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

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

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

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

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

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/9-tips-for-summerAnd we don’t mean “just make it through”, we mean “make it through with style!”The weather is finally getting warmer here in Canada, the gardens are full of tulips and the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. As a camp leader, as we watch nature grow this spring, anxiety and stress can build within ourselves. When spring arrives, it means summer camp is around the corner. We started this season aiming to help the leader come back from a summer that either prevented your camp from running or having to put new safety measures in place that were new to everyone.  As we navigate our way back to summer camp, it is once again time to focus on you. A lot of these make sense at the surface, but actually practicing these tips are harder than you think. We’ve listed them below, but encourage you to have a listen to understand the reasoning behind each step. Go to bed! Get the support you need, outside of your organizationTake care of yourselfSet up an email routineEmbrace the knowledge of your leadership teamWatch and listen and sit still and see (find out more by listening!)Don’t mistake someone’s free time as availabilityCamp is fun, enjoy itBe kind to yourself-We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Ruby ComptonEstablish a communication routine with friends and peers. Set up a time each week to respond to texts to friends. Message folks to let them know you are thinking about them. This will allow you to not feel guilty if you are not responding to things immediately and give you space to touch base with friends and connect with the world outside of your camp.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/embracing-uniqueness-2021It’s not, “it is what it is”, it’s, “it will be what we make it”Noone asked for all of the challenges and uniqueness that are ahead of us in Summer 2021. This episode, we challenge you to look at the positive side and focus on the unique opportunities that are ahead of us this summer.Whether it’s reestablishing expectations with staff, or taking the opportunity to get rid of that program area you’ve always wanted to - this is your year.We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Bonus Link: Ruby's staff appreciation video for her team: https://youtu.be/Y5_hFMFu5no-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Beth AllisonPlan now for a fantastic end-of-summer celebration for the end of the summer. Figuring out a plan now will help you gather a ton of people to help make this happen. Think big and don’t forget to ask for help from your board, parents and alumni to compile gratitude for the last night of camp.Please share your most memorable moments! -Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/11-quick-fire-videos-2021Use these videos to dial your staff training up to 11!For some people, they have a favourite pair of comfortable slippers, perhaps a warm sweater or favourite comfort food. For our hosts, their idea of comfort is scouring the internet to help build new ways to develop camp leaders. In this week’s episode, we go back to a fan favourite feature where our hosts discuss quick-fire videos to help facilitate staff training.Ruby’s Favourites:First Thing and Last ThingHow to go From Small Talk to Deep CoversationAuthor: Chad LittlefieldHow to Have a Good ConversationAuthor: Celeste HeadleeBONUS (a fun one)Ducks Annihilate a bowl of peas-Beth’s Favourites:Grit:  The Power of Passion & PerseveranceAuthor: Angela Lee DuckworthFor the Love of Fangirls Author: Yve Blake-Gabrielle’s Favourites: How to Avoid Death by PowerpointAuthor: David JP PhillipsThanks to Camp - Léa's StoryAuthor: International Camping FellowshipThanks to Camp - Kadi’s StoryAuthor: International Camping FellowshipThe links above are the highlights of another great episode. To learn more from our hosts, have a listen today!We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Gabrielle RaillSoloing a canoe and training from the dock - This is going to be a different summer, meaning your camp staff will need to lead differently. As leaders, we need to pay attention to how we are right now. Are we reacting to things differently, both positive and negative? Take the time and understand that this summer, you’re going to be leading from a distance. So, take the time to reflect on your own expectations and be kind to yourself. This summer is different for everyone, not just you.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/pods-and-bubblesMake training memorable, no matter what your groupings look like.It’s finally April which means summer camp training is right around the corner and summer camp is in sight! We also know that across the world, vaccination campaigns are occurring, giving us hope that one day, our world will return to some sort of normalcy. Unfortunately, vaccination campaigns just cannot happen quick enough, meaning that summer camp training will be different this year, most likely using pods or bubbles to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Bruce Tuckman is famously known for educational psychology and group dynamics and developed a model to help develop teams into high performers using four simple steps, Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. Beth goes into detail about how you apply Tuckman’s methodology to help you prepare your team to achieve greatness, while also being pathfinders in your alternative way for staff training. To learn more about Tuckman’s model, click here.Ruby reminds us to use technology to strengthen your training. You can record your training sessions to be a podcast, or other alternative media for your staff. The best part about this - you can do a review of your material afterward and figure out what worked and what didn’t work when facilitating pod or bubble training. If you choose to segregate into bubbles, one of the largest anxieties your staff will have is wondering who they will be sharing a bubble with. To help them out, frontload! Communicate with your staff as early as possible to help alleviate some of their stresses.We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Beth AllisonSpin training in bubbles to something more positive. We know that working with a smaller group gives the opportunity to create unique memories. Have your staff create pages to their “bubble book” (think high school yearbook style) where your staff can take selfies, use journal entries or identify their favourite parts of training each week.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/virtual-staff-training-2Staff training is a brave new world. Let’s explore it together.We did it! We are a year into physically distancing ourselves from one another and interacting mostly virtually! Although this is not something I would normally celebrate, it has given our hosts plenty to think about, specifically when it comes to facilitating training for your staff. We’ve been there, enjoying a school lecture or perhaps engaged in a positive work session and then the meeting ends abruptly due to time constraints. Ruby recommends that we all focus on building a routine into our training, and have a phase-out process that allows participants to know the meeting is ending by helping them transition from training session to individual reflection. Perhaps a google doc, a slack or something supplemental to allow excited camp leaders to be involved event after the meeting has ended. We’re all going to be sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time during camp training this summer, so Gabz recommends investing into a nice camera and microphone. Nothing is worse than holding your face close to the screen so others can hear you in that sub-par laptop microphone, so invest in tech to make your camp training a success. Below are some of Gabrielle’s favourites from the tech she’s tested out. Canon M50 click hereSigma 16mm f/1.4 lens click hereThronmax Mdrill One Pro mic click hereBeth reminds us that we live in a 3D world where camp training usually consists of using the space and objects around you to facilitate training. In a virtual world, training can quickly become repetitive, so get creative! Hook your iPad to the meeting as a whiteboard, have an activity that and instructions set up on the screen for when participants arrive. Turn that 2D video into a greater depth of knowledge!-So, if you’ve made it here, you’re obviously interested in what tips and tricks our pros have, so for more info, listen to the podcast today! We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Ruby ComptonCamp is going to be different this year and taking care of yourself is just as important as always. In a world where regular temperature readings are normal, let’s use the technology literally at our fingertips to help us track our temperature, heart rate and anything else that could be useful. Absolutely there is an app for it, making tracking easier than ever. Ruby also recommends a glass of lemon water in the morning to kick start your day and ignite your metabolism.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/virtual-staff-training-1Virtual staff training is a brave new world. Let’s explore it together.Over the last year, virtual sessions have become way too familiar. We know that camp staff have already spent a lot more time meeting virtually regardless as businesses have switched to virtual work and educators have shifted learning to online. Unfortunately, this is not going away yet as most camp leaders are most likely learning how to facilitate virtual training. We’ve got your backOur hosts Beth, Ruby and Gabrielle are here to help you plan the inevitable conundrum of virtual training. We’re already spending countless hours in front of screens, so as leaders we need to find new interactive ways to train our staff. Ruby brings up a great point, go asynchronous! Provide the content for your staff to consume on their time. We obviously know the importance of podcasts, you could use these to provide brief learning sessions! Get creative, use videos, Tik Tok or even traditional presentations with perhaps your audio recordings built-in! Gabrielle reminds us to focus on what’s important for our staff to be able to deliver a fun, safe summer for our campers. As leaders, the content we learn online to prepare for summer may not necessarily be the same content we want to provide to our staff. Remind yourself, your role is to create a foundation of why your staff and campers go to camp. Create connections with yourself, your staff and your campers. Beth reminds us that as we being to train online, we cannot forget to play online. Find ways to build in collaboration. The editor recommends virtual escape rooms and imagination. Even Alexa (yep, that AI speaker in your home) can do free, virtual escape rooms. Have a team work together to solve the puzzle and put in a rule that only one person can click through the virtual room or give the audible commands to alexa to get your team out.  Remember, this blog is just a highlight reel, to get the full benefit from our experts, listen in today! -We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Gabrielle RaillWe’re used to being pulled in every direction at the same time, yet we struggle to say no. Rather than saying YES right away, ask three questions that could either apply to mental or financial wellness. You need to find ways to take care of yourself. Summer is coming and we all know as camp leaders that when summer comes, the moments to take care of yourself can be few and far in-between.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/work-with-parents-pt2It’s too important for just one episode.Remember last episode when our special guest Travis, fed all of us the knowledge of a lifetime at camp? At CampCode HQ, it was certainly a memorable episode, but without Gabrielle there, we all knew we could squeeze a little bit of greatness out of her. For that reason, we are back with round two, where we focus on the great ideas on how to train our staff to talk to parents. Remember the acronym episode (Camp Code #81) - well Gabrielle didn’t get the chance to slide in another great one: V.I.FValidate - Find the person who can helpInvestigate - allows some time for problem solvingFind someone who can help. When we are talking to parents one of the most important things is to get them connected to the right person who can help with whatever the situation was. Ruby tells us the importance about names. Learning the names of the parents and the campers *hint - write them down* and using those names brings a sense that you are there to help their child have a memorable week at camp. Beth describes that transparency and messaging is just as important as knowing the camper names before they arrive. As leaders, you would have been in communication with parents up until the day they arrive at camp. Take the time to teach your staff the message they want to get across with parents. For more great tips about the value of communication, have a listen to this episode! We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Best Practice for Leadership TrainingFrom Ruby Compton:Every family is unique. Every family has their stories, their traditions and their own hardships. Have staff reflect on their own relationship with their folks at home. Recognize those  relationships may be different from campers relationships with their own families. Bonus - Feed your staff with information to help parents on drop-off and pick-up day. Provide staff a couple of specific pieces of information to communicate any time they are interacting with parents. Things like where the bathroom is, where the coffee/snacks are, where they are headed next.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/work-with-parentsBecause you aren’t the only one that needs to wow your camp families!Beth and Ruby are joined by Travis Allison to breakdown the importance of your staff being calm, cool and collected when interacting with their camper’s parents.Do you remember your 16-20 year old self? Talking to adults is scary enough, without the fact that you are looking after the most important thing in their world.Great parent interactions (especially on opening day!) is a critical part of your camp forming trusting relationships with families. Trust us, a parent is going to tell their friends what camp their child attends - and good or bad, they will share their first impressions - so it’s our job to help our staff make the best ones!We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Beth AllisonGet lots of large chart paper and markers and have pairs of staff create their own “child”. This exercise helps them to understand the care that goes into parenting and really put them into their camper’s parent’s shoes.-Your Hosts:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp ProRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsTravis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!A special, timely interlude from our friends at the Day Camp Pod:Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-pod/ppp-era-acaTimely info for American Camps - Jan/Feb 2021For many camps and small businesses in the United States, the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program was a lifesaver- enabling us to keep our best people employed which we navigated the uncharted waters of the covid-19 pandemic. Starting January 13, the second round of PPP has been made available to qualifying businesses, as well as other resources like the Employer Retention Credit. While most of us may be good at running a summer camp, this other stuff is both supremely important and pretty darn confusing- which is why we have called for an EMERGENCY Podcast with ACA National Chair Scott Brody and the great Steve Baskin - so that we can better grasp the options that can ensure our financial solvency as we enter the 2021 camp season.Tune in to hear about:What we need to know about the PPP situationThe issues of timing, and filing for forgivenessWhat’s coming down the pike.Do you have a suggestion for a future show? Let us know by email: [email protected] Links:Andrew Ziv’s thorough explanation of ERC & PPP - https://andrewziv.substack.com/p/breaking-down-the-employer-retentionSBA / PPP - https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-programIRS / ERC - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-employee-retention-credit-under-the-cares-act-YOUR HOSTS:Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day CampGUESTS:Scott Brody, Owner & Director - Camps Kenwood & EvergreenSteve Baskin, Executive Director - Camp Champions, Camp Pinnacle, Partner - Everwood Day Camp-SPONSORS:Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:AM Skier Insurance    http://www.amskier.com/Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS)   https://crs4rec.com/-Please review and subscribe!If you’ve gotten even one good thing from the Day Camp Pod, we would be so grateful if you left us a review and subscribed to this show in your favourite Podcast app.It’s so easy! Just click here: https://ratethispodcast.com/dcp  Thanks, Camp Pro!

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/the-acronym-episodeWe L.O.V.E Acronyms! Here are Beth’s, Ruby’s & Gabz’s favourites!We L.O.V.E them - Nope, that’s not an acronym, simply our way to show how much we enjoy them. We engrave acronyms into the lexicon of camp to ensure that the important things that you want your staff to memorize, are memorable. For Beth, with over 25 years of camp acronym experience, this was one of the hardest episodes for her to record as each host share their three favourite acronyms, and dive into why they are important to them. Go Camp Pro is here to support you with everything Covid-19 and there is no stopping in sight. The volunteer editorial board at Go Camp Pro scans editorials across the Covid-19+Camp Slack, the Summer Camp Professionals Facebook group and other sources to take the best stories, and put them in an easy-to-read newsletter that we call “The Brief”. You can sign up for The Brief by clicking hereBelow is a list of the acronyms shared throughout the episode, so that you can make notes of your favourites and incorporate them in your staff training. -Find our favourite acronyms and bonus resources here:https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/the-acronym-episode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Gabrielle RaillWhen returning staff members return to camp, they each bring emotional tags with them, holding onto memories from the year before. The role of your staff is to create the best week of camp for their campers; but to do that, you have to help your staff let go of last year. Take the time to validate their experiences, dissect the good and then engage in conversation with staff to identify on how to build from previous experiences to incorporate the things that worked well, to create an unforgettable summer for campers. When you're done planning, celebrate the past and bring in the new camp year with your staff. -Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/the-silent-summerThis will be the most important staff training you’ll ever prepare.We made it! It’s 2021, but that doesn’t mean that camps are without adversity with this summer quickly approaching. With a global vaccine rollout for COVID-19 and differentiating public health policies and guidelines depending on your province, state, municipality or county, there are too many permutations and combinations circling to really understand what this year is going to look like. To make things more complicated, many camps didn’t run last year, meaning the identified “improvements” noted during a camp season are a full season behind. Take this one step further, your staff are all older and some senior staff might no longer be in a position to return to camp. We are just as happy as most of you where 2020 is finally behind us; as we turn the chapter to 2021, our hosts are here to help you succeed with summer camp training after a gap in operation. Our take on it - this is the most important staff training you have ever prepared. It’s important that as camp professionals, you reflect, take stock and set goals for this year. Your goals will have to include new training material, focusing on mental health during a pandemic. For us, that means two lists of goals. The first list is about what people will need from you, including COVID-19 safety, what’s changed at camp, the importance of feeling safe and perhaps your leadership style this summer leans more on being empathetic or more vulnerable to your staff. The second list is what YOU want to from this year. Define your goals, but being flexible to staff ideas is a key step to the foundation of a successful summer. -We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Beth AllisonWe are in the midst of a mental health awakening. Role model types of behaviors and actions. Start every single day of training with personal check-ins. Ask a different question each day and offer everyone an opportunity to answer those questions. Continue at every check-in. Their well-being is paramount to you.Encourage peer-based support. Facilitate groups that work in support of each other. Weekly “Islands of Sanity” calls--are you willing to use whatever power and influence you have hold islands of sanity to invoke and create, produce, and persevere?Make time to share your own challenges and mistakes and vulnerabilities. -Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/what-we-learned-from-wicWe ran a traditionally in-person conference 100% online. And it was AWESOME. Here’s what we learned! This week’s episode falls during the holiday season of 2020. From all of us at Camp Code, happy holidays and we wish all of you a happy new year. 2020 has been quite the year, with a global pandemic affecting lives worldwide and to camp professionals, has created an unprecedented camp season where many camps simply did not have the opportunity to run. Furthermore, as camp Directors are well underway throughout their planning phases for next summer unbeknownst to anyone if camps will even run. It is easy for people to look at the history of 2020 and refer to some of the negative connotations surrounding it that lead us to believe that in the fog of 2020, there was nothing else but more fog. Although that may not be exactly true, as Camp Code looks to close the chapter in 2020, we aim for new goals and aspirations in 2021. As heard in the teaser of this episode, “positive change requires an effort of togetherness (Women in Camping Summit, 2020)” and we believe as a camp community we can continue to achieve our camp milestones collectively. In this episode, Beth, Gabz and Ruby reflect on their experience at the Women in Camp Summit Live Virtual Event where over 200 women from around the world contributed to some extremely memorable moments. Ruby starts us off with talking about a fantastic speaker from the summit, Leslie Keller, owner of Live Love Equity. Leslie teaches us about the importance of equity and inclusion and how it needs to be a foundational element to any organization. Leslie did hint about the power of social media and how tools like Instagram can influence some of the content you learn and teach to your followers. You can find Leslie and all the great work she does here: https://www.liveloveequity.com/Gabz dives in to talk about two of her leaders who develop a session that focuses on creating conversation about race with your staff. There needs to be a process of consent and consult from the people of colour on your staff to ensure that they are comfortable with the situation. White privilege is something that needs to be talked about and that to create change, there is a process you need to develop. At the core, the four steps of the process created by the presenters Mel and Ania are Awareness, Assessment, Prioritizing and Action. A copy of the presentation can be found RIGHT HERE. Beth reminds us about the importance of resilience and refers to our Camp Code friend Dr. G who developed a seven-step cycle for resilience https://askdoctorg.com/drg-resilience-cycle/.-Bonus Resources! & Leadership Training Best PracticeFind these at https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/what-we-learned-from-wic-Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links here: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/surprise-delight-staffOne of the most important things we can do for youth is to show them that we’re thinking of them. ♫ The weather outside is frightful, but Beth, Ruby and Gabrielle continue to be delightful ♫ In this episode as they look to give you ways to show your appreciation towards staff.  At the core of this episode, being a leader is really understanding those around you and what motivates them. For some, motivation can come in the form of extrinsic rewards, Beth recommends small trinkets for staff or stickers that reminds them they are a part of a great team at camp. Others prefer intrinsic rewards, such as personalized videos to camp staff during stressful times, such as exams that are used to remind staff just how awesome they are. Sometimes people just need a bit of motivation to remind them of what their impact is to camp. Ruby recommends trying something other than email, and shares with us some ideas including Bonjoro, Marco Polo, Voxer, and Yac. Working at camp is a unique experience, and it deserves to be celebrated! Gabrielle gives us the genius idea of celebrating a new hire on a live social media platform such as Instagram or Facebook. Social media continues to be a tool for camp and if campers see that their favourite staff member is returning, it generates excitement for the staff and for the campers. We’ve listed a few of the ideas above, but to learn from our hosts and their fantastic ideas, you will have to listen to this week’s episode. For more great tips, have a listen and don’t forget to leave a review, our hosts read every single one!-Bonus: If you listened to the episode, you learned about 5-minute Fridays. Click HERE for a quick peek into all the fun that we have, making 5-minute Fridays THE spot for bite-sized professional development. -We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Gabrielle RaillGood note-taking can translate information into a new way of learning something. So during staff training, why don’t you enable your great note-takers on staff and ask them to take notes for the majority of the sessions during a session. Take it one step further, make photocopies or email these notes to your staff so that everyone can learn from the same information.

