the CampHacker team doesn’t shy away from saying the hard things.
Episode 39 of the Podcast, recorded in 2012 talked all about why the camp industry was in peril.
Switch those last two numbers and fast-forward to 2021, and we’re STILL in many of those same perils.
Like many industries, the pandemic has further amplified the things about camp that need to change. The ideas of “lack of staff”, a homogeneous industry community, climate change and many more things seem to have come to a head all at once.
Look at the summer camp professionals group on Facebook, it was FULL of stories from pros, young and old, speaking about how this was their hardest summer yet.
In this episode, the brilliant Ruby Compton and Jolly Corley, join Travis, Chris and Joe to honour the hard things that we’re facing.
NEXT episode we’ll talk about how to move forward!
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 Director Chris: The Forest Productivity App - https://www.forestapp.cc/ * Joe: Small Drawers - Things with small drawers (see pictures below) * Ruby: TOAKS Titanium Long Handle Spoon https://amzn.to/3EPgIKY * Jolly: Burt’s Bee’s Coconut Pear https://amzn.to/39y1Hiq * Travis:* Personal Portable Fan https://amzn.to/3lS9QE4
Your Hosts: Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Jolly Corley - Camp Director and Trainer - www.jollycorley.com*
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
How 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 our
new 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.
-
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: WorkSharp
Ruby: Personal Recipe Book
Alana: Power Beats High-Performance Earbuds
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors * Alana Matteson, Summer Camp Professional
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Over 16 hours of volunteer podcasting this year. Why do we do it? How can we encourage the next generation of camp pros to give back to the industry…There are SO many people that love and support the industry. From Podcast hosts, to speakers, to bloggers, to association volunteers, to contributors in the online communities, there are tens of thousands of volunteer hours poured into the industry every year.
This episode is dedicated to the spirit of volunteering at camp, and how we can encourage the next generation of camp professionals to step up and support the industry as it enters this chapter of recovery and change.
Chris, Joe and Travis are joined by Go Camp Pro’s Executive Producer, Matt Honsberger (who’s currently typing this blog!) to look back on this season of the CampHacker Podcast and share where the inspiration to give time comes from, and how to help others find it as well.
-
How are you encouraging staff to volunteer? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: The Future is Trust: Embracing the Era of Trust-Centered Leadership
Joe: Books Full of Tools (3 books): Four Favorite Tools; Recomendo; Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities
Chris: Nutribullet
Matt: Forgettable to Unforgettable: How to become an extraordinary leader in just seven weeks
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Matt Honsberger, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Was staffing a pain for you this year? Let’s get ahead of this beast for next summer!The global pandemic has hit our industry hard in so many ways, but one of them that we didn’t really expect was how hesitant our youth and young adults who have traditionally served every summer at camp would be about joining us for another season.
And whether that was because they were a bit more risk-averse, or maybe they’ve just seen the financial benefits more desirable. Either way, what we need to take away from this is just how intentional we need to be about recruiting staff.
What better time to start than when you have staff at camp NOW?
Chris, Gabz, and Travis are joined by returning guest Neva Baltzell to share how thinking about recruitment now will not just benefit next year, but will have a profound impact on your current staff team.
-
How will you start your staff recruitment now? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: BarKeeper’s Friend - https://amzn.to/3hpCewA
Neva: UNO Flip, Monopoly Deal, Monopoly Bid
Gabz: Notion
Chris: Black Boys Documentary
Your Hosts: Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Neva Baltzell, Residential Manager at Florida United Methodist Children's Home*
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Boundaries, sleep, and exercise - tools for camp pros that are just as important as duct tape and zip ties.This isn’t some fluffy episode where we tell you to take up meditation and manifest your stress away. Self-care for Camp Directors seems like an oxymoron most days. To accomplish any sort of balance in our camp lives, we need to put just as much intention into our self-care habits as we put into everything else we do at camp.
A camp director will best serve the staff they work with, when their needs are well met. Period. Full stop.
Chris, Gabz, and Travis are joined by Kate Taylor for a very frank and realistic perspective on what it means to prioritize self-care, even when it seems impossible.
-
What do you do to be your best self when camp is at it’s busiest? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Gerber Gear Armbar Slim Drive https://amzn.to/2R2bjMl
Kate: daylio.net
Gabz: OAAARS
Chris: https://numberforliveperson.com/
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Kate Taylor, Camp Director, Camp Kanawana at The YMCAs of Québec
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Pay your staff more - AND - here are some other ways to appreciate and incentivize the camp experience.We should all be working to pay our staff more. Full stop.
That being said, it may be impossible to pay staff for the sheer amount of joy, passion, blood, sweat and tears they put in to the work they do. So even WHEN we’re able to pay staff more, we should be doing everything we can to show staff how much we appreciate them and how valuable the camp experience is.
Chris, Travis and Joe are joined by Go Camp Pro contributor Darby Dame to share their best practices on how to incentivize staff beyond just how we pay them.
-
How do you show staff they are valued? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: The Book with No Pictures - BJ Novak https://amzn.to/3wZbF6Z
Joe: zip ties - organizations secret weapon - https://youtu.be/fhIts8zhn_A | The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zanderand Benjamin Zander https://amzn.to/2PXElwB
Darby: HotJar website
Chris: Run of the mill Laminating Machine https://amzn.to/3e57kGF
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Darby Dame, Director of Marketing and Communications - Camp High Rocks
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
SPONSORED CONTENT - Thanks to PikMyKid for their support!Every single camp has its own way of managing pick-up and drop-off and the great camps put a lot of time and intention into both processes.
Remember, those two times may be the only physical impressions of your camp that parents get, so a well-polished process will win you big points in their books.
In this interview pod, Travis sits down with Pat Bhava, the founder and CEO of PikMyKid, to share why he saw the need to bring pick-up and drop-off into the technological era, and how his software will leave a professional, polished impression with families.
Please note - PikMyKid is a sponsor of Go Camp Pro. We’re grateful for their support.
Want to share your brand’s story? Advertise with Go Camp Pro.
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Pat Bhava, CEO & Founder* - PikMyKid
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
It’s going to happen. Here’s how to fire with compassion and dignity.We, as camp pros are all about stories.
Stories about moments where we know that kids lives were changed.
Where do those stories come from?
There are so many intentional things that go into creating the type of environment where those moments flourish. Great camp pros know how to cultivate these type of moments, but it’s always great for a refresher.
That’s why Gabz Chris, Joe and Travis are here to unpack some of their most memorable moments and the things that lead up to them.
-
What are some memorable moments from camp that come to mind? What went in to making them happen? Let us know in the comments!
SNACK of the Week – Because why not?Travis: Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup on Ice Cream
Joe: Wasabi Peanuts
Gabz: Bengal Spice Tea
Chris: Honey Nut Cheerios and Chocolate Chips - Straight Up
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
It’s going to happen. Here’s how to fire with compassion and dignity.This is another thing that’s just “part of the job”.
Firing someone is especially hard in a place that’s so connected with people’s emotions.
Often, when someone is fired at camp, it’s not usually because they have anything against us, or even about camp. They’ve usually just made a choice that is against policy, or they aren’t at the level we need them to be.
Travis, Joe and Chris are joined by Rachel Kent, camp pro and co-host of the podcast, Beyond Camp to discuss how they let staff go and do it with a great amount of tact and compassion.
-
What do you do when you have to let people go? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Get Together: How to build a community with your people - https://amzn.to/3rWSHLg
Joe: UST Survival Playing Cards - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01F393TYQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 & Pro Knot Outdoor Knot Cards - https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0922273227/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rachel Kent: Visual Timerapp
Chris: Sneaky Cards - https://sneakycards.com/
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams * Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
You know…when the chocolate pudding really hits the fan.We don’t wish it on you. But at some point in your camp career it’s going to happen.
Something will go wrong and you’ll say to yourself “crap, that’s not good”.
Then you’ll get an urgent walkie call and you’ll say, “seriously?”
Then, the power will go out, and you’ll be standing there in the dark saying to yourself, “well. damn. I’m really in it now”.
You can prepare as much as you want, but there’s no way to prevent the dreaded domino of disaster. However, by hearing about how other camp pros made it through these hard times, you can at least rest assured that you can do it. You can get through the tidal wave of trouble relatively unscathed.
Join Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe as they share their perfect storms and the swim strokes that got them to the other side.
-
When it really hits the fan. What do you do? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Genesys RPG Dice - https://amzn.to/3sNwzD6
Joe: A Library Card. Period. Full Stop. Go get a library card and learn how to use it online.
Gabz: https://www.anylist.com/
Chris: Gather.town
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Never ever ever ever ever ever say “We’ve always done it this way” again.How often do you feel stuck in a rut?
Becuase of this year, because of the work, because of the stress, there are always reasons to get stuck, but being a true Camp Maverick means that you’re quick to recognize those moments, and quick to being the process of “unstucking” yourself.
Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe have felt this many times in their camping careers. They join together to share their favourite strategies and biggest learning moments when it comes to getting stuck, and unstuck.
-
What do you do when you’re stuck? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Yaktrax Pro Traction Cleats for Walking, Jogging, or Hiking on Snow and Ice, X-Large
Joe: The Align Right™ Sleeping Pillow - The Pillow that fits your head, not your bed. https://alignright.com/products/sleeping-pillow
Gabz: Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Chris: https://hootsuite.com/
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
This episode is a loving punch in the gut.As we’ve said before, it’s our job as camp directors to think about the big things.
And sometimes, those big things aren’t popular, or happy-go-lucky things, but that doesn’t make them any less important!
Our podcast is no different. Back in April 2020, we broached the topic of “What if camp doesn’t run in 2020?”
We can’t hide away from the hard things & this is a hard thing.
As the COVID-19 pandemic rocks our industry for likely 2 (or more?) summers, will it be viable to be a full-time camp director?
Join Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe as they wade into these gross waters.
It’s not all bad - trust us!
-
What do you think the camp industry will look like in 5 years? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Libro.fm:audiobooks that support local, independent bookstores.
Joe: TechSoup - https://www.techsoup.global/ (Aug 2011 last time) & Happy sock Twitter @yoyojoer
Gabz: Fabulous - Daily Self Care App
Chris: Humans by Brandon Stanton https://www.allbookstores.com/Humans-Stanton-Brandon/9781250114297
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
Our job is to look forward. But when you feel like you don’t have time, allow the CampHacker crew to help!Have you heard the expression “in uncharted waters?”. Of course, you have.
Well, right now, in February 2021, we’re in the uncharted riverpaddling towards the uncharted waterfall, which descends into the uncharted wading pool.
Even for camps that ran last summer, the COVID-19 pandemic saga is far from over.
Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe are here to dig into the obvious, and the not-so-obvious things that directors should be thinking about with a few months of time to spare.
This isn’t an easy conversation, but as directors, it’s our job to have them.
What’s on your mind for 2021? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Amazon Basics (or DeWalt - which ever is cheaper) Safety Goggles for All (including Glasses wearers) https://amzn.to/2LRELSu
Joe: The Big Book of Maker Skills https://amzn.to/3nL92jt
Gabz: Rode VideoMicro https://amzn.to/2N5Bv6S or Shure mic for androids https://amzn.to/3nIp5hW
Chris: Amusing Ourselves To Death - Neil Postman https://amzn.to/2XHQrKk
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!UltraCamp
Wouldn’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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
A follow-up conversation with the organizers of the Black Lives Matter at Summer Camp Movementhttps://blacklivesmatteratcamp.com/
Summer camp is built on the idea of giving young people fuller lives through recreation, enrichment, and community. Our industry centers on the well-being of youth and was created to better their life outcomes, experiences, and personal growth. This is why we are camp professionals and why we believe in the power of camp.
Therefore, it is a fundamental and necessary step for us to affirm that Black Lives Matter. As camps and camp professionals, this statement lies at the core of our identity and values within this industry.
On the day of action for Black Lives Matter at Summer Camp, professionals affirmed that right here and right now, while we know our work is for all campers, staff, and families, we must focus on the ones calling for help. We must focus on the members of our broader community asking for and demanding change and justice. We must extend our hearts, our values, and the power of the experience we create to those who have been left behind.
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Inbo Remote Meeting Cards https://www.inbo.ca/remotely-store
Doug: America The Dream: https://americathedream.org/videos
Lily: Rise Up Singing book. https://amzn.to/3mM561j
Scott: Creative Quest https://amzn.to/3nIfNTP
Your Hosts: Doug Sutherland,* Executive Director, Brantwood Camp * Lily Mercogliano Easton*, Camp Director, Camp Wa Wa Segowea* * Scott Arizala**, Founder & Chairman of Camp Tall Tree, Consultant & Trainer * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to this episode’s 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/camphacker
Please review us! - Click here!
