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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In this episode, Curt and Chris discuss a wide variety of topics for summer camps. This is their 11th magazine edition. This episode includes a special event idea, program idea, staff idea, some trivia questions, theme ideas, and more.

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

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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

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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

In this episode, Shauna gives a detailed rundown of her experiences at the Women in Camp Summit 2023, also known as WICS. The episode includes discussions on several important topics including the significance of intersectionality in camping, the importance of transparency in job descriptions to accommodate neurodivergent individuals, trauma-informed management, and the impact of privilege. The conversation includes insightful discussions between Shauna and Kelie and highlights some inspirational presenters from the summit.

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