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/disagree-and-discuss-with-careTo disagree is not to destroy, it’s to dream about new possibilities. Here’s how to teach your staff that.In this episode our hosts are here to help listeners to understand that conflict can be good, it can create new ideas, decisions or avenues for new exploration. As Beth says, the goal of conflict resolution is to have all parties involved mutually agree and to do that, she reminds listeners of the 4 S’s:Is it SAFE?Does it SERVE the community?Does it promote SELF-ESTEEM?Is it good STEWARDSHIPThe S for stewardship really encompasses the individual’s being entrusted with any given scenario, so it’s important to remember that although you may have conflict with your peer at camp, you both are working towards the common goal of making camp a better place to be. Ruby reminds us that at times as a camp Director, you will have disagreements with your staff. Furthermore, sometimes since you are the camp Director, it ultimately is your decision regardless of any influence your team may have on you. If you stick to your original idea, you will have frustrated staff. It is important to create avenues for your staff and peers to have conversations about how that decision made them feel. Emotions are part of any conflict or decision-making process, so we need to listen to our staff and most importantly, we need to admit when we are wrong.Speaking of emotions, Gabrielle reminds us that conflict builds in our minds. The longer we put off dealing with conflict, the worse it becomes. Gabz reminds us of another acronym she uses, ACT.Awareness CommunicateTogether Problem Solve-We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Beth AllisonTwo more quick exercises for staff training focusing on how to disagree, with care. First is a game of Wind in the Willows.Have camp staff to stand in a circle and ask six questions. if the question implies to the individual, they step into the circle. The six statements / questions are related to the following (taken from Inc.com - 6 Smart Ways to Disagree With Someone Respectfully)Focus on factsDon’t get personal Recognize the goodRemember to listenUse I statementsKnow when to move onFind images that look like two different things depending how you look at it and ask your staff to tell you what it is. Then have individuals to partner with someone who saw something different and have them talk about their points.-Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find more at https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/hiring-in-uncertain-timesInviting staff into our uncertainty. That’s what hiring for Summer 2021 is all about!If you haven’t listened to the four-part mini-series devoted to our camp professionals helping YOU, you should go back and have a listen! This is the first episode after the mini-series and the timing of our hosts could not be more on point. In this episode, it is all about preparing for the hectic hiring season that is quickly approaching us, especially in these uncertain times. There are still a lot of specifics that our camps, regulators and government need to iron out, given the global pandemic. Now camp leaders have more contingency planning to do than ever before. If you’re struggling to figure out how to start, how to manage the waves of emotions that come with the pandemic, then this episode is absolutely for you. Our hosts, Beth, Gabrielle and Ruby dive into how you can go forward, do the interview process and help navigate your hiring for the 2021 summer. Ruby reminds us about the rapidly changing news with new scientific evidence and rumours of a vaccine on the way, we need to adapt. Some suggestions presented are virtual programming to prepare your staff,  developing a safety guide decision tree and as always, over-communicate. The more information you can share, the better prepared your recruits will be. Speaking about a vaccine, Beth reminds us about the inevitable truth that some camps simply may not be able to run until a vaccine is available and camp staff and campers have received the vaccine. From knowing what considerations to think about and what decisions are needed to run camp successfully in a pandemic world, Beth brings us another great resource the Covid Slack, developed my GoCamp.Pro’s very own Travis Allison. Covid Slack https://zoic.ca/covid-slackGabrielle brings up a great idea about using the alumni staff on standby to run a life wellness session for potential staff. Look at Alumi and their professions to see how it can develop the competencies of your staff and their core. Gabrielle also reminds us that staffing this year will be harder this year as we tackle the unknown of the pandemic, so how about you gets your returning staff to identify what they love about working at camp, what life lessons kids and learn and what would they like to keep or change at camp. Work smarter, not harder and use this information to help you develop your 2021 summer camp program! -We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Ruby ComptonThe season of giving is approaching, so one thought is to share a 2020 camp swag that you can send to camp staff or alumni to remind them that although this year may not have been great for camps, the work that staff and alumni do throughout the years does not go unrecognized.-Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/blog/women-of-gcp-podcastWhat do you call it when you gather a bunch of female camp and podcasting pros in a room? You call it AWESOME.In today’s special crossover episode, Beth Allison from Camp Code hosts a conversation with several of the women who podcast with Go Camp Pro. Today’s episode features Rachel Kent and Cassie Bloy from Beyond Camp, Sam Thompson from the Day Camp Pod, Kelly Schuna from The Camp Owner’s Podcast, and Ruby Compton from Camp Code and Gabrielle Raill from CampHacker and Camp Code. Listen in as these women discuss their mentors who inspired them in the industry, challenges women face working at camp and advice for new camp pros. Interestingly, all of these women have also attended the Women in Camp Summit in previous years. During the episode they discuss some of their biggest takeaways from the event as well as what they are most looking forward to for this year’s Live Virtual Summit taking place December 2-3. Find out more about the Women in Camp Summit Live Virtual event at https://www.womenincampsummit.com.Gabrielle announced this year’s Summit will also feature the first of the “Becoming Allies” series with an event titled “Becoming Allies: Supporting Women in Camp” on December 4. Folks who want to participate in the Allies event can register through this link: https://acai.wildapricot.org/event-4051965-The Women in Camp Summit needs your support! The planning team for the Summit has set a $7,500 fundraising goal to offer scholarships to attendees and off-set the costs of hosting this unique professional development event. Every dollar counts. Donate today and donate again on the Day of Giving for the Women in Camp Summit on November 24. Donate here: https://acai.wildapricot.org/allies/-Love this episode?Find more Podcast goodness at gocamp.pro/podcast. Also, if you want to support the work that we do, please consider subscribing to the shows, and leaving us a rating in your favourite Podcast app.-On This Episode:Beth Allison, Camp Consultant and Co-Owner - Go Camp ProGabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsSam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park DistrictKelly Schuna - Owner - Hidden Pines RanchCassie Bloy, Consultant & Freelance Camp Director - Stephane Richard Development Consulting Rachel Kent, Coordinator, Member Risk - Girl Guides of Canada