There’s an incredible power dynamic at play when it comes to you and the rest of the staff, here’s how to address that head-on, with approachability!If your staff haven’t told you that you’re intimidating, then they just haven’t told you YET.
Gabz, Joe and Travis are here to share their best practices when it comes to toeing the line of approachability without being too attached or going the other direction and micro-managing.
How do you show approachability with your team? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Monster Feelings - Laura Tyson & Michael Smith (Eyes book)
Gabz: Hero 911
Joe: 50 bits of wisdom from someone who just turned 50 years old [that might surprise you…?]
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey
Please review us! - Click here!
You all know what kind of boss we’re talking about.Marcus Buckingham says it best - “People leave managers, not companies”.
Do you want to keep your best staff members?
Do you want to have a strong culture built on trust and empathy?
Do you want your camp to truly feel like a community?
Then for all the bosses, managers and supervisors.
Be better.
Chris, Gabz and Joe are here to break down what makes a boss the type of boss that staff will work through adversity (like COVID-19!) or the ones staff will leave in the dust.
(Without using names) what was something a boss did that made them that boss for you? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorChris: Circadian Optics - Light Therapy
Gabz: Get yourself a therapist - especially in the summer. If Gabz can make time for it, so can you.
Joe: 5 Gallon Bucket of Possibilities - Fill a bucket with things that would entertain kids and always have it on you. Plus, you always have a seat!
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey
Please review us! - Click here!
It’s our annual “Tool of the Week” show! All tools, all the time!Here come the links!
Happy holidays, friends!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorNew Tools Used In the last 4 months
-
Travis:
- 3D Printed Mask Bracket
- RocketBook Orbit (and Cloud Cards)
-
Joe:
-
Orient Your Screens To Be On Top of One Another
- Fastcap Measuring Tape - Metric / Imperial
-
Chris:
-
Padlet.com - online bulletin board
-
Gabz:
-
Apple Pencil
Phone Apps
-
Chris
- Chwazi App - Determine Who Goes First - Apple / Google
- Good News Network App - Apple / Google
- DNDify - Epic RPG Music - Google
-
Joe
-
Pocket
- Feedly
- Sketchbook Autodesk
-
Travis
-
NanoTeleprompter - Google / Apple Other Version
- AnyList
- Yac - transcribed voice messages for your team. Works on Slack
Webinars
-
Gabz
- Embodied Anti-Racism
- The Fundraising Lab
- Go Camp Pro’s 5-Minute Fridays
Computer Apps
-
Joe
- Google for Work Suite - It just keeps getting better
- Video Studio Pro Ultimate - Full Video Editor for $99
- Framer - Prototype Phone Apps
-
Chris
-
Snip & Sketch in Windows Windows Key + Shift + S
- On Mac it’s cmd+shift+4
- Audacity
- PDANet for Android
- Travis
- On Mac it’s cmd+shift+4
-
Command E - Universal Shortcut Tool
- Stack Browser
-
Notion - Great note-taking interface
- Travis’ Travis Allison- CCA President-Elect | Good Questions to Increase Video Call Engagement | Follow-up Emails Every Camp Should Have - after a camper inquiry
Gabz Bonus Items:
- Pocket Counsellor
- Chalk Markers - Put Plexiglass in front of chalkboards
- Junior Sized Football - A personal football that is special and to be thrown around by staff
Books
-
Joe
- Art Matters - Neil Gaiman
-
Chris
-
How to Be an Anti-Racist - Ibram X. Kendi - Buy it from a black-owned bookstore, please!
-
Gabz
-
White Fragility - Why It’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism - Robin DiAngelo
-
Travis
-
The City We Became - N.K. Jemisin
Bonus Items
-
Chris
- Toilet Paper roll chord organization system
-
Joe
-
Pick Punch - Variety of Sizes
-
Travis
-
Window Scrolling Keyboard Shortcuts - cmd+tab on mac or alt+tab on windows
-
Gabz
-
White Christmas/Fairy Lights for you to own so they have as a back-up
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey
Please review us! - Click here!
Because you wear many hats as a Camp Pro - and one of them is often a hard-hat!As a Camp Pro, there will be a time when either you won’t have a maintenance team, or there will be too many things that need to be fixed.
When that time comes, you can either pay for someone to come in OR roll up your sleeves and get to work.
That being said, most Camp Pros don’t get into the industry with a background in maintenance. And while we’re not suggesting you take time off to do a bunch of apprenticeships, some basic maintenance will definitely go a long way!
Gabz, Chris, Joe and Travis huddle up to bring you their most useful maintenance skills that will both save you money and leave you with that sense of satisfaction that comes from fixing something yourself.
What is your most used maintenance skill at camp? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Franz App
Chris: Native Land app and website
Gabz: Chainsaw
Joe: Picquic Screwdriver - “If Chuck Norris was a screwdriver, he would be a Picquic.”
Your Hosts:* Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey
Please review us! - Click here!
The future of the camp industry rests on the shoulders of our current leadership staff. How do we help them take the plunge into full-time camping? Every year you come back to camp, it becomes less and less about yourself.
We always need to be looking forward. No matter how challenging times are, the camp industry will recover and is going to need new leadership.
How can we give the future generation of camp pros the best leg-up as they shape and leave their stamp on the industry?
What is one piece of advice you’d give to the next generation of camp pros? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Blank Playing Cards - Matte Finish + Blank Dice
Chris: Canva.com
Gabz: Miro
Joe: https://www.goggles4u.com/ - online prescription eyeglasses - CHEAP
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey
Please review us! - Click here!
Camp people are creative people and this year, more than ever, we need to extend that creativity into revenue generation.Haven’t we talking about this before? Yes! Twice! AND - Can you ever have enough ideas for drumming up some new revenue?
Join Gabz, Chris, Travis and Joe as they unpack a TON of new ideas to generate some more money to help your camp whether the financial lows of 2020-2021.
What are some of the successes you’ve had with creative revenue generation? Let us know in the comments!
Past Episodes on This Topic* Other Sources of Income - with Jalisa Danhof - CampHacker #123 * New Sources of Revenue for Summer Camps - CampHacker #6
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Body Back Buddy Classic - Back Massager
Chris: Casio F91W-1 Classic Resin Strap Digital Sport Watch
Gabz: Wax Cardboard
Joe: The Laws of Simplicity - John Maeda
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director -* Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau** * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey
Please review us! - Click here!
Summer 2021 will probably not be a summer of abundance. Here’s how to be ready to do just as much (or more) with less at your camp this summer. This will be a summer that will unify camps that are used to having lots and those who are making it work with less.
As we gear up and mask up for the summer of 2021, our program budgets will quickly turn into hand-sanitizer budgets and the creative problem-solving abilities that we’ve been fostering will definiteily be put to the test.
Don’t fret though, the CampHacker team has your back. All of our team, Gabz, Chris, Joe and Travis have had lots of experience in the non-profit camp world and are ready to share their frugally magic camp tips.
We think this episode talking about having a little gives you a LOT of great ideas.
What are your best tips for doing camp with more scarce resources? Let us know in the comments!
Past Episodes on This Topic* Other Sources of Income - with Jalisa Danhof - CampHacker #123 * New Sources of Revenue for Summer Camps - CampHacker #6
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Two articles from Kevin Love with the Cleveland Cavaliers: Everyone is Going Through Something & To Anybody Going Through It
Chris: Slack for staff and group communication.
Gabz: Just Not Sorry
Joe: Inspiring Newsletters - The Magnet, 3-2-1 Thursday newsletter, Laura Olin
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director -* Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau** * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey
Please review us! - Click here!
The road to the summer of 2021 is one that we shouldn’t walk alone.Camp Directors everywhere are so quick to say “it’s lonely at the top” but does the conversation really stop there?
We are doing the best we can, but at a certain point, we can’t do it alone.
Who do you turn to? Who are the people that you can rely on when things are tough?
This episode of the CampHacker Podcast is all about finding the people that are going to get you through the sometimes lonely work of being a camp director.
Tune in to hear what’s worked for Travis, Gabz, Chris and Joe.
Who’s in your support network? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: USB LED Clock for minding the time in Zoom meetings and webinars
Chris: Habitica.com
Gabz: Owaves
Joe: One Page Internet - https://www.hvper.com/
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director -* Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau** * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!The American Camp Association - New York & New Jersey
Please review us! - Click here!
At the end of a long and weird summer, let’s take a second to reflect on what we’ve learned from a Summer Camp season in a global pandemic. Welcome to season 10 of the CampHacker Podcast.We’re on the other side of the summer of 2020.
Wait, really? Where did the summer go? What happened?
We need to do what Camp Pros do best. It’s the skill that we teach kids about in every great team-building activity - reflection. And yes, yes, yes we know, reflecting after something hard is the last thing we may want to do, but as you know, the best debriefs happen after a team-building activity doesn’t go super well.
So after a summer that - as a massive understatement - didn’t go super well - Who better to dig into it than the CampHacker Podcast crew.
Hear from Travis, Gab, Joe and our new host, Chris on how the summer of 2020 went for them and what they are taking away from it.
What do you want to hear from the CampHacker Podcast this season? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: https://app.jqbx.fm/ (pronounced Jukebox) - an app that lets people work together on creating a live DJ playlist. USB LED Clock for minding the time in Zoom meetings and webinars
Chris: ZoomJam! - https://zoomjam.org/
Gabz: Mini Club Social - https://www.miniclubsocial.com/flow
Joe: Scroll Saw - Hegner - or entry level or FUNDO - https://fundo.town/camp/creator/#/home/events
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro * Chris Hudson, Camp Director -* Camp Highlight * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau** * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!
Please review us! - Click here!
A conversation around how to make the camp and recreation industries a more welcoming place for a wider range of people. In this special summer bonus episode, Travis is joined by Dr. Daniel Theriault to discuss racism, power and privilege in the recreation industry. Dr. Theriault and Travis dig into some of the work that’s needed to subvert these unhealthy systems within the rec and camp industry.
It’s a great interview and we’re so grateful to Dr. Theriault for joining us.
Some notes from this interview:
Dr. Theriault proposes three things that all recreation professionals, camp professionals, and white people can do to start to
- Work to see power and privilege - the power systems that shape the way the world works (racism, classism, etc.).
- Take responsibility for our role in those systems.
- Take anti-racist actions.
Drilling down into some specifics:
- Normalize the lack of comfort that will surely follow when we start to confront our involvement in systems power and privilege
- Read what is painful - read and absorb information on the BIPOC history and experience so we are better equipped to serve our campers through that lens of understanding.
- Think about the media that we absorb and how BIPOC communities are represented in those shows and movies.
Daniel and Travis come to some for the Summer Camp Industry as a whole:
- Be careful about the language we use and the messages it sense. For example, how might “Color War” be perceived in light of the racial conflict that has existed in communities over the last 200+ years.
- Look at policy - Who do we value? Who do we hire? Why do we hire them?
- Educate ourselves and others on the history of the land our camp is on and who occupied the land not just before the camp, but before settlement.
-
Increasing representation of diverse staff at your camp. This can help your camp start to truly look like a camp where BIPOC campers can see themselves.
- First steps here include ensuring our pre-camp training includes topics of power, privilege and the contexts of racism.
- Building relationships of trust with community organizations, HBCUs and other places where you may look to hire BIPOC folks.
Remember, these are bullet-points, not check-boxes. Undoing the systems of racism, power and privilege is going to be lifelong work.
Thank you to those Camp Pros who are committed to continuing to do this continued work.
Links from this episode* Dr. Theriault’s article: Vulnerable Teaching in Leisure Studies
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Dr. Daniel Theriault**, Assistant Professor of Recreation Management at Appalachian State University - theriaultds@appstate.edu
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
A Camp Podcast, in the Summer!?Coming July 9th, 2020: Beyond Camp: Exploring the Intersection of Camp and Our Lives
As much as people like to talk about camp and ‘the real world’ as two separate entities, camp professionals know that this simply isn’t true. Beyond Camp dives into how different aspects of our lives affect our camp experience, effectively bursting the camp bubble and welcoming all parts of our lives into the conversation.
For the summer, stay tuned to the CampHacker Podcast feed. We're releasing a new show every week!
We hope you enjoy this preview! Episode one drops July 9th at 6 am.
