It’s almost hiring season and to save future you some time, so Kelie and Shauna have staff on their mind. In this episode, our hosts share the ways they like to show appreciation to their staff and also share how it builds their staff culture. Kelie and Shauna also share how they implement these staff moments so they are easy to duplicate at your camp!

Show Notes

In this fun and revealing episode, Kelie and Shauna dive into the hilarious and sometimes shocking, shared by listeners, "Counselor Confessions." From pranks gone wrong to heartwarming moments with campers, current and former counselors spill their best-kept camp secrets, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the antics of camp counselor life.

LINKS

• Bissli BBQ
• Better Camping for All Institute
• 2024 ACA Staffing Summit
• To Our Reddit Hater

Kelie and Shauna ARE BACK! In this episode, they recap their AMAZING summers and absolutely GUSH about their 2024 Staff. Shauna shares the celebrity children she had as campers and Kelie finally has a great summer after last year’s fiasco of a season.

Full Show Notes

In this episode, Kelie and Shauna are joined by Emily Golinsky from Bright Moose Training to discuss the crucial differences between bullying and conflict in youth programs, camps, and schools. Emily shares insights on how to recognize the signs of both, strategies for prevention, and handling conflicts effectively. The conversation explores real-world applications of these strategies, the importance of educating staff and parents, and the role of restorative practices in resolving conflicts. The episode also touches on the unique social dynamics among children post-pandemic and addresses common scenarios faced by camp staff.

Links:

• BrightMooseTraining.com
• [email protected]
• The Phantom Tollbooth book
• 2024 May/June Camping Magazine - Staff Training Issue

Want to add to our conversation?  Have a question you want us to discuss?

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This episode dives into the transformative approaches Kelie and Shauna are implementing for staff training at their respective camps. From reinventing traditional methods to integrating dynamic activities. The conversation reflects on past experiences, anticipates future challenges, and explores strategies to enhance the camp experience for both staff and campers, highlighting the importance of adaptability, engagement, and fun in staff development.

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Kelie and Shauna explore the portrayal of camp in movies, TV shows, and documentaries, touching on both fiction and non-fiction. They discuss the accuracy and cultural impact of camp-themed media, sharing their personal experiences and critical perspectives as camp professionals. The episode highlights a variety of titles, including 'Camp Nowhere', 'Heavyweights', 'The Parent Trap', and 'Bug Juice', alongside discussions on the darker aspects of camp portrayals such as in 'Hell Camp'. 

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Kelie and Shauna discuss their recent experiences and key takeaways from the ACA Tri-State Camp Conference. They touch on their busy travel schedules, staffing updates, and a variety of sessions attended at the conference. Highlights include discussions on staff recruitment, dealing with camper and staff behavior, the importance of respect over hierarchy, and innovative ideas for camp traditions and staff training. They also mention valuable resources like Project Real Job's TikTok and the Greetings of Gratitude app. Personal anecdotes and analogies like using the Kleenex box before the toolbox in conflict resolution provide practical advice for camp directors. The episode wraps up with thoughts on the closing keynote by Katie Sowers and the impact of conference takeaways on preparing for the upcoming camp season.

Links:

• Project Real Job on TikTok
• Greetings of Gratitude App
• Strong and Kind website

Want to add to our conversation?  Have a question you want us to discuss?

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Hosts Kelie and Shauna, after a series of serious episodes, decide to lighten the mood by introducing a fun, rapid-fire segment focused on camp traditions. Utilizing a wheel to randomize selections, they explore their experiences and thoughts on a variety of camp traditions, such as the Apache Relay, family/parent days, awards for campers and staff, the use of indigenous names, special birthday acknowledgments, the transfer of ashes ceremony, and the iconic Color War. Each tradition prompts a discussion that touches on the fun, the problematic aspects, and potential improvements. This episodic journey through camp culture not only reminiscences about the hosts' camp experiences but also critically examines traditional practices within the camp setting.

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In this episode, Kelie and Shauna, are joined by Shane Meserve, a consultant and trainer on mass violence and child abuse prevention, for a discussion on the topic of mass violence and its impact on children and camps. The episode focuses on ways in which programs like camps can aid in prevention, utilization of trauma-informed care, and maintaining a safe environment for the children. The hosts also discuss techniques to manage the aftermath of a mass violence event and look at how these incidents may leave trauma on younger children. Shane emphasizes the importance of having mental health resources and maintaining communication with parents. The discussion wraps up with helpful resources that are linked below.

Links

• Shane's email and Linked In
• National Mass Violence Resource Center www.nmvvrc.org
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network www.nctsn.org
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association www.samhsa.gov
• Books
• Disaster Planning and Preparedness in Early Childhood and School-Age Settings by Charlotte Hendricks
• Trigger Points: Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings In America by Mark Follman
• Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
• The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker

Want to add to our conversation?  Have a question you want us to discuss?

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Kelie and Shauna are joined by Claire Griffith, a recreation specialist working with cognitively impaired individuals. Claire addresses trauma informed care within a camp setting, stressing the importance of safety, trust, transparency, peer support, and collaboration, and acknowledging cultural, historical, and gender issues. They explore how trauma informed care can influence Gen Z, considered the first generation heavily into online and social media, and touches on how managers and older generations can often hinder progress with mindsets of 'it was hard for me, so it should be hard for you.' Claire also underlines the necessity of setting clear boundaries in management roles and models the evolution of trauma informed care moving forward with newer generations.

Links:

• Clair's Instagram - @claire.griff17