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find more at https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/taking-care-of-your-staffOne of the most affordable AND most important things you’ll do at camp this summer.If you have listened to the three earlier episodes focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re already prepared with a new set of tools on your belt to help YOU as a camp professional. In the final part of our four-part series, we shift our focus on how you, the camp leaders can help your staff. If your camp was fortunate enough to run this past summer, things were different as you and your team braced for a camp that encouraged social/physical distancing and potentially lived the summer with a mask on. For those camps who unfortunately were unable to run, your campers and your staff were just as heartbroken as you were when we all learned that camp was not an option this past summer. In this episode of Camp Code, Gabrielle, Beth and Ruby break down the fact that camp people are often natural caretakers, which leads us to this question - as camp professionals, how do we take care of our own people at this time? We know this is a hard time for camp staff whose lives have been turned upside down. Employment may be hard for them to come by at this time, or they have shifted to going to post-secondary school fully online, The stress levels are unprecedented for everyone at this time, so if there is something we can do to help the camp staff we rely on for our summers, we should take action! Our hosts are full of ideas, from sending care packages, having “real talks” about the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement or COVID safety to even helping to provide resources to your staff to process grief or stress they are dealing with at this time. If you want to learn more about how a little bit of effort for camp leaders can be a foundational shift of much-needed mentorship for your staff, then tune in to this episode!-We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Gabrielle RaillVisual presentation skills are critical to the success of your online training. Visual cues can create an anchor in the minds of your students to exemplify what it is you are talking about. Gabrielle recommends using https://unsplash.com/ to get great FREE images to help accentuate your presentations.-Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/camp-code/professional-development-in-2020In an off-season like no other, there is still room (and a need) to grow your skills! Get growing with this episode of Camp CodeIn part three of our four-part series focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, we dive into the importance of professional development. Regardless if your camp was able to run this past summer with restriction, or maybe not at all Ruby, Beth and Gabrielle are here to help. We get it, 2020 has added an additional layer of the financial pressure that may limit your professional development, but our Camp Code gurus dive into some ideas to enable your professional development. The most important part of professional development is to know what you want to learn. The first step is to make a list of all of the things you want to learn. 2020 has brought on us an overwhelming amount of online content as organizations adapted to virtual work. Conferences and courses are two things that have gone primarily online and we’ve outlined a few resources to make it easier for you. Online Conferences - There are a ton of these around, some to note are as follows: Women in Camp Summit ConferenceInBound conferenceAs for free online resources, there are podcasts, videos, free university courses, but to get you started...here are a few of our favourties:Go Camp Pro’s 5-Minute-Friday Program - Youtube LearningUniversity and college courses - There are various resources for this, one that you can check out is https://www.edx.orgSkillshare - https://www.skillshare.com/ - This was one of Gabz’s favourties spots to learn and embrace her inner creativity. Podcasts - We’re huge fans of learning this way and we would recommend any of the GoCamp.Pro podcasts to learn all aspects of camp and beyond. Camphacker Podcast (the one that started them all for GoCamp.Pro) - https://www.camphacker.tv/podcastThe Day Camp Pod - https://gocamp.pro/day-camp-podFirst Class Counsellors - https://www.camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellorsThe Camp Owners Pod - https://gocamp.pro/ownerspodBeyond Camp - https://gocamp.pro/beyondcampThe resources listed above are just a sneak peek into some of the ideas that Beth, Ruby and Gabz are happy to share. To hear the rest, have a listen! -Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Beth AllisonInterview people and not to hire staff. If you know people that you think you can learn from, make that list! Next, send out some invitations to those people asking them for 30 minutes or less of their time and specify what it is you want to discuss. After you meet with them, it is a great idea so write them handwritten thank you cards and send it to them in the mail. -Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Of