If you have any feedback or ideas for future topics please get in touch! - matt@gocamp.pro.
Go well and safely friends, see you next week.
Please review us! - Click here!
We need to be in this for the long-run. Think ahead with the CampHacker Podcast.Things are hard now. It’s no doubt.
However, through hard things, comes the opportunity for big and beautiful changes.
It’s is the idea of weathering the storm and watching the flowers thrive.
Give yourself a break from the doom and gloom to think about what your camping program will look like in 5 years. 5 summers from now, what do you want to be proud of? How will we show the world the importance of camp after the possibility of a summer without it?
When it comes to thinking big, there’s no other crew you want in your corner. The whole gang is here, so sit back, relax for a second and dream alongside Gabz, Dan, Joe and Travis.
In what ways do you think camp will look different in 2025? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Voice messaging Slack extension - https://talk-talk.me/
Dan: Joby GripTight GorillaPod Stand PRO - https://amzn.to/35Xpo0V
Joe: Lee Valley Best-Ever Picture Screw - https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/hardware/picture-hanging-and-framing/anchors-and-screws/76382-lee-valley-best-ever-picture-screw
Gabz: TeamGantt Project Management Framework - https://www.teamgantt.com/google-sheets-gantt-chart-template
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards*, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility * Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director -* Camp Ouareau**
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known
Please review us! - Click here!
Real Talk. Dealing with COVID and camp is hard and we can’t keep going at this 24/7. What are Travis, Dan and Joe doing to avoid thinking about COVID-19?You may be a work-horse. You have been the camp counsellor who stayed up until 3 am to finish that extra special surprise for your campers. You may have been the Program Director who spent hours upon hours trying to quash staff drama. You may have even spent the night pouring over accreditation standards and thinking about every little detail you needed to fix before your standards visit the next day.
You may have been able to do that, but COVID-19 and camp is not that.
When we are dealing with something this ominous, we more than ever need to set mental boundaries. We’re not talking about taking a 15-minute mindfulness break, or trying to re-frame this all as an opportunity, or simply trying to just keep working to deal with this.
You need a mental pause, and to take a second to take off the mask of security and strong leadership that you put on for your staff, families and alumni.
And if you think that this is the mindset of amateurs in the industry, it most certainly is not.
We wanted to get real with you on this episode of the CampHacker Podcast. This is Travis, Dan and Joe talking about what they, as people with a combined almost 100 years in the industry are doing to protect their sanity during this unprecedented time in the camping world.
Tune in to hear our 3 hosts share their favourite Podcasts, Books, Music, TV Shows and Hobbies that they use to switch their brains from the mentally, physically and emotionally taxing jobs of keeping their programs, and the industry as a whole, alive.
Editors Note: I’m extremely grateful to Joe, Dan and Travis for their radical openness and vulnerability in this episode.
What are you doing to intentionally foster community and empathy with your team? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Custom Zoom Signs - Vote, SMRT, and “You’re Muted”
Dan: Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
Joe: Yo-Yo Tricks - https://yoyotricks.com/
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards*, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility * Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island*
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known
Please review us! - Click here!
Being a leader in crisis is necessary, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The CampHacker team is here to help.This is a test of our leadership.
COVID-19 is likely one of the biggest threats to your camp that you, as a director has faced in your camping career.
In times like this, it’s easy to look inward. It’s natural to worry about the money, about the uncertainty of viability if you miss a summer, disappointing children…sorry, we don’t have to remind you of all that you’re worrying about right now.
When things are hard, the sign of a great leader is the one that shows compassion, empathy and care for their staff team. Think about your high school and college-aged staff right now. The prospect of summer without camp is emotionally devastating and they need your help.
Don’t get us wrong, we’re not suggesting that you need to sugar-coat things and tell them that everything’s going to be alright. What they need, is for you to walk beside them in their feelings. That may look like being honest with them, to coach them through their feelings, or maybe even simply to take the time to listen to them.
If you want to be strategic about it, think about your staff team in 2021. Do you want to start from scratch, or do you want to have a team of people who loved camp, felt heard, and stayed connected through an emotionally difficult time for you, and them.
This is your time to show them, that no matter what, you, camp, and the community of their peers are here for them.
What are you doing to intentionally foster community and empathy with your team? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Ruby’s Slack suggestions https://gocamp.pro/blog/navigating-slack-part-3-the-fun-stuff https://gocamp.pro/blog/navigating-slack-part-2-of-3 https://gocamp.pro/blog/navigating-slack-part-1-of-3
Dan: Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim Grover
Joe: GRR-Ripper 3D Pushblock for tablesaws - https://www.microjig.com/products/grr-ripper
Gabz: Apple Arcade: What the Golf
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, Summer* Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro * Joe Richards*, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility * Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director -* Camp Ouareau**
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known
Please review us! - Click here!
COVID-19 and Summer Camp. The hard question that we need to be asking in April 2020.This question is a definite punch in the gut.
However, as the COVID-19 situation evolves, we need to consider the very real possibility that we may not see a summer of camp until 2020.
It sucks. A lot, but if we think of this in the sphere of things we can and things we can’t control, things become a little clearer.
We may not have control over if the summer of 2020 runs, but we do have some control over if camp will survive in the long-run.
Tune in to this episode to hear Gabz, Travis and Joe discuss
In this emergency episode, we discuss:
- What should camp professionals be considering and planning for when there is this much uncertainty in the camp world.
- What are the practical things we need to consider if there is no spring/summer 2020?
-
If camp doesn’t run in 2020, what can we do to help camp survive and thrive in 2021?
- Hint: You probably shouldn’t be relying on the fund you would get from not refunding people’s camp fees or differing them until next summer.
- How to preserve the institutional memory of how camp runs if you’re going to miss a summer.
- How to support your community amidst what will surely be devastating news.
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.
Resources Go Camp Pro’s COVID-19 & Camp Master Resource Page * Go Camp Pro’s Camps & COVID-19 (free) Slack team* * The Day Camp Pod’s COVID-19 Episode from March 20th * The Camp Owners Podcast COVID-19 Episode from March 31st * ACA Camp Business Resource Page
+ Webpage on the ACA website with links related to federal and state resources, webinars, articles, etc.
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Marco Polo app
Joe: Strange Collections - and why you should share them.
Gabz: Walk and talk - Bose
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, SummerCamp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder atGo Camp Pro* * Joe Richards*, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director -Camp Ouareau*
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known
Please review us! - Click here!
Being (or acting as) a marketing expert. The perfect answer for when someone asks, “so, what do you do the rest of the year?” Many of us didn’t get into this business because we love marketing.
We do what we do because we believe in the transformative power that the camp experience has on a child’s life. We do it because we want to create communities of inclusion and welcoming for our staff. We do it because we want to create a world of creativity and wonder for kids.
Well, guess what? You can build those things, but if there are no people to experience it, then what’s the point? It’s one thing to have an amazing staff, wonderful programs or sparkling facilities, but if we don’t properly tell the story of those things and the way they impact the lives of kids, then we aren’t doing them the justice they surely deserve.
That’s why every camp director needs to channel their inner sales-person once and awhile.
And while this isn’t necessarily easy, it doesn’t have to be painful. Not only are there zillions of marketing courses, books and seminars you can take, but there a ton of camps and inner-industry experts that you can look to for advice and examples.
In this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, Travis, (the Camp Marketing Maverick himself) is joined by two excellent and intentional camp marketers. A big thanks to Jiné Andreozzi and Amanda Hinski for so openly sharing their best practices with the industry in this way.
Tune in to this episode to hear more about:
- What’s the best foundational advice for camp marketers?
- As camp is getting closer, what are some of the most effective things we can do to market our programs?
- How to strategically communicate with our families from pre-registration to day one of camp How do we build trust in the idea of summer camp to those who might not understand it?
- What marketing techniques are being used in the business world that camps can leverage?
- What should we be asking in our end of season survey to most effectively target our advertising?
- Many more great marketing nuggets!
What are you doing to tell your camp’s story this time of year? Tell us about it in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Board Game - “Welcome to...Your Perfect Home” - https://amzn.to/2UxqTie
Amanda: “Getting Things Done” by David Allen - https://amzn.to/39B1XdS
Jiné: Grammarly - https://grammarly.com/
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, SummerCamp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder atGo Camp Pro* * Jiné Andreozzi*, Director of Operations, YMCA Camp Chingachgook* * Amanda Hinski*, Chief Brand Experience Officer,* Frost Valley YMCA**
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known
Please review us! - Click here!
Where can you find some creativity in your daily schedule? (and where shouldn’t you?)As camp people, it’s in our nature to innovate. We are great at looking at routine or program and think, “Hey, wouldn’t this be better if we did this!?”. This is even something that we praise staff for. How many of your evaluation forms list “creative thinking” as a trait that is seen as desirable?
The problem can come when our creative ambitions give us the desire to tweak something that has been intentionally done, without considering or consulting those intentions.
It’s a tricky line to tow. We need to balance our creativity with the fact that routines are important for campers, staff and families. Things that affect our camper’s circadian rhythms, dietary schedules and some of their other Maslow’s needs should be strongly considered before we make a big change.
To help you tow that line between magic and monotony, Travis, Joe and Dan are once again joined by Camp Code Co-Host, Ruby Compton. Ruby’s many years in and around the camp industry have given her a unique perspective on what is up for changing and what should stay sacred this summer.
Tune in to this episode to hear more about:
- How routines affect campers and their families
- How camps walk the line between routine and ritual
- How to set boundaries for staff on what is and isn’t fair-game to change
- What are the important parts of the day that are absolutely necessary to include
- How to inject some creativity into the necessary and the in-between times
- Many, many more great ideas!
What is something special about the flow of your Camp Day? Tell us about it in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Fireflies.ai
Joe: https://hibid.com/ - Auctions for Camp Stuff
Ruby: The Non-Profit Leadership Team by Fisher Howe
Dan: The Power of Showing Up by Tina Bryson & Dan Siegel
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, SummerCamp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder atGo Camp Pro* * Joe Richards*, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility * Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer -* Ruby Outdoors**
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known
Find the full transcript and video here
Please review us! - Click here!
As of March 6th, 2020, What you need to know about COVID-19 and Summer CampThis special edition of the CampHacker Podcast is an interview with Dr. Amy Greer surrounding COVID-19 and what we know, as of March 6th, 2020 and summer camp.
Dr. Amy Greer is one of Canada's top infectious disease specialists and researchers, Dr. Amy Greer and a summer camp alumnus. You can follow her on twitter here - https://twitter.com/AmyGreerKalisz.
There’s a lot of great information here, and it’s definitely worth the listen.
Some quick takeaways (many more in the recording):
- Amy asked that we not share this video with our families - the information will become out of date quickly. It was recorded on Friday, March 6th
- You need to be consulting your local Health Department (I assume you're doing this already) for 2 things: what to be preparing now for your medical procedures this summer and making a call closer to this summer about whether/how camp will run
- you should prepare a new procedure this summer to get all families to confirm, no more than 48-hours before camp, that their camper is not symptomatic
- you should be ready with new cleaning/disinfecting procedures this summer.
We hope you find this interview helpful. If you have any follow-up questions, please forward them to travis@gocamp.pro
Disclaimer: This 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.
2020 Re-post - Preventing Spread of Norwalk and Other Infections at Camp Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher App (search for CampHacker)
Hey Camp Pros, with concerns about the coronavirus and COVID-19, we’re going off-schedule and digging this show out of the CampHacker archives.
Shortly, we’ll be releasing a new episode that specifically focuses on what camp pros should be thinking about when it comes to camp, coronavirus and COVID-19.
Sign-up for the Go Camp Pro newsletter and we’ll send the episode right to your inbox.
-
I have often said that camp would be an amazing place for a public health researcher to take a look at the ways that diseases are spread throughout communities. I have watched little things like pink eye or head lice (traumatic, but not life-threatening) run through camp in less than a day.
In this episode of the CampHacker Podcast Gab and I were thrilled to bring in Marty Ferguson from YMCA Camp Chief Ouray in Colorado. Camp Chief Ouray has developed some very smart protocols to protect their camper and staff from diseases that can spread at camp.
We also had John MacDonald, my step-dad, who is a retired Health Inspector from Ontario, Canada. John has had a long career in the public health field and was always a great resource to Beth and I.
Thank you to both of them for being on the show!
Download our Camp Kitchen Compliance Record
We hope you get lots from our discussion.
If you have any questions about communicable diseases at camp please leave them in the comments below or send us a tweet to @CampHacker using the #CampPros hashtag.
Tool of the Week – Make yourself a better Camp DirectorTravis: FocusatWill.com
Gab: Twitter for your desktop
Marty: Season of Life by Jeffery Marx
John: HACCP training
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.org * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Marty Ferguson, Director - Camp Chief Ouray (YMCA of the Rockies) * John MacDonald, Retired Health Inspector
Thanks for the evening, friends.
Please review us! - Click here!
If you don’t make your expectations clear, it’s your fault when people don’t meet them. Harsh, right? Well, it’s true!
As Camp Directors, one of the biggest disservices that we can do to our staff is to be unclear about our expectations of them. From the application to the exit interview, we need to be clear not only about our expectations but also about what they can expect from the job.
This isn’t to say that you need to lay out every single expectation for every single program at camp. That would be obnoxious and would stifle creativity. The expectations that you should give to staff are the higher-level ones like the quality of work you expect, the work culture, timeliness, communication and other important policies.
Being clear about your expectations is the best way for staff to know instantly where they stand in terms of their performance. If your expectations are clear enough, your staff evaluations become less focused on telling them where they did or didn’t meet expectations, but why they did or didn’t meet them.
Lastly. We need to remember that we are hiring kids and youth to work with us. This may be their first time experiencing the work-force. Let’s all do our best to treat them with respect and grace. You can set and communicate your high expectations without being a jerk.
To help you firmly, yet caringly communicate expectations this summer, Travis, Joe and Dan are joined by Camp Code Co-Host, Ruby Compton! Ruby’s many years in and around the camp industry have given her a unique perspective on how to, and how not to be a great expectation setter.
Tune in to this episode to hear more about:
- Setting the standard of clear expectations throughout the hiring process
- How to clearly communicate your expectations to staff
- Why we, as an industry can be better expectation setters
- How to support staff when they are not meeting expectations
What is something that you do to clearly communicate your expectations? Tell us about it in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: Brené Brown on the Tim Ferriss podcast: Striving versus Self-Acceptance, Saving Marriages, and More
Joe: Open Source Ecology - Free Plans for creating things for a comfortable society - machines, printers, etc. - Summer Program 2020 - https://www.opensourceecology.org/summer-x-2020/ BONUS - KEEN Pro Program: https://www.keenfootwear.com/en-ca/pro, US link: keenfootwear.com/pro
Ruby: PeakVisor app
Dan: The Coffee Bean - Jon Gordon
Bonus Material: For all you awesome show-note readers out there:* Gabz’ pre-interview booklet * The Shackleton job listing * CampCode’s Interview Episode with Dan Davies
Your Hosts: Travis Allison, SummerCamp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder atGo Camp Pro* * Joe Richards*, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility * Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island * Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer -* Ruby Outdoors**
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!Radtagz - Be and Be Known
More money, more mission, but also…more problems?
You’ve heard Travis say this time and time again.
“Money moves the mission”.
In this day and age, if you want to run a successful year-round camp business with multiple full-time staff, all while keeping camper fees reasonable, you likely need some financial support! Donations and grants are incredibly helpful, but if you can tap into a market that works for your local community or potential clients, it can be a great way to supplement your income and use that money to help improve your summer program.
That being said, the way you go about diversifying your income is WAY more complex than simply saying, “alright, we’re doing weddings!”. Without carefully assessing your facility, budget and staffing and local laws, you may be committing to a program that either doesn’t fit your mission or worse, ends up costing more resources than it brings in.
While there are a ton of great ideas out there, wouldn’t it be great to have a crew of seasoned Camp Directors out there who have tried this kind of thing before to guide you in this decision-making process?
…Well, if you’ve made it this far in this post…we all know that you know the answer to that question…
It’s the CampHacker Podcast!
To help Gab, Travis, Joe and Dan with some big-money brainstorming, we welcome friend and past guest of the Podcast, Jalisa Danhof from Camp Newaygo! Jalisa not only suggested this topic, but she brings some valuable experience to our panel. Camp Newaygo runs a ton of really unique events for their local community, facilitates multiple weddings a year and has recently begun their own catering business. We’re grateful to have Jalisa back to share her stories and best practices.
Tune in to this episode to hear about:
Some things to consider BEFORE even thinking about diversifying your income
Programs our hosts tried that have been a big ol’ flop
Sources of income the panel have found to be a good, revenue-generating endeavour
Plenty of other ideas that may work for your camp
Do you have a great income-generating program at your camp? Tell us about it in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Connector bag (thanks, Gabz!) - BUBM Travel organizer for electronics cables and LCD projector cables.
Joe: Tickler File - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickler_file (Bonus Video by Joe - https://youtu.be/5ZCmCfy5eb4)
Jalisa: GwynnieBee - clothing rental
Dan: Adam Grant’s Instagram
Gabz: Video Teleprompter 3
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
Jalisa Danhof, Director, Camp Newaygo
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show
(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!
Radtagz - Be and Be Known
What you should be thinking about to ensure your summer camp stands the test of time.
If you’re reading this on release in February, then you know that time is running short on your time to do some of the deep philosophical work that can only happen when summer isn’t on the horizon. This episode is for when you have the brain-space, or, maybe it’s for when you need to not think about this coming summer for a second.
(You’re an adult, we’re not going to tell you how to live your life!)
Getting into the mindset of planning for the future is something that isn’t easy, but is absolutely necessary for ensuring the success of our camps beyond just the coming summer. We all have budgets to meet, and of course, things come up, but without a plan and the right mindset, you may be finding yourself wasting the time and money putting out short-term fires rather than fire-proofing (sorry, Joe, that wasn’t an intentional fire-order joke!).
To help Gab, Travis, Joe and Dan navigate this deep topic, we welcome Stacy Simpson, camp, org and Girl Guide consultant. and Go Camp Pro Masterclass instructor to the panel. We’re grateful for Stacy’s additions to the conversation as we discuss the philosophies and best practices when it comes to planning for your camp to be successful in the long-term.
What is one way that you intentionally plan for the future at your camp? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: WIBYT - Write it Before You Talk ~ Michael Brandwein
Travis 2: The Imagineering Story - Disney+ https://youtu.be/-Y7TlaXDPrg
Joe: Dolly Parton’s America - Podcast - In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton—but why?
Joe 2: uBlacklist Chrome Extension - Blocks specific sites from appearing in Google search results
Gabz: Wicked Cool Travel Mug: Kinto
Dan: The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon, (Cliff notes of the 10 rules)
Stacie: New Research from GSRI (Girl Scout Research Institute): Today’s Girls. Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs. [https://www.whygirlscouts.org/success]
Other things mentioned this show:
Joe would like to remind people of - https://archive.org/details/canadian-camping-association
Cardboard beds at Toyko Olympics- https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/tokyo-2020-olympics#
A Pattern Language Book - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Pattern_Language
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
Stacie Simpson, Camp Consultant & Trainer
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show
(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!
Radtagz - Be and Be Known
Adventure programming is about way more than a $1M ropes course!
Adventure programming, challenge courses, low ropes, rock walls, team-building, staff construction, initiatives, WHATEVER you want to call it, this episode is about that.
This type of camp program has really been changing and growing over the years. From the early days where people built and tested their own ropes courses to today where zip-lines are tested by the same people who certify elevators, we’ve certainly seen it grow.
One thing that has remained true is the goal of adventure programming. Campers take part in adventure programming at your camp to become changed through exposure to challenge and risk. Whether that be the risk that comes with being 30 feet in the air or that risk of telling their friend that they need better communication from them, the benefits to this type of programming are truly endless.
However, before you get your harness on and take a drill to an unsuspecting maple tree to start an adventure program at your camp, there are a lot of things to consider. Who will make sure your ropes course is up to regulatory standards? Do your staff know how to properly run adventure programming? Have you properly budgeted for this course? What the heck is an Ubuntu card!?
Yeah. Put that drill away and get, Air Pods out and listen in to this episode. Gabz, Travis and Joe are joined by Phil Brown from High 5 Adventure. Phil lends his expertise to the group as they share their practical tips and philosophies when it comes to planning, implementation evaluating and proper training for adventure programming.
What is the coolest adventure program you have at your camp? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Loom
Joe: Wall Control Magnetic PegBoard:
Gabz: ToDoist
Phil: Ubuntu cards
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Phil Brown, Trainer, High 5 Adventure
Also, check out High 5 Adventure’s Podcast
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show
(Thank you!)
Bonus Content! - The Canadian Camping Magazine Searchable Archive
Thanks for letting your awesome out, Joe!
https://archive.org/details/canadian-camping-association
Thanks to our sponsor!
Radtagz - Be and Be Known
A New Podcast from Go Camp Pro - The Camp Owners Podcast!
Whether you are a Camp Owner, an aspiring camp owner, or a lover of some of our other Go Camp Pro podcasts, we’re so happy to have you here.
The Camp Owners Podcast is here to explore a side of the summer camp world that is experienced by those that have the privilege of running an independent program.
In this world of camp, the stakes are high. Not only do private camps have the same goals, aspirations and responsibilities that other camps have, but there is also usually a ton of personal livelihood on the line. When you OWN a camp, you really do own the successes and failures that any for-profit enterprise faces.
On this podcast, our hosts, Howie Grossinger and Kelly Schuna will be joined by some seasoned prime camp professionals to dive deep into the issues that most private camp pros will need to face, and the best practices that they use to create, and sustain a summer camp for their campers to enjoy summer after summer.
In season one, tune in to the podcast monthly to hear about topics like Camp As a Business, Camp Insurance, Buying and Selling Camps, Work/Life Balance, Pricing, Staff Training & Engagement
Thanks for tuning in! If you have any feedback, please get in touch with our producer, Matt at matt@gocamp.pro.
In our first episode, Camp as a Business, Howie and Kelly are joined by the wise and wonderful Steve Baskin of Camp Champions. Together, Howie, Kelly and Steve address some of the unique aspects of the private camp industry and what even the most business-savvy camp pros need to be thinking about as we enter a new decade.
Tune in to hear about:
What can you expect from this season of the Camp Owners Podcast?
Steve Baskin’s camp origin story and his favourite part of being a Camp Owner
What does it mean to view camp “as a business”?
What is a unique or unexpected challenge of being in the business of camp?
What is an insider tip that you would give to a new or up-and-coming camp owner?
What is something that camp owners should have on their radar for the future of the industry?
What is something you hope to learn from the hosts and guests of the Camp Owners Pod? Let us know in the comments!
What Inspires You? - Things that inspire our hosts and guests to be the best Camp Owners they can be.
Howie: Simon Sinek - https://simonsinek.com/
Kelly: Esther Wojcicki - “The single most important behaviour that you can role model for your children is the ability to have functional relationships” - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Wojcicki
Steve: Angela Duckworth, Carol Dweck and David Jaeger’s work regarding mindset.
Carol Dweck - https://www.ted.com/speakers/carol_dweck
Angela Duckworth - https://angeladuckworth.com/
David Jaeger - https://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/camping-magazine/mindsets-matter
Host Links:
Hosts:
Howie Grossinger - Co-owner/Director - Camp Robin Hood, Partner - Camp Walden & Madawaska Camps
Kelly Schuna, Owner - Hidden Pines Ranch
Guest:
Steve Baskin, Executive Director - Camp Champions, Camp Pinnacle, Partner - Everwood Day Camp
Thanks to our sponsor - CampBrain!
CampBrain is a robust camp tool designed not only to manage summer camps, but also manage your conference center and fundraising needs, all in one database. Since 1994 CampBrain has been innovating and constantly adding new features. Look for the Camp Store Module being released this spring. For more information visit them at http://campbrain.com.
The All TOWS Show #2 - CampHacker #120
January 9, 2020
Fantastic Focus Groups - CampHacker #119
CampHacker
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Stitcher
Tool of the Week - (insert trombone music here)
We’re back with a second edition of an all tool of the week show. We received a ton of positive feedback about the last episode and because we’re all about giving the camp pros what they want…here you go!
Tune in to hear all about Gab, Dan and Travis’ favourite tools that help make them a better camp director.