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Find more at https://camphacker.tv/camp-codeIt’s going to be easy to de-prioritize yourself in the lead up to be 2021, let Camp Code help you move yourself up your to-do list. In part-two of the four-part series focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to help you take care of one of the most valuable things in your life, you! To be the most effective camp leader, you cannot forget to stop, take a moment of mindfulness and recharge the batteries. Ruby, Beth and Gabz are here to share what each of them do to recharge and be ready to be the best versions of themselves. For Ruby, it’s all about having a day without time. Ruby takes off her watch and puts the phone away. Rather than being caught up in the busyness that life can bring you, taking a day to disconnect and live your day from sunrise to sunset. Gabz takes a slightly different approach as living at camp during a pandemic has its perks. She takes the morning to do meets, emails and computer work, followed by some “her time” (usually a nap) and then spends the afternoon doing some labor around camp. For Beth, taking care of herself is all about understanding her emotions and really capturing how she is feeling now. She taps in to an article by Jonathan L. Zecher (source: https://theconversation.com/acedia-the-lost-name-for-the-emotion-were-all-feeling-right-now-144058) where the author reminds us that we are exhausted of zoom meetings, cocktails and parties. Our days of baking bread and other means of distraction during a pandemic is over, now it is time to take care of you. Taking care of yourself starts now, not tomorrow. Have a listen for some tips and tricks to get started!We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcodeLeadership Training Best PracticeFrom Ruby ComptonSinging songs is the perfect way to take time for yourself. It doesn’t matter if you can carry a tune or not, but taking the time to sing; in the shower, in the car or loud and proud for everyone to hear, a song can change your mood. Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Welcome to season 8 of Camp Code! Well, that was a summer that we will all remember for the rest of our lives. To kick off season eight (that’s right folks, eight seasons on Camp Code) we are launching a four-part mini-series to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affects you, the Camp Director. Ruby, Beth and Gabrielle are back after the most memorable summer that didn’t fill the cabins with the laughter of children of the joy that is found in song. In Canada, most provinces were unable to open summer camps, preventing Gabrielle’s camp from opening and Beth found it challenging to do summer camp marketing with Canadian camps closed for the summer. Similarly, Ruby found herself working at a few different restaurants as we all adjust to the normal of today. In part one of the mini-series, Ruby, Beth and Gabrielle ask themselves “You know you are a camp pro during a pandemic when: _________________” Ruby dives in to talk about learning to “people” again as we learn to reintroduce ourselves outside of an unfamiliar landscape post quarantine. Gabrielle focuses on moments when your brain misfires, causing her to buy headphones that she had previously done the research on and knew she did not want to purchase. The pandemic of 2020 has people coping and reacting to a new world. Listen in to part one of the mini-series to learn that you are not in this alone and now more than ever, camp folk need to stick together. -We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Gabrielle RaillPlan and organize as much as you can… or “plan to plan”. Take two hours on Friday afternoon to review your week, validate that you accomplished everything you wanted to complete and focus on developing your goals for the following week. The pandemic is the enemy. If you have to break promises caused by the pandemic, keep in mind that we are all in this together, and more understanding than ever. -Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!That’s a Wrap for Season 7 of Camp Code!As summer approaches, the Camp Code season finale is here! Multigenerational staff may not be applicable to your camp today, but it absolutely will happen at some point, and what better time to have this in the back of your mind as summer camps eagerly way and adjust to many new guidelines being put in place as the worldwide pandemic continues. Multigenerational staff means that some younger staff may still live at home, not be used to doing laundry, or that their summer at camp may be their first job. At the same time, the older staff probably have car payments, or a mortgage or is used to going to bed at an earlier time than 18-year-olds. Additionally, there is a physical layer to an older generation staff where they may not be able to crawl on the ground, or have other limitations. In Ruby’s experience, she asked herself during any game “can rock paper scissors resolve this” and in most cases, the answer is yes and most people at any age can play rock paper scissors, so it is a great alternative to something like crawling under someone’s legs in freeze tag. As we wrap our season, we hope all you leaders are ready for what summer brings us. We all know camp will be different this summer, but camp is still at heart, summer camp leaders. For everyone who has tuned in to this season, have a great summer and we look forward to more conversations in the fall. Thanks for the season, friends! -We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Gabrielle RaillEven though this best practice is from Gabrielle, it was Ruby that brought it up on another podcast. When you are designing camp training for the summer, bring your leadership in on the conversation. Send your leadership team an outline of the staff training and some of the decisions behind what you want to keep and what you want to change. Open the dialogue with your leadership team to see how decisions are made. -Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Ruby Compton + Emma Kennedy = Staff Training Brilliance!Switching things up this week, Ruby is on her own interviewing the fantastic Emma Kennedy, Director of  “Camp La Grande Aventure…en Anglais” summer camp, from Saint-Donat, Quebec, Canada. Camp La Grande Aventure….en Anglais is an English camp for francophones. Emma’s camp is located close to Gabrielle’s Camp Ouareau, Emma and Gab share many of the summer camp leadership tricks and tools. In this episode, Ruby and Emma dissect summer camp training and the importance of starting training, before training officially starts. Keeping in touch before camp’s arrival is something that is now a top priority. Touchpoints with your teams prior to the start of camp allows your team to collaborate right from the start. The current pandemic has reinforced what camps already do, engage staff, engage early, or in Beth’s words…. Frontload! Another great idea Emma brings to Camp Code is the idea of “starting fresh”. When working with your leadership team, remove your past schedules and training materials and allow your leadership team to think outside of the box. That older material is always there for you to lean on, but allowing your leadership team to collaborate on what skills are required to be a good counsellor and what other training tools would allow your leadership team to succeed, and your camp to have another great summer. -We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Emma KennedyDuring staff training, take an evening offsite to do something as a group. A good example is to take your team out for ice cream and allow your team to talk, get to know one another and collaborate outside of the camp environment. -Guest:Emma Kennedy, Camp Director - Camp La Grande Aventure...en AnglaisYour Host:Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Put out the spark before it becomes a dumpster-fire. Give your staff the tools to avoid and work through drama.Summer camp staff are usually a tight-knit group. As well, the expectations of a happy go lucky summer with friends vs the hard reality of living together in community smack into each other. This type of cosmic splatter happens to any and every organization at one point or another. As leaders, it is our goal to manage that state of cosmic distraction. We work from having differences and bring our community from disruption to resolution and work to land on collaboration.   Working with people is complicated, you have to set the expectations at the beginning of staff training. As Beth says, by frontloading, it is easier for your staff to reach those attainable goals.  When you are faced with challenges, you can separate these in the two steps of analyzing the situation and work together to resolve issues. To do this, you can break the “views” into a quadrant so you can have a better understanding of other people's perspectives. An example of a view would be campers vs parents vs directors vs staff and dissecting each perspective and how each view can influence the outcome of your resolution. We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcodeLeadership Training Best PracticeFrom Beth AllisonKeeping camp drama free is going to be a challenge. If you flip this around and be the challenger, you can reward your staff who best made it through the week without any drama! Beth recommends a pin, keychain, bracelet or a t-shirt of a llama. Perhaps call it the “No-drama Llama” and make it visible to open it up as a discussion piece between staff and campers. Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Giving staff the tools to be able to have one of the most important conversations of their lives & directors the tools to make their culture even safer.This week, our hosts Gabrielle, Beth and Ruby explore the impact that the #MeToo movement has on summer camps. As summer camp leaders, empowerment begins with you. Educating people and Sexual harassment policies are not enough. Camps need to outline the policies and create a dialogue to ensure staff are empowered to act when they recognize something inappropriate. We need to realize that not everyone is going to be comfortable enough to speak up, we must find other ways for staff to feel empowered to share or point out uncomfortable situations.Training empowerment is not easy and neither is the conversation around sexual harassment. This episode was designed to help you cultivate your approach and build your community on trust and respect. Have a listen as Gabrielle, Beth and Ruby dissect the frameworks around these conversations. A small shift in the way you approach the subject will make a big difference. -Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Ruby ComptonThis one is simple; Choose to communicate rather than to assume. We all know what assumptions do! When you feel something is unsettling or something you have questions about, it may lead to an assumption. Instead of assuming, lean in and ask a question to understand more. This will help us handle conflicts in a more constructive way.-Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors-We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!How to help your future leaders see their future at camp!Are you like Gab? Does your camp have that special “little black book?”.You know, the one where you keep all the names of the campers and young staff that you just know will be great leadership team members someday?As directors, we are always looking out for the future. We do this because the earlier you can identify who may eventually take on the senior roles at camp, the earlier that you can start to help them realize their potential and hone their skills.How you do that is a whole other story - and it depends on the specific person. If they are a keener who recognizes their skill and may be a little over-ambitious or cocky, how can we help them understand the realities of the job they want and give them the patience they are lacking? Conversely, what happens if that person doesn’t realize their potential? What resources and experiences should you give them to not force them, but guide them to the idea that they have a prosperous camp career ahead of them?It’s hard - but it’s also a good thing Gab, Beth and Ruby aren’t shy about tackling hard issues!Tune in to this episode to give you over 40 minutes of great ideas that you can implement both now and this summer to plant the seeds of potential for your future leadership staff.Have a listen!-We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Jacqui Raill (via Gabrielle Raill)Raincoat treats - reminds staff that your rainy day programs need to be as good if not better than your sunny day programs. Put a reminder in the camp staff's raincoat pocket so they have a reminder later in the summer to keep the rainy program full of treats!-Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Not everyone is an all-star camp staff at the beginning. We need to help them get there!As camp leaders, we’ve all been there. We've all hired staff that are great on paper, but who just didn’t perform the way we thought they would. However, just because they may not be starting out the way you hoped, doesn’t mean they cannot become the great camp leader you were hoping they would be. To help them, and your whole team succeed, start by frontloading information to your staff. Use this time to ensure your expectations are clear right from the beginning. If your staff are not aware of what is expected of them, it’s on the Directors, not the staff! By building trust in your staff, in particular, some of the challenging staff; you are able to connect with them so you can be truthful and address what needs to be addressed. As well, keep an eye on self-esteem levels. If you can identify when self-esteem is low, you can seize these moments to promote camp leadership and shape weaker staff to be leaders! When developing trust, there are 4 key concepts that can be used to help develop your staff:Explain things clearly Ask questionsInvolve staff in decisions and discussions Appreciate them for the work they do! For more tips and tricks, have a listen!We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcodeLeadership Training Best PracticeFrom Ruby:Ruby's plea to Camp Directors of the world. Format your staff training schedule to how it looks during the summer. Do your best to make the timing match up as closely as you can so they start to understand what the camp day looks like. You can add as many details as you want, or keep detailed information in other places around camp, but do your staff this small service and it will make a huge difference!Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Make your meetings so extraordinary, your staff will actually look forward to them!How’s that for a challenge?At camp, we have the awesome privilege to get to inject every single moment with creativity and find new ways to engage our staff and campers. So why should meetings be any different?All meetings have a framework to follow to make any meeting successful. The basics are fairly simple, use an agenda, frontload the expectations of the meetings, and make sure it has a clear purpose. Some simple goals to take into consideration are what you can learn, achieve or solve during the meeting. Staff retaining information is another thing that needs to be considered. Meetings can easily become repetitive and valuable information for staff can become easily forgotten. Engaging staff is a key leadership ability to help your staff retain information. The way you deliver your information has a great impact on what information will be retained.One of the best ways to kick off camp meetings is to begin with some singing or games. These add positivity to the room and allows your team to get focused in a more positive environmentUse visuals - Staff are more likely to retain pertinent information when charts, wheels, pictures, or other visual tools are usedDon’t use rest hour - Rest hour is a sacred moment for your campers and staff, let them rechargeGet staff members to talk about great moments in camping (GMICs), it will get your staff to reflect Ask questions - How can I support you? - what campers are you struggling with? -  what's the best part of the day? - this will engage your staff and collectively work to resolve challenges.Get your staff to take notes! - Be obvious for important notes, say things like “Write this down”Recap your meetings - it gave one more opportunity for the staff to catch something they missed.-We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcode-Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Beth:What do I need to remember about my age group?Before your next group of campers arrive, have your team talk about what they need to remember when it comes to their specific age-group. Have them share their wisdom and remind one another to adjust the way you communicate, interact, and supervise them based on the age of campers. Example: If you have 8-year-old campers this week, remember that they need concrete instructions.-Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!How to help your domestic and international staff acclimatize to your camp.The full ensemble is back!In this week’s episode Gabrielle, Beth and Ruby dive in to explore the culture shock of staff and developing techniques to train international staff. International staff members are a wonderful addition to your team, and, it takes a little extra work on your part! On top of the usual onboarding, there’s more intention that needs to go into the way that you help that staff member develop initial relationships with senior staff and ensure that they are feeling comfortable and valued within the camp community.Being valued is something that every employee finds desirable. As a leader, it is up to you to find ways to make your staff feel valued. When hiring international staff, there are a lot of things to take into consideration:Having conversations about cultural differences between your international staff and the country you are inShowcase the international staff’s culture, by introducing their food, games and songs to your staffAssign a staff ambassador to international staff, make the ambassador your go-to person.Before your international hire arrives, find a camp alumni to sponsor this hire, so they could write to them at camp and be part of their camp familyFor more tips and tricks, tune in to this episode!We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcodeLeadership Training Best PracticeCredit: Ellen Nash - Camp Northland B’nai BrithIt’s important that you look every single staff member in the eyes every single day. By doing this, you let the staff know that you see them and acknowledge them for their efforts.Always have a staff snack in the evening as pretty much all of the staff show up and do as Ellen does and serve as many staff members as you can. By serving the staff, Ellen gets the opportunity to greet them, socialize and thank folks for their work each day.Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsThanks to our sponsor for this episode:This Go Camp Pro podcast is sponsored in part by CampGig - CampGig is more than just a job board, CampGig is designed to be the most useful matching/search tool for camps and camp staff. Camps can sign up today to scan and search through CampGig’s vast selection of candidates. If you’ve ever wanted an “easy-button” for finding your next great camp staff, then head over to CampGig.com and set up your camp’s profile today.