If you’re checking out the show notes for the links…hey! Here they are!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Phone apps
Dan
Fantastical for iPhone - https://flexibits.com/fantastical
Google Keep - https://keep.google.com/u/0/
FlipClock - https://fliqlo.com/
Gabz
Decide Now! - https://decidenow-app.com/
Get Pocket - https://getpocket.com/
Tyme - https://www.tyme-app.com/en/
Travis
Pocketcasts - https://www.pocketcasts.com/
Google Home - https://store.google.com/ca/product/google_home
GStone - find gaming groups - https://www.gstonegames.com/homepage_eng/
Software
Gabz
Google Slides - https://www.google.ca/slides/about/
Figma - https://www.figma.com/
Travis
Basecamp - https://basecamp.com/welcome-back
CamelCamelCamel.com - https://ca.camelcamelcamel.com
MightyNetworks - https://www.mightynetworks.com/
Books
Dan
When by Dan Pink - https://amzn.to/2T25PQJ
Originals: how nonconformists move the world by Adam Grant - https://amzn.to/39UaWZ5
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene - https://amzn.to/35AdxnN
Bonus: The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek - https://amzn.to/2QXgFF5
Gabz
Mending Matters - https://amzn.to/2QVwgos
Sapiens: A brief history of humankind - https://amzn.to/2s2D6Qy
Proust and the Squid - Maryanne Wolf - https://amzn.to/2R17Slc
Travis
The Art of Gathering - Priya Parker - https://amzn.to/2QAm45R
Gun Machine by Warren Ellis - https://amzn.to/2tFnpiL
Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng - https://amzn.to/2sYY0ka
Hobby-ish things
Dan
Free Audiobooks - Libby App - https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby/
Untitled Goose Game - Nintendo Switch - https://goose.game/
Rocksmith - Xbox - https://rocksmith.ubisoft.com/rocksmith/en-us/home/
Gabz
Printing - Book
Skill Share 10$ per month - https://www.skillshare.com/
Centr - https://centr.com/join-us
Travis
AFOL LEGO - Skylines, Bricklink, Rebrickable
Kindle Unlimited - $.99/month for 3 months trial - https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/hz/subscribe/ku?shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Masterclass.com - https://www.masterclass.com/
Misc
Dan
Joby tripod for video conferencing - https://amzn.to/39TGEpi
Anker Batteries - https://www.anker.com/
FOCUSPOWER F10 Mini Earbud - https://amzn.to/303fOGN
Udemy - https://www.udemy.com/
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!
Radtagz - Be and Be Known
PS: Do you believe in what we do?
If you’ve gotten even one good idea from the CampHacker Podcast, we would really appreciate your official support.
To help support the work that we do, you can:
Leave us an honest iTunes review - http://camphacker.tv/itunes
Support the show by becoming a Pateron subscriber - https://www.patreon.com/camphacker
Thanks so much!
Fantastic, frank, feedback from families and staff.
There are not many industries out there like ours…for many reasons!
One of the primary ones is the focus that we all share on relationship building. Whether it’s between campers, staff and campers, staff and staff or admin and staff, building cohesive and strong relationships may as well be the theme of every day at camp.
The relationships that our camps have with their families are unique and wonderful, too. Yes, families are our clients and any business out there can say, “We treat our clients as families”, but we know that when it comes to camp, we’re not just a service provider to those families, we’re partners in raising their children.
Part of that “partnership” is showing families that we value their opinion and perspective when it comes to working with your camp.
Now, hopefully, you’ve got some sort of feedback mechanism for your parents, (if you don’t, get in touch, we can help with that!). Surveys, calling families, soliciting online reviews are all good, but those can seem very surface level or even transactional. To up the level of trust, intentionality and intimacy with your families, it may be time to think about focus groups.
A focus group is one of the best ways to get the real and emotion-driven feedback that you could never get from a digital survey. As well, spending that face-time with some of your most valued families is one of the best ways to build trust in your camp. When you show your families that you want to truly understand their perspective, you show them that you are committed to them and their child.
Focus groups can also be a valuable tool to use with your staff. If you want to introduce change, brainstorm new program ideas or just see things from their perspective, a focus group can build trust and group buy-in among your team.
What should you ask in a focus group? Where should you do it? Who should you ask to attend? All great questions! To answer them, Travis, Dan and Gab are on the case! Tune in to hear about the strategies and intentions that you should think about when planning your next focus group.
What kinds of questions would you ask in a parent focus group? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Custom inside joke stickers (check out the Youtube video of this episode to see Seth’s!)
Dan: 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace
Gab: Getting yourcamp dog vertified as a therapy dog or emotional support animal. Parents will love it!
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!
Radtagz - Be and Be Known
PS: Something special, for those of you who read to the end of the show notes:
Go Camp Pro’s “Find Your Karen” exercise - An essential guide for finding (and keeping) the exact, right families for your summer camp.
We can go beyond acceptance.
One of the things we all know to be true about camp is how much better of the world would be if EVERY child spent at least one week at camp.
With that in mind, it’s important that we are consistently looking at how we are best serving campers and families that may be under-represented in our camp communities.
Newsflash! Even though in the last 10 years we’ve begun to really talk about inclusion, there have been campers and families who have identified as LGTBQ+ for as long as the camp industry has been around! Furthermore, we can see that the world has begun to be intentional about welcoming and celebrating inclusion, and so has the camp industry.
That being said, it would be the understatement of the year to say that the world, and even camp, has a long way to go towards being a completely welcoming, safe and celebrating place for LGTBQ+ campers and families to truly be themselves.
We, as an industry have the chance to be an example of what it looks like to bring LGTBQ+ families and campers to the table and make our communities the type of place where they feel safe and welcome to call home. This is not necessarily an easy conversation. Some camps may be new to being outspokenly inclusive or maybe have never been made aware that they have a queer camper, staff or family and it can be hard to realize when we haven’t been doing well enough. Even still it’s a worthwhile conversation.
As a start to that conversation, we welcome a fantastic panel to the CampHacker Podcast to help Camp Directors begin to think about how they can best serve their campers, staff and families who may identify as LGTBQ+. Joe, Travis and Gab are joined by Emily McGranachan from Family Equality Council, Ross Murray from The Naming Project, Chris Hudson from Camp Highlight and Nick Teich from Camp Aranu'tiq and Harbor Camps.
We hope you find this show useful and thought-provoking.
We know this is just the beginning of this kind of conversation. How would you like to see us continue it? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Gab: Desk Standing Balanceboard - FluidStance
Chris: McDonalds to thank staff for their hard work
Joe: 20v Max Cordless Tool Set + Lots of batteries for them!
Emily: Made Good Bars
Nick: Amazon Wishlist
Ross: Prayer Squares (3x3 crochet squares! - Tune into this ep. to hear about this!)
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Emily McGranachan, Director of Family Engagement - Family Equality Council - Family Week - Family Equality Podcast
Ross Murray, Founder and Director - The Naming Project
Chris Hudson, Camp Director - Camp Highlight
Nick Teich, Founder and Director - Camp Aranu'tiq and Harbor Camps
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Thanks to our sponsor!
Radtagz - Be and Be Known
Because you’re not in this alone.
It wouldn’t be the revelation of the century if we said that being a full-time Camp Pro can be incredibly lonely.
Most of us work in small (or solo) teams, we usually are the only person in our part of the hierarchy, we manage many people (and their emotions) and we work incredibly hard.
If we don’t think about building our support networks intentionally, camp can be an incredibly exhausting industry to be a part of the long term.
This time of year (if you’re reading this in November/December), is the perfect time to start building and cultivating your support network. To give you some inspiration and insurance that you’re not in this alone, we brought the whole gang! Gab, Travis, Dan and Joe are here to share their stories and tips all surrounding the topic of building a support network.
Tune in to this episode to hear about:
How to intentionally cultivate a support network both in and out of the camping industry
Building connections at camp conferences
Asking for help and collaboration opportunities with people in your network
Practical tips and tools for being staying mentally healthy and avoiding burnout
Are there any tools or systems that you love? Please share them in the comments section!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Gab: Class Dojo
Travis: Umonzi Aluminum Phone Stand
Joe: Shtil Combi Unit
Dan: White Fragility
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Being not just productive, but effective.
This is an episode for the off-season. It’s an episode that you may need when camp is quiet and you’re in the sweet spot where the summer is still fading and the next one is not yet coming.
As a camp director, your brain is the most important resource you have. It would be an understatement to say that there is a LOT of stuff that fills your brain. It would also be an understatement to say that a full-brain makes for a disorganized brain and a disorganized brain makes for a disorganized camp director.
Your years as a director can sometimes feel like a constant search for clarity, but what it comes down to is that you need a system to both get things out of your brain and into action effectively.
To help you get a system in place and a clear brain, Travis, Dan and Joe share some of their philosophies, ideas and systems that they use to keep their minds free to think, learn and be the best pros they can be.
Some systems and other things we talked about on this episode:
Getting Things Done by David Allen
When by Daniel Pink
The Eisenhauer Decision Matrix
The Productivity Planner and PDF Page
NVALT - Simplenote
TextExpander Snippets
Are there any tools or systems that you love? Please share them in the comments section!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Rode VideoMicro
Joe: Tickler File - create your own:
Dan: “The Five Most Important Questions” by Peter Drucker.
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Dan Weir, Sr. Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!
TIME TO FACE THE STRANGE
Is it stuck in your head yet? Gotchya!
Change. A 6 letter word that can start a revolution.
Change. The nemesis of the phrase “we’ve always done it like that”.
Change. One of the hardest things about being a full-time camp professional.
Change. Absolutely necessary.
The moment we stop changing as an industry, organization, or camp, is the moment we die. We, as an industry have such a great opportunity to learn, grow and evolve to better serve our campers. Just look at the Summer Camp Professionals group on Facebook, where daily, over 16,000 camp pros are able to ask, answer and interact to help their organizations improve.
Now that we’ve convinced you to change…how do you do it? What if it doesn’t work? What happens if it upsets an alumni or donor? What happens if the staff don’t buy-in, or worse, protests!?
These are all things that we should be on the lookout for when instituting major changes at camp. To help you be the change-maker that you were meant to be, we’ve got the whole CampHacker team on board for this episode.
Join Gab, Dan, Joe and Travis to hear more about:
How to deicide when something needs to change
What are the stakes of not changing?
How to communicate that change to your on- and off-site camp community
Some stories about Joe, Gab and Dan’s biggest lessons learned when it comes to change
Much, much more!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: DataStory - by Nancy Duarte
Gabz: Hybride Face Watch
Joe: Adios Email - Imagine, what would happen if you only checked email three times a day?
Dan: DailyCost app
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Dan Weir, Sr Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Learn outside of camp, to lead at camp.
Following along with our last episode’s theme of learning, we wanted to bring this podcast episode to you at a time where you may be planning your professional development for the year. However, even if you aren’t, it’s never too early or late to start thinking about how to invest in your professional development.
Watch out though! It’s easy to get stuck in the camp body of knowledge when you’re trying to be better for your job and for your camp. It’s good to stay up to date with the latest in all things camp, but it’s important to think about reaching outside the industry as well. The best camp pros take inspiration from many places and if you’re Joe, Gab, and Travis, those places can get VERY cool!
Conferences or opportunities that the hosts talked about on this episode:
Free - Mastermind groups with fellow Camp Directors
Free (ish) Creative Live - Free courses on all things creative
Free - Finding blogs to follow non-camp people
Free - Journaling
Free - Taking up a hobby that can also help camp
$ - CampMavericks.com - Ongoing, for life!
$ - ThinkCamp - Nov 26-28 - London, Ontario
$ - Touring a bunch of summer camps in a region to learn directly from the directors
$ - Online Courses - Skill Share - Especially for creative tasks.
Possibly free through your local library (https://www.lynda.com/)
$$ - Seth Godin’s Akimbo Workshops
$$ - Your local or regional ACA, OCA, ACQ, Religious denomination or association conferences
$$$ - Seth Godin’s Alt MBA
$$$ - Nonprofit Story Telling Conference - Oct 28-30 - San Diego, California
What do you consider professional development? Any wicked conferences to plug? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Superfans by Pat Flynn https://amzn.to/30aNepx
Gabz: DYI Standing Desk, or Top 5 Standing Desks
Joe: Photo Resize: http://www.rw-designer.com/picture-resize
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
We are always learning.
We’re back! After another wonderful summer of camp, Travis, Gab, Dan and Joe are here for Season 9 of the CampHacker Podcast.
To get things started, our hosts share the biggest lessons that they learned from their 2019 camp season. That’s right, even these camp pros with over 50 years of combined experience are still learning. The best pros in the industry are the ones that are hungry for growth and one of the best ways to grow are from the hard-earned lessons that camp has a way of teaching us year after year.
Tune in to this episode hear more about:
Joe’s inspiration to teach people to have hard conversations and his experience touring East Coast United Church camps in Canada
How Gab and her team filled in when they (temporarily) lost 3 of their 4 admin team
Dan’s summer highlighting LGTBQ+ inclusion in the YMCA community and transition into a new role within the YMCA.
Mental health in staff and campers in a new generation
Much, much more!
Podcast Survey
As well: We wanted to share our first ever listener survey. We want to get to know you, the listeners a little bit better! If you can spare 4 minutes, please fill out the survey.
To say thanks, if you fill out the survey before October 15th, 2019, you'll be entered to win One Personal access to CampMavericks.com, for free, for life.
Head to www.gocamp.pro/podsurvey.
Thanks, pros, for helping us be better!
-
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Franz app https://meetfranz.com/
Gabz: LunaFest SHORT FILMS BY, FOR AND ABOUT WOMEN
Joe: Internet Archive - Joe’s Library - Canadian Camping Magazine Archive: https://archive.org/details/@yoyojoer
Dan: Originals book by Adam Grant https://amzn.to/2O6HxTi
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Dan Weir, Sr Director - Youth Development, Summer Camp, & Strategic Initiatives - YMCA of Long Island
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Tools, Podcasts, Books and Strategies for Sustainability as a Camp Pro
One of the best things about being a long time camp pro is that every year, we essentially find ourselves doing the same cycle over and over again. While this can be tiring, even exhausting, if we think about it another way, it’s also an incredible opportunity to get better and better without (too many) extremely large learning curves.
In your search for consistent improvement, the CampHacker crew wants to help! In this episode, Travis, Joe and Gab are joined by the wonderful Ruby Compton (Yes! THAT Ruby from Camp Code!). These four pros join forces to share their sources of inspiration that help them find the drive, motivation and sustainability to innovate their camp, and the entire industry year after year.
Below, is a list of most of what is covered from this episode. We included it for you, yes, you, who are awesome and read the show notes! Here you are, you awesome person, you!
Podcasts
Ruby’s Picks (using the iTunes Podcast App) - CampHacker - Building a Story Brand - Outside In - Dirtbag Diaries - She Explores
Joe’s Picks - (using Pocket Casts) - 99% Invisible - Radiolab - Cool Tools - Zig Zag - The Daily From New York Times - Enneagram Podcasts - Reveal - (Also using the Google Assistant to play the news)
Travis’ Pick (using Pocket Casts) - Planet Money - The Turnaround - I Think You’re Interesting - The Ezra Klein Show - Invisibilia - Code Switch
Gab’s Picks (using the iTunes Podcast App) - Getting Curious (specifically the Katie Couric episode) - Queery - Two Dope Queens
Audio Books
Gab - Mating Within Captivity
Joe (using Audible and Local Library Apps) - Boys Adrift - Anything by Neil Gaiman (who reads them himself!)
Travis - Listens to fiction in audiobook form, not business books.
Inner Camp Industry Inspirations
Travis
Visiting other camps (as an accreditation visitor or as a consultant)
Summer Camp Professionals Facebook Group
Ruby
Research and learn from camps that are drastically different from your own
The International Camping Fellowship
Gab
Making time to talk and meet with people who are passionate about the industry or to be a confidant
Joe
Use your professional development budget to tour other summer camps for inspiration
Building a small support network of peers
The Society of Camp Directors (in Canada)
What do you do for fun?
Joe
Light big fires, make things go boom (Email Joe and ask about his potato cannons)
Go to the movies by yourself
Woodworking and art without a specific direction in mind
Ruby
Getting outside
Geocaching (App or App-less!)
Take yourself on a date
DIY Youtube projects
Travis
Drawing portraits and things that challenge him artistically
Woodworking, building and Youtube DIY videos
Travel to broaden your perspective
Gab
Watercolour painting
Museum trips
Listening to yourself to figure out what you “feel” like doing
Assorted Thoughts:
Looking at how libraries are reinventing themselves to “get with the times”
Starting with a morning reading ritual
Take a vacation. No seriously. No phone, no email, take the time to take the time.
Remember that you are not your job and camp is not you. You need freedom to develop yourself properly.
Magazine (or podcast) subscriptions (see above), not just summer camp, and not just non-fiction related material.
The Pocket App/Extension and Feedly can help with that
Using the idea that “We need to be better” and looking at how other non-camp people are changing the world and using their developments
Be brave and make waves in the industry. People might not always like you, or your ideas, but that’s okay.
Inspirational Instagram Feeds - Representation Matters, Because Of Them, etc.
Deep thinking on your own without the internet to help.
What tools and mindsets do you use to help yourself be a better camp pro? Let us know in the comments!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Wyze Cam
Gabz: The Noun Project
Joe: Time Timer
Ruby: Yoga Chimes
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Ruby Compton, Chief Exploation Officer - Ruby Outdoors
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Camper today, camper tomorrow, camper for life.
This is the time of year (January, for those tuning in later) where we are really starting to think about bums in bunks. Your registrations are starting to roll in and your dedicated, long-time camp families have picked their sessions and things are looking good.
Take a second and think about those returning families. They weren’t always returners. At some time down the road, that family made a decision to choose your camp. Now, fast forward 5 or 10 years and that family has given you thousands of dollars and you have a camper or now even a staff member for life.
So how do you get those future-long-time-families to make that initial leap?
Well, if you’re reading this, you’ve either thought of listening to this episode, or are currently listening to it…in both cases, you’re super smart. The gang (Travis, Gabz, Dan & Joe) is all here, joined by friend of the show, Jalisa Danhof from Camp Newaygo to help you get those first-year bums in bunks.
We say this a lot, but this is definitely a show you’re going to want to take some notes for, because these tips are going to give you the keys to ROCKING first year registrations this summer!
What are you going to do this summer to level-up your new camper registrations this summer? Please let us know in the comments below!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Show Up Hard - by Shannon Weber
Dan: Meeting Notebook
Gabz: Decide Now App - Apple Store | Google Play
Joe: Philosophy: Buy The Best You Can Afford, Tested Gear & Tools TheWirecutter.com
Jalisa: Car Jump Starter - ANNKOO Quick Charger
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Joe Richards, Executive Director -Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility
Jalisa Danhof, Assistant Director at Camp Newaygo
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Hey Camp Mavericks. We’re excited to be setting the Day Camp Pod free this week!
We also want you to know what is up with then next episode: the first First Class Counselor episode.
There will be at least 5 more happening this season.
Oliver and Matt have been working with me to bring in the First Class Counsellor podcast to the CampHacker feed.
Our goal is to have a series of great, instructional podcasts from direct supervisors of counselors.
It would be easy for the hard and fast overnight camp pros to see “Day Camp” in the title and move on.
Don’t do that.
There are logistical differences with both models of summer camp, but it’s so easy to see that what is relevant and pertinent to one, is the same for the other.
Rituals, traditions, culture, integration, camaraderie, it’s a part of every camp experience, no matter when, or how often the campers go home. What is good for overnight, is good for day.
All that being said, kids going home every night, camp vs school syndrome, wavering attendance, rented sites, lunch time, and many more things all pose a significant and unique challenge, that needs to be addressed and collaborated on.
And we’re good at challenges.
This episode of the CampHacker podcast brings together some camp pros that have truly hacked the day-camp experience and bring the extraordinary world into the 9-5, every day. Andy Pritkin from Liberty Lake Day Camp, Ehren Gluckstein from Camp Robin Hood and Sam Thompson from Crystal Lake Park District all join Travis to begin to unpack the emerging and ongoing challenges and successes in the world of Day Camps.
You know as well as we do that this is only the beginning though.
So!
Let’s take it to the next level…
Introducing - The CampHacker Day Camp Show
New to the CampHacker Podcast network is so excited to announce the upcoming release of the Day Camp Podcast.
Tune in to the new Podcast stream by clicking here!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: The Being Useful List
Andy: Dark Sky Weather app https://darksky.net/app
Ehren: Camptivities Scheduling Software https://www.camptivities.com/
Sam: Kahoot! Testing Game App https://kahoot.it/
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Andy Pritikin, owner/director Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ
Ehren Gluckstein, Assistant Director, Camp Robin Hood
Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor, Crystal Lake Park District
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Hey! Welcome back!
We hope that you had an incredible summer.
We also hope that you’ve had an incredible chance to take a breath and reflect on the magic that surely happened this summer. Or even, to not think about camp and…you know…sleep!
Whether you’re still recovering, coming out of hibernation, or still in the busy season, it’s time to start setting the next summer up for success.
Step one. Staffing.
This time of year (October/November), is when the financial and emotional reality of the school is kicking in for students and they are ready to start looking for a summer job. Your potential returning staff have also now taken a breath from the potential drama and tiredness of the summer and are ready again to dream of their home away from home. In either case, the “keeners” are looking, and you want them on your team.
As always on the CampHacker podcast, we try to deliver timely, relevant and practical information to help you (and your staff) on what matters most to you NOW. To help do that, Travis, Joe and Gabz are joined by the brilliant, legendary Kim Aycock and intentionally amazing Jolly Corley on this week’s episode.
Tune in and get inspired to find and build you best staff team yet.
Take This Episode One Step Farther
Register for the Caught Between Two Staff Seasons Masterclass with Kim and Jolly. Get your staffing hat on and create your playbook for retaining, recruiting and developing staff for 2019.
Find out more here!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Gear Infusion EverRatchet - (20% off code EverRatchetBacker20)
Gab: JOBY GorillaPod
Joe: Super Thick Index Cards - Joe uses Levenger Cards that are 170lb paper and vertically lined. Amazon.ca Link.
Kim: United by Blue (removes a pound of trash from the world’s oceans and waterways for every product sold...lots of cool “camp” items!)
Jolly: Backless Yoga Ball Desk Chair - Canadian Link
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre
Kim Aycock, KimAycock.com
Jolly Corley, Camp Robindel
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
Hello Camp Pros!
Well, it's late April/early May, and you know what that means.
EVERYBODY PANIC!
No no, only kidding! But likely, it can start to feel like it at this time of year.
As we finish stretching to prepare for the sprint that is camp, we can't forget that the race we are about to run is not a solo event, it's a relay!
For many of us, our staff are either starting to think about coming, or are starting to trickle up to camp. While it's sometimes stressful when people are adding to the mix of your daily workflow, it's important that we step back and remember that these are the people that will carry out all the marketing and selling you've done since September. Their energy that you had when you were 17 is just waiting to be unleashed and it's important that you take the time to begin to harness that energy and point it in the right direction.
Last episode, we covered some broad ways that you can support staff by creating and sustaining a culture that focuses on mental wellness (which was an eye-opening episode and if you haven't listened already, please do!). This time around, we've brought the team and some friends in to talk about some of the practical steps that you should take NOW to help your staff get ready to unleash their awesome this summer and feel supported while they prepare to do so.
Joining Travis, Dan and Joe to share their best practices and ideas are Ange Atkinson, Camp Director at Camp Lantern Creek and Patti Sampson, Camp Director at Coastal Roots Camp, and host of the Podcast: Rec Heads and Camp Nerds
Enjoy!
What kinds of things are you doing right now to set your team up for success? Let us know in the comments!
Bonus Resources - Because people who read the show notes are the best people.
Travis' Bonjoro Link:
Dan’s Dan Pink Episode
If Slack isn't for you, give Flock a peek!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director
Travis: Oxford At-Hand Note Carrier
Dan: The Emergent Task Planner
Joe: Tempered Glass screen covers for phones
Ange: Use Facebook Live to add some zest to your marketing smorgasbord!
Patti: Gratitude Journaling
Your Hosts:
Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre
Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA
Ange Atkinson, Camp Director - Camp Lantern Creek
Patti Sampson, Camp Director - Coastal Roots Camp, Podcast Host: Rec Heads and Camp Nerds
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes
(Thank you!)
On this CampHacker interview Travis talks with Dr Deborah Gilboa (@askdoctorg) about her own camp experiences and how camps can become great resources to families.
To see the resources we mentioned check out our shownotes at http://camphacker.tv/podcast.
How many of our camp brochures or websites preach that our camp teaches kids about grit and resilience?
Okay everyone, put your hands down.
Now, home many of us can say that we put that same effort into fostering grit and resilience with our staff? Sure, we may have staff check-ins and encourage staff to write motivational notes to each other, but although those are great, the times when just that was enough are likely coming to a end.
Before we continue, let's check ourselves remember that the world that we grew up in, in the 70's, 80's and 90's is very different than the one where our staff are growing up in now. The pressures of the world combined with the increased expectations of parents and peers, all lumped in with a toxic social media culture, makes for one of the most tumultuous times to be a youth.