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!How do you train future staff? Look to your campers!You might notice that this week, Ruby is steering the Camp Code ship by herself! Not to worry, the triumphant trio will be back next episode, and you’re going to love this one!Tune in to hear Ruby’s interview with Dan Davis, the Camp Director of Camp Rockmont. Dan has dedicated over three decades as a camp leader and has an abundance of knowledge to share with us.Transitioning Campers to Staff starts early on in your camp journey. Dan talks about doing little things such as putting returning campers further from the dining hall or the beach and giving them the slight responsibility of having to walk that much further and still being punctual for meals and activities.Have you ever wished you had a second chance at a job Interview? Dan talks about his experience with giving staff a second chance at an interview. Sometimes it can be eye contact or even slight body language that can make an interview start to go sideways. Dan and Ruby talk about getting a do-over and stopping an interview when things are going wrong, but taking that pause to address whatever it is that is not going well, then giving the opportunity to the potential staff to restart the interview process. If a potential staff member accepts the do-over and is able to make the small adjustments to have a better interview, it is a good indicator that you are interviewing someone that is capable of change, accepts criticism and most importantly, is really interested in the role they are applying for!We hope you love this episode of Camp Code! If you do, please consider subscribing to the show, and leaving us a rating in your Podcast app. It’s SO easy, just head to https://ratethispodcast.com/campcodeLeadership Training Best PracticeFrom Ruby:Never miss the opportunity to talk about reminding your staff to sit up, and take a deep breath when sessions are going long. What happens to the brain when you sit up and take a breath of fresh air can really get the body stimulated again. A bonus tip for today is to try to start every training with questions to be answered. This will allow both the trainer and trainee to understand that at the end of the session, a certain question is to be answered...creating a partnership between everyone involved.Your Hosts:Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsSpecial GuestDan Davies - Camp Director at Camp RockmontThanks to our sponsor for this episode:This Go Camp Pro podcast is sponsored in part by CampGig - CampGig is more than just a job board, CampGig is designed to be the most useful matching/search tool for camps and camp staff. Camps can sign up today to scan and search through CampGig’s vast selection of candidates. If you’ve ever wanted an “easy-button” for finding your next great camp staff, then head over to CampGig.com and set up your camp’s profile today.

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Because conflict is going to happen, people!The Camp Code crew is back for their very first episode of 2020!To ring in the new year, this episode is filled with great tips and tricks, helping to give staff the tools to deal with conflict. Gab dives into an array of acronyms such as the A.C.T Program - Awareness, Communication and Together, and V.I.P - Validate feelings, Investigating and Problem-solving. She also goes in-depth talking about The power of mirroring and how to use mirroring to build connections with people.Ruby talks about the importance of dealing with conflict in person. Too often, conflict involves emotions, and emotions cannot be shared over text, so having face to face discussions are the keys to success. As Camp Directors, it is important to equip your staff to some conflict management work for you. Your staff need the practice, and you cannot do it all!Beth provides listeners with a ton of insight and explains that EVERYONE must take proactive steps to handle conflict. Personality tests are something that we should all take at various stages of life, camp leadership is one of those times and here is one Camp Codes favourites: True colors personality test. We are all going to be faced with it at some point, so Beth explains some key improvisational negotiation tactics:Let people tell their storyBring a reality check to the tableIdentify the true impediment.Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Ruby:When dealing with conflicts, Show awkward moments video to kick things off. These people all lived through these awkward moments, so you can get through your conflict conversations!Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsThanks to our sponsor for this episode - CampGigThis Go Camp Pro podcast is sponsored in part by CampGig - CampGig is more than just a job board, CampGig is designed to be the most useful matching/search tool for camps and camp staff. Camps can sign up today to scan and search through CampGig’s vast selection of candidates. If you’ve ever wanted an “easy-button” for finding your next great camp staff, then head over to CampGig.com and set up your camp’s profile today. 

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Keep your returning camp staff passionate and invested with continuing education opportunitiesThe Camp Code team would like to wish all of our listeners a Happy New Year! As we start ringing the bells to bring on the start of the 2020 Camp Year, Ruby, Beth and Gabrielle give you the best practices for continuing education for returning staff.Investing in staff throughout the year is a key component to their success. Lack of growth opportunities is one of the key reasons for employee turnover. As employers, if you continue education, you will get highly educated staff, bringing new ideas to the table. Happy camp staff are loyal and this is shown in their productivity. As a benefit for staff, having continued education will allow them to gain different opportunities at camp, enhance self-image and have a positive impact on life. One of Beth’s ideas is to poll staff throughout the winter to see what they would like to learn. Based on that, you can develop a learning day for staff to focus primarily on what they actually want to learn.Ruby talks about building on an idea she remembers from school when you could win the chance to be Principal for the day. For Ruby, this meant pizza at lunch and not confining to school uniforms, but if you expand upon that idea and develop a Director for the day, you can incorporate this into your program and allow returning staff to get insights on what it takes to become a Camp Director.Have a listen to get all the tips and tricks from these pros!Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Gab:Have you ever had some great returning staff who are more than qualified for their role, but who are showing signs of disinterest in some of the summer camp training sessions you are running? One idea is to put these staff in a group and have one of them lead where they go around camp, planting flags around spots where they learned life lessons. On the flags, they can write the story of their lesson. What this will do is throughout your summer leadership training sessions, your staff will see the flags, read them and think about what camp does for them. At the end of your sessions, have your new staff go around and plant the same flags, but this time, write down what life skills they would like to learn at camp.Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsThanks to our sponsor for this episode:This Go Camp Pro podcast is sponsored in part by CampGig - CampGig is more than just a job board, CampGig is designed to be the most useful matching/search tool for camps and camp staff. Camps can sign up today to scan and search through CampGig’s vast selection of candidates. If you’ve ever wanted an “easy-button” for finding your next great camp staff, then head over to CampGig.com and set up your camp’s profile today.As Ruby identifies, in order for summer camp leaders to teach self-esteem, it is important to always start with yourself. Take the time to learn your triggers that affects your mood and your view. After paying attention and awareness to your own mental health, it will allow you to grow to t