We've grown and changed as an industry in so many ways. Now, when it comes to addressing the mental health of our staff, it's time to grow again. We would never leave our campers who are missing home and mentally struggling, so why would do it to our staff who are missing home, camp and mentally struggling in other ways?
This is a challenging episode, and honestly, it might be one of our heaviest yet, but we hope you'll stick with it and let this sink in.
Joining Travis, Dan and Gab in walking down this road is the fantastic Amanda Grassick from Camp Woodeden. Amanda has been working hard to make their staff's mental health a priority at Woodeden, and after a tough start in their first year, Amanda is starting to see some results thanks to what they've put in place.
This is more than a "get a pen and paper" type of episode. It's a "get a pen and paper, and ready to grow" type of episode. We know you'll enjoy it.
What are you doing to look after your staff team's mental health? Let us know in the comments below!
Bonus ResourcesMental wellness isn't something we can just "figure out" on our own (like you "figured out" how to jerry-rig that leaky toilet, you genius you!). Get professional training and approach this issue like a professional. These links will get you started.
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org
http://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.ca/en
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: The Power of Moments: Chip & Dan Heath
Dan: Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
Gab: Find someone to talk to that’s not family or friends also this book Loving someone with Borderline Personality Disorder
Amanda: Smartsheet
Your Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Amanda Grassick, Camp Director - Easter Seals Camp Woodeden
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)
It's that time of year again. Registration has been open for a bit, staff applications are rolling in and school groups are calling to book for Outdoor Education.
You've made that first big push. Way to go!
Now, let's get at it, shall we?
Summer Camp is the main reason why most of us are here. We believe that every camper deserves a week at camp. We believe that every camp is great, but we're REALLY proud of our camp and we REALLY hope that kids will come.
Unfortunately, hope isn't a very high-yield marketing scheme. That's why in this time of year, you're going to be getting a LOT of emails from Camp Marketers (ahem...), who have an absolute bumper-crop of ideas to help you raise camper numbers for the summer of 2018.
While they (ahem...) may have a lot of great ideas, it can be a little overwhelming to not only implement them, but even just choose one in the first place!
Well have no fear, the CampHackers are here! Three of our regulars, Travis, Gab and Joe are joined by the meme-staff-hiring-posting-guru and all around great-guy Marc Cooper from Camp Tamarack are here to give you ideas that WORK.
Tune-in to hear these CampHacker's talk about their first principals, what their insider tricks are, what they are surprised to hear other Camp Directors aren't doing, and even more awesome tips for rocking registration this year!
These are easy to implement, or even better, easy to delegate to the rest of your team (board, staff, alumni, etc!). Get your pencil and papers out, y'all!
What are your Marketing miracles? What have you done that have really got registrations rolling? Let us know in the comments below!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: https://readwise.io
Gab: Pegboard for your office
Joe: Klein Tools Voltage Tester
Marc: Mematic app
Your Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre
Gabrielle Raill,Camp Director -Camp Ouareau
Marc Cooper,Director - Camp Tamarack Partner at Go Camp Pro
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)
Camp is counterculture.
Camps (for the most part) don't care about fashion, we encourage people to embrace what makes them quirky, and we don't have cell-phones at camp.
Now, policies differ, and some camps are even experimenting with plugged-in weeks at camp, but we can all agree on is that there is indeed a benefit that we give to our campers when we ask them to unplug from tech while they are at camp.
What? You don't believe this un-named, rogue blogger? Well fine. How about Dan Weir?
Yeah. THE CampHacker Dan Weir.
Dan was the keynote speaker at the Society of Camp Director's dinner this year where he shared his findings on the importance of unplugging both at home and at camp. Dan has done some pretty extensive research, not only in terms of the clinical benefits, but has been actively experimenting with how the unplugged culture at Frost Valley has given campers (and their parents) a much needed tech-free space.
On this episode of the podcast, you'll find the audio of his talk.
Dan was even gracious enough to share his slide deck for all of you. Click or tap here. Hey. Thanks, Dan!
No tool of the week this episode, but if you missed it last week, Dan references Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi. Definitely worth a read or listen!
Enjoy!
Your HostDan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis: www.camelcamelcamel.com - Amazon price tracker
Dan: Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi
Matt: The Better Board - Message Matt for a more detailed explanation
Joe: Google Photo Scan - iOS - Andoid
Your Hosts:Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV, Founder at Go Camp Pro
Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA
Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre
Matt Honsberger, Camp Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)
How do your staff answer the phone? What story does the home-page of your website tell? Who meets families on opening day? How do you train your super-awesome, yet awkward teenagers to talk to parents? What is your camp's "wow factor" that people experience as they are driving down the camp road?
Take a second and answer those questions super honestly. How are you doing? If there are any aspects of your first impression that made you mentally (or physically) hang your head, no worries, the CampHackers are here to help.
Travis, Gab, Joe, Dan are joined by returning guest-host Jalisa Danhof from Camp Newaygo to absolutely blow your mind with their experience and ideas on how to make your camp's first impression memorable for all the right reasons. Again, have a pen and paper handy for this one.
In the world of technology, nature deficit disorder and climate-change, it's time for camps to raise the bar. From the philosophies, to the policies, to the on the ground environmental practices, we need to start thinking intentionally about what we can do to be leaders of environmental stewardship.
To discuss ways that we can step up their sustainable game, Travis is joined by three new guests - Danny Sudman from Green Camps and of the first partners of the Green Camps Initiative, Jacob Rodenburg from Camp Kawartha and Seth Herschthal from Blue Star Camps. In this episode, you're sure to find both the philosophical motivation and the practical means to make your camp shine green next season!
Way back in the way back - 2013, we talked about Partnering With Parents. Back then, we were living in a world where Social Media coming from camp was still a pretty newish thing and there weren't nearly as many channels of connection between camp and a camper's home. Also, in the last 4-5 years, more and more camp pros have been rolling their eyes at parent emails requesting things like more photos and thinking, "ugh, helicopter parents". In online circles and at conferences more and more, we see camp directors waging war against parents, who at the end of the day simply love their kids and want them to be well while they are away. Friends, it's time to remember that just as much as we're here for the kids, we really are here for their parents too - and not just because they are the ones who click "Register". Think about someone that you love and care about - now think about them deciding to go on a SpaceX flight to Mars. How terrified are you for them!? Why? Because we've never been to space! How will our loved ones eat? What is anti-gravity like? For Pete's sake, where will they go to the bathroom!? Too far? Not really! Parents, especially those who haven't been to camp before, are putting an incredible amount of trust in you to care for the most important thing in their world. They absolutely deserve for us to show them that we are worthy of their trust. This week, CampHackers Travis and Gabz are joined by Cory Harrison of YMCA Camp Greenville and Stacie Simpson of Stacie Simpson Consulting who are taking parental partnership to the next level in their circles. This is definitely another "get your pen and notebook out" type of episode. Even one of the small, 1 hour of work implementation, ideas is bound to improve your relationships with your camper parents. There are lots of fantastic ideas to do NOW, in the summer, and at the end of the season. Take a listen and tell us what you think!
No matter how far your "draw" is for campers, it's absolutely critical that camps have a good relationship with their neighbours and local communities. If you have close residences (especially on a lake), it's important to recognize the fact that you're a noisy, bell-ringing, song-sining (screaming) place. If your camp is a little more secluded, you may be facing the challenge that, despite your strong camper numbers, people don't even know you exist! You aren't the conventional neighbour, but that can be your biggest advantage. From dropping mailers on the docks of lake neighbours, to sponsoring local sports teams, to offering free meals for families in need, there is so much good that your camp can do, while doing some good for your organization. CampHackers Travis, Joe and Dan are joined by Marc Cooper from Camp Tamarack and AWARD WINNING Jalisa Danhof from Camp Newaygo to bring to you an absolute TON of ways to be the best neighbour you can be for your community.
What's on your mind right now? It's fair to say that it's getting into "crunch time", but it's also probably fair to say that there's still some time to think. And when there's time to think, there's sometimes a space created in a section of our brains that is reserved for vulnerability. Whatever that is to you - uncertainty, concern, doubt, worry - thoughts like these have a way of floating in and settling in the spaces in-between your day to day. These thoughts don't exactly impede our progress, but if left un-dusted, the can certainly prevent us from moving forward on potentially critical aspects of our upcoming season. This episode is for some of those thoughts. It's also for the thoughts that are on the minds of our CampHackers and Camp Pros in the community. Travis and Joe are joined by good friend of the show, Paul Sheridan from Four Winds, Westward Ho to share not only what's on their minds in February of 2017, but to comment on some other Camp Pro's thoughts from around the camping community.
Happy January and happy 2017! If you're anything like Joe, that means that the summer of 2017 is already preparing to sneak up on you. It's a New Year and people all around the world have made (and possibly already broken) New Year's Resolutions for themselves. These changing of the calendar prompts people to "shake things up" a bit in their lives. As Camp Pros, we don't need a prompt. We live the life of resolutions for our camps in an effort to grow, maintain, gain and/or reach more people. This episode is all about one resolution that is likely more uncomfortable, but also more achievable than "eating more veggies" - Be Different This Summer. The best part about this resolution is that you already know what you have to do. Just like the campers that we serve, our camps need to grow. It is essential that our camps, programs and even our mindset towards the organization grow by consistently asking ourselves, what can we do differently that will help us to best serve our camp and our campers. Take note that we're not asking you what you're going to do "better", because you're already going to do that. What this episode is interested in is how you're going to shake things up, rattle the cages and roll out something, well, different than you've ever done before. CampHackers Travis Joe and Gab are joined by Neva Batzell from 4-H Florida to share not only how they're being different this summer but how you can do it too. This is a great episode to put your "what if" hat on and we hope you enjoy it.
On this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, the "Business Brain Trust" (aka - Travis, Joe, Johnathon Lee and Sarah Kurtz McKinnon), have re-assembled to talk all about their best budgeting practices and how the budget can paint clearer pictures when it comes to looking at your camp's pricing. As well, tune in to hear about the host's philosophies when it comes to setting your camp's fees to reflect a professional, competitive business.
That's right, it's a Tool of the Week EPISODE! This one is for all of the masters of chrome extensions, the efficiency junkies, the royalty of DIY online design and for those people who's last panel on their phone is full of apps from listening to the Tool of the Week section on our show. With doing literally no research to back this statement up, the following list has got to be the world's biggest list of computer, web-based and phone apps curated by camp people, for camp people. Tune in to hear Travis, Dan, Gab and Joe's short explanation on each of these apps and how they make their Camp Pro lives a little less crazy.
Even when it's not the off season, a Camp Director's inner monologue can be their best friend, or their arch nemesis. Hashing things out with your brain can spark new ideas but can also slow you down with your own insecurities or doubts. We preach that mental health is something that we need to nurture in our staff and campers, but how kind are we being when we speak to ourselves? On this episode of the podcast, the fantastic (camping) four are re-united to share not only what goes on in their director heads, but what they do to keep that voice regulated and pushing them forward. This episode was just what I needed to hear at this time of year so I hope that it's the same for you. If you get anything from this episode, hear Travis, Joe, Dan and Gab say, you're not alone in this!
All of the things that we know and love about camp – campfires, singing songs, high-ropes, canoeing on a lake are all incredible, but they all won’t exist in a camp that is mismanaged from a business standpoint. For most full-time Camp Directors, this big-picture thinking about camp as a business is absolutely critical to create a sustainable and thriving place. On this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, Travis and Joe are joined by Johnathon Lee, Co-Executive Director of Camp Kintail, and Sarah Kurtz McKinnon, Camp Consultant and Go Camp Pro partner. Tune in to hear these four camp pros share some of their best business practices and philosophies that allows their camps to thrive and will surely give you some new ideas to think about this fall.
Kevin Kelly (Authour of The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future), joins Travis in this special Interview Edition of the CampHacker Podcast. Together, Kevin and Travis discuss his views on how not only the world as a whole, but our little camp world will surely be shaped by the integration of technology into the everyday.
As our parting gift to you to keep you cool until we meet again in the fall, we have the whole team together to fill the last few pages of your spring journal with our top tips for this time of year. We hope that this episode gives you what you need right now whether it's a reassuring helping hand, or a fire under your rear. Either way, Dan, Joe, Gab and Travis brought their A-game for this one.
This episode of the Podcast is dedicated to help our staff members get the most out of their daily, weekly, and seasonal experiences at camp. Whereas we usually delegate the camper’s nightly devotions to the counsellors (Ep. 88 has some ideas on how you can be that person too), we, as directors need to present our staff teams with those same types of opportunities. With the list of ideas that you’re surely going to have from this episode, we hope that you feel inspired to shake up your staff meetings and make time to facilitate those conversations that inspire your staff to get thinking.
The spread of age and experience on site at camp can make things a little tricky at times. That being said, we all know that camp relies on a generational turnover to not just survive, but thrive. As directors, it's our job to reach our staff on a common ground. In this episode of the CampHacker podcast, Travis, Dan and Gab are on hand to share their insights on how to intentionally work with the actual and perceived generation-gap between you and the staff.
The camp day is full of transformative moments; sometimes, there’s almost too many to keep track of. By prompting some mindfulness at the end of the day, it gives campers the chance to unpack all of their conversations, moments of growth and feelings and go to bed thinking meaningful thoughts. This episode of the Camphacker Podcast, prompted by Go Camp Pro founder, Laura Kriegel, is dedicated to the best practices about debriefing your day with your campers. Inside, you’ll find some awesome conversation and pro-tips from 5 seasoned camp directors. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy for this one, you’ll definitely need to do some jotting! You may have heard of the classic (and fantastic) Rose, Bud and Thorn, but what about tweeting the day? How about char cloth? gypsy jewelry? Seriously, get that note-pad out! You’re sure to find something great here!
This episode of the CampHacker podcast is dedicated to these kinds of big trips and the camps that have them down to a science. Travis is joined by 3 Directors whose camps specialize in these epic excursions. These 4 Camp Pros put their heads together to discuss not just the logistics of these trips (which are super interesting!), but the transformative power that comes from campers and staff immersing themselves into nature for weeks at a time. What emerges from these conversations is that the long trips may be logistically tricky and definitely more expensive when you factor in flying in food and long distance pick-ups, but the pay off in the experience and growth is more than worth it.
If you've been tuning in to the last two episodes of the podcast, you'll know that we're talking all about full time work at camp. So far we've covered, asking yourself if camp is right for you as well as making your full time camp job a sustainable one. This episode, we wrap up the mini-series with an entire episode dedicated to how to find not only a full-time camp job, but the right full-time camp job. CampHackers Dan, Joe, Gab and Travis all put their heads together to share their experiences and their best advice on where to look, how to apply and some insider tips and tricks on getting your foot in the door.
This week, CampHacker Travis is joined by camp pros Marc Cooper from Camp Tamarack and Topher Aderhold from Camp Gray. Travis, Marc and Topher put on their thinking caps to share their secrets for what it takes to not only survive in the full-time camp world, but thrive in it. From balancing your camp and personal life, to your every day demeanour during the summer, this episode covers a lot of ground!
Hello friends and welcome back to another season of the CampHacker Podcast. In the spirit of starting something new, we wanted to dedicate today's show and few more this season to those who are considering pursuing camp into a full-year commitment. As well, we'll be talking about you directing veterans can begin the process of mentoring the next generation of camping professionals. This week, we get the conversation going with CampHackers Dan, Joe, Gab and Travis to scratch the surface on what it takes and the kinds of questions that the budding full-time camp professional needs to start thinking about.
On this episode of the CampHacker podcast, CampHackers Travis, Joe, Gab and Dan break down the ins and outs of all things staff evaluations. You will find excellent discussions on why evaluations are important, how to teach your staff to evaluate each other and some awesome best evaluation practices from four different veteran director perspectives. If you aren’t evaluating, or want to get better at it, then this episode was made especially for you.
We all know that volunteers really are the life-blood of our organizations. If you have a good list of volunteers with a variety of skills, and a good list of tasks for them, then you will undoubtedly have a program that is always looking spiffy and have some awesome, hand-made stuff. CampHackers Travis, Joe and returning guest David Gill from Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center get together in this episode of the podcast to share some strategies, tips and best practices when it comes to the culture of volunteerism at camp.
As seasoned camping professionals, you know how to greet your camp families well. You always know their name, greet them with a firm handshake and know how to make good, intentional conversation. But what happens on opening day when you too occupied with running camp to meet and talk with every-single parent on site? On this episode of the CampHacker Podcast, Chantal "Match" Jackson joins Travis, Joe and Gab to talk about teaching everyone at your camp to make a great first impression on parents.
Video marketing doesn't have to be something that drains both your fiscal and time budget. Using your camp's message along with some great tips from the CampHackers, this podcast will lay the foundations for you to start using video to show the world what your camp is really about.
This episode, CampHackers Gab, Joe and Dan get together to share not only some awesome ideas that can be included in your campfires, but how the philosophy of your campfires can, and should, reflect the culture of your camp
CampHackers Dan, Gab and Travis get together to share some of the best dining room practices in the summer camp industry.
We all know that working at summer camp is an incredibly stressful job. There never seems to be a break anymore! In this week's CampHacker podcast, we talk through ways that we can cope with the increasing demands of the most important job we'll ever have.
On the podcast this week, CampHackers Travis, Gab and Joe discuss Camp Culture. The CampHackers explore how a camp’s core values are realized through the culture that your camp emits.
Finding the right tools to continually improve your skills
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes| Stitcher App
I believe that we all know that our own professional development is crucial to our camps' success. It is, in a very demanding world, sometimes hard to prioritize.
Our discussion for this show centres around how we find NEW sources of professional education. Where do we look, outside the summer camp world to grow our biggest skills?
It was so nice to have Ange Atkinson from Camp Lantern Creek back on with us. You can listen to Ange's first episode Planning Great Programs, too!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director* Travis - 3m Easy Adjust Monitor Arm * Dan - I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi * Joe - Blue Mic Microphones - Yeti & Snowball * Ange - Girls Leadership Institute
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV * Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre * Ange Atkinson, Camp Director - Camp Lantern Creek
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)Thanks for the evening, friends.
Helping the Industry Succeed - How can we use our resources and our knowledge to help all camps get better?
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes| Stitcher App
Summer camps need to be collaborative. Now, it's not that they aren't already - look no farther than the incredible Camp Pros Group on Facebook, and you'll see a ton of fantastic people sharing their best practices with each other.
It goes a bit farther though. We need to look into how we are serving our nearby neighbours in the summer camp world before they even need it. Some camps do it via staff exchanges, mini-conferences, "mastermind groups" or even by joining policy committees to support the industry in their area. This kind of face-to-face support not only helps each other out, but it builds relationships and extends our personal support networks.
Even more, we have to look at our no-so-best practices, and be willing to share the times when we've fell on our faces, and thereby learned the most. It takes guts to trust those people with our vulnerable stories and it takes integrity for us to receive those stories empathically, take the learning, and maintain confidentiality.
We hope you enjoy this podcast and that it inspires you to look at how well you are sharing with your summer camp neighbours.
Have a thought? Let us know in the comments below!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - ULINE Catalogue http://www.uline.com/ or http://www.uline.ca * Beth - Leaders Eat Last book * Dan - “Homesick & Happy” by Michael Thompson and Video Dr. Michael Thompson: Eight Things Parents Cannot Do For Their Children (But Wish They Could) * Joe -* Racoon Circles - How to do over 200 activities with a simple 15 foot piece of climbin webbing - Jim Cain and Tom Smith - book and internet download - HERE
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV * Beth Allison, Summer Camp Consultant, Leadership Training Specialist - CampHacker.TV * Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)Thanks for the evening, friends.
Radical thinking about the Future of Summer Camp Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes| Stitcher App
Now THAT's what I'm talking about!
This show.
THIS is the moment that CampHacker was created for. We had the best discussion today. Joe had the awesome idea to talk about what it would be like to start a camp from scratch. If you weren't burdened by tradition (and a property) what would you do differently?
THAT lead us in to how would you radically change summer camp. If our mission is to provide a transformative experience for children and teens (and staff) are we reaching as many people as possible with our programs being so remote?
Outward Bound Canada has done something HUGE. They sold off their remote sites so that they could build in downtown Toronto - now they serve tons more people. They still do remote trips but they are much more accessible for day programs.
Dan was kind enough to share the nine points that Frost Valley uses when they consider a new program:
- Demographics
- Audience
- Mission
- Goals
- Staff
- Traditions
- Sustainability
- Site
- Quality
(He explains them in the show!).
What would you do to start summer camp from scratch? Leave us a comment below!
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director Travis - Royalty Free music for your video - see my list below * Gab - Check out when’s the best time to tweet Tweriod * Paul - Camp Moves Me - Send more kids to Camp! * Dan - Slate’s Mom & Dad Are Fighting Podcast * Joe -* Pocket - app for web based, and Apple and Android
Sources of Legal Music to Use in Camp VideosRoyalty Free Music sites (pay for it once and use it as needed)
- http://www.shutterstock.com/music/
- http://www.smartassmusic.com/royalty-free-music/free-downloads
- http://www.pond5.com/music/1/*.html
- https://vimeo.com/musicstore
- https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music
- http://www.reelmarketinginsider.com/free-royalty-free-music/
- Audio Bumpers/Stings/Logos
- search for "music genre" + sting or bumper or logo
- http://www.beatsuite.com/music/category/audio-idents/576
- http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/
- http://www.musicradiocreative.com/podcasters/
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV * Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau * Paul Sheridan, Director at Four Winds, Westward Ho
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)Thanks for the evening, friends.
Our Best Summer Camp Marketing Tips Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes| Stitcher App
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes| Stitcher App
Want to get your fall rolling with fast, effective marketing tips? This is the show for you!
Gab and I had a chance to do one of our favourite kind of shows - rapid-fire, back-and-forth answers to questions directly from you, the audience.
Since it's the first show of the fall season people are telling us that they are super-focussed on setting their camp up for a good season of marketing. They're also saying that marketing camp has become very overwhelming.
In this show Gab and I answer your questions.
WAIT! What happened to #71? It's coming! It was a bit non-traditional so our process is goofed. Listen for it soon.
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis - NeuYear calendars
Gab - Long days at camp? Keep your iPhone charged Boostcase
Your Hosts:
- Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV
- Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)Thanks for the evening, friends.
Our Best Ideas for Leadership Training Your Camp Counsellors Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes| Stitcher App
Now that is how it's done! Dan, Gab & I just had a 25 minute LIGHTNING ROUND of great ideas. They were coming fast & furious.
On today's show we talked about ways to make sure you have a great Staff Training Week. Each of us shared 3 or 4 of our best ideas - the things that we know will have an impact on how your camp runs this summer.
Listen in for the details but here's our list:
- Know your audience
- Put on your Leadership Glasses
- Do it with intention
- Develop (and teach) the Clientele Mindset
- Give them bathroom reading
- Change it up
- Make "how-to" videos
- Show videos of interviews with camp parents
- Break up the style of your presentation (did you know that at Ouareau they are limited to only 15 minutes of lecture-style delivery before they must change it up?)
- Develop Duty Ditties
- Write your question down
- Create a Theme for the week. One of Frost Valley Y's was Build Strong
- Embrace your history. Gab also suggested we highlight the shifts that the camp directors have make to keep camp growing
- Create a manual people will look at (check out this Camp Code podcast: Staff Manuals: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly)
- At each area have 2 signs: What do Campers Need to Know? What do Staff Need to Know?
- Show your enthusiasm
- Create a culture that values sleep (thanks Dr. G!) [Click to Tweet This!]
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis - Replace your broken iPad or phone screen your self - kit
Dan - The Way of the Seal (book)
Gab - Big Stock
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV * Dan Weir, Director of Camping Services - Frost Valley YMCA * Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (Thank you!)Thanks for the evening, friends.
Surprise and Delight Your Summer Camp Parents Giving camp parents an experience that they will remember and recommend to their friends is one of the most important aspects of our job. There are many opportunities to give them a “WOW”.
Perhaps one point of contact with parents that we don’t put enough effort into is our final communications with them. Our last calls and emails before a camp session starts help parents get a feel for how seriously we take our job. It’s a chance for us to show them who the #CampPros are.
I know I say each of the podcasts was awesome… because it’s true! This one is no different. Listen in to hear Marc Cooper (Camp Tamarack director) blow our minds with some projects from Fiverr!
What are you going to do to surprise and delight your camp families before summer starts?
Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp DirectorTravis - Unroll.me
Joe - Brinno time lapse camera
Marc - Imagechef.com
Marc was last on the show for our Happy Kitchen, Happy Camp episode. It's great to have him back!
Your Hosts:* Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - CampHacker.TV * Joe Richards, Executive Director - Pearce Williams Christian Centre * Marc Cooper, Director - Camp Tamarack
Rate and Review the CampHacker Show in iTunes (It helps! It really, really helps!)Thanks for the evening, friends.