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!The most basic human desire is to be able to fit in. In this episode, our hosts dive into stereotypes, managing life pressures and teaching our staff how to build self-esteem, create their potential and give them the superpowers required to battle any self-esteem issue.As Ruby identifies, in order for summer camp leaders to teach self-esteem, it is important to always start with yourself. Take the time to learn your triggers that affects your mood and your view. After paying attention and awareness to your own mental health, it will allow you to grow to then be able to teach your staff.Low self-esteem can trigger negativity, and can at times overpower the words of leaders at camp. Gabrielle explains a method she uses called the “SAS”. Stop what you’re doing, approach appropriately, speak kindly. In Gabriel’s experience, it is the speak kindly portion that promotes self-esteem. It’s about taking the conversation and add a flare of positivity.For all the great tips from Gabrielle, Beth and Ruby, have a listen to this episode.Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Ruby:Put an instructor who is willing to be vulnerable and says a challenging situation they dealt with and sets up what the challenge was. Describing the situation, they get the counsellors and leaders in the room to ask other questions to gather information from the instructor. All the participants then discuss what they would have done in groups. Afterwards - the instructor describes what they did to manage the situation, and using the info from the staff, adding how they would change their response if the situation were to arise again.Shout-out to http://beetlesproject.org/Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsThanks to our sponsor for this episode:This Go Camp Pro podcast is sponsored in part by CampGig - CampGig is more than just a job board, CampGig is designed to be the most useful matching/search tool for camps and camp staff. Camps can sign up today to scan and search through CampGig’s vast selection of candidates. If you’ve ever wanted an “easy-button” for finding your next great camp staff, then head over to CampGig.com and set up your camp’s profile today.  

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!It All Starts with Trust!Managing summer camp staff, no problem...managing summer camp staff that don’t trust one another, that is where the challenge lays. Having staff sharing information, collaborating and working toward common goals is the foundation of trust and can bring the best out of your staff. Beth defines trust as reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something. Breaking that down, trust means that you rely on someone else to do something, to the extent that you are willing to put yourself on the line for that thing. Trust is what brings teams together, so in this episode Gabrielle, Beth and Ruby breakdown how to develop trust within your team.Below are some tips on how to develop trust with your staff, we encourage you to listen in for more on...Starting with online meet and greetsUsing staff training as a job interview for the Camp Director. Use it as a way to work for your staff to earn their trustWork with your staff to build connections. Set the expectations with senior staff, and have them work with new staff to build connections and confidenceBecause I said I would - a TED talk on making promises, keeping them and the honour of our wordHave a listen to hear about the great list of tricks and tips on how we can engage our staff and develop trust ultimately building great staff for your summer camp.Leadership Training Best PracticeFrom Beth:Align your words with your actions.When you notice your staff doing something that they maybe shouldn’t be doing, try asking “So, what’s your plan?”. You may be surprised by their thoughts and ideas and it will help maintain trust!Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby OutdoorsThanks to our sponsor for this episode:logo-camp-gig-transparent.pngThis Go Camp Pro podcast is sponsored in part by CampGig - CampGig is more than just a job board, CampGig is designed to be the most useful matching/search tool for camps and camp staff. Camps can sign up today to scan and search through CampGig’s vast selection of candidates. If you’ve ever wanted an “easy-button” for finding your next great camp staff, then head over to CampGig.com and set up your camp’s profile today.   

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Teach your staff and campers the value of #getoutside!Stop reading these show notes and just get outside!Leadership Training Best PracticesYour Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors      

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Camp is weird! Let’s help staff navigate.Building off of what we learned from Episode 56, we wanted to focus on some of the findings our Camp Directors friends came across this past summer. Focusing on the outside world, and fitting in on some the cultures we develop at camp, we want to focus on some guidance to help prepare your staff for a summer at camp.Our hosts Beth Allison, Ruby Compton and Gabrielle Raill dig in to the following topics:Empowering the staff.. More and more, parents are calling to ask questions about contracts and/or asking for time off for their kids. We want to empower the staff, and are always looking for ways for staff to be accountable for their own employment.Cellphones are a crutch that is a part of our culture, however; at camp it can interfere with the important connections that get created at camp.Vaping!Sleep habits, reflecting on the research of sleep and implementing these with staffMoving from living alone, to having interaction all of the time and how we get staff to welcome being in reach with people at all times.Leadership Training Best PracticesOvercoming the cell phone issue as a staff with a joy listGather the staff together with 5 flip chart papers and markers. Get the staff talking and adding things to categories on sheets like “this made me smile”, “this makes me happy”, “this was a memory or magical moment that I remember most”.The kicker: Then ask them, “how many of these moments happened because of a phone?”This can open up a conversation about your cell phone policy and how phones can help or hinder connection.Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors     

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!After a shortened Season 6 and a lot of questions from fellow listeners, WE ARE BACK with Season 7.This episode is dedicated to those moments where you as a camp director see something and say, “Are You Freaking Kidding Me!?”.Our hosts Beth, Ruby and Gabs have plenty of experience as Camp Directors and they are here to share stories of times where even they were at a loss!From sounding happy on the phone, riding public transit to doing laundry are all examples of some of the things that we, as directors may take for granted, but are still so necessary to teach our young leaders.Tune in as our hosts explore ways to work through challenges such as:Running scenarios to help camp staff work through real life examplesJournaling beside your bed. Write down your frustrations at night in one place and ToDos for the next morning.Interview new staff and veteran staff at the end of the year asking “what do you wish that a new staff member knew prior to the start of summer”Teach the chores by front loading expectations with staffLeadership Training Best Practices“Can I show you something” is a phrase that great leaders use. From teaching staff how to budget or greeting parents, or teaching great things at camp. Mentoring staff is a key part for both yours and camp staff success.Your Hosts:Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp OuareauBeth Allison, Camp Consultant - CampHacker.tvRuby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!More and more directors are saying they are finding their staff less and less willing to make decisions. In a world where there are constantly more options available to us, to make a decision can be downright paralyzing. Listen in as Gabz, Ruby, and Beth discuss their best ideas for helping to empower and educator your staff on being smart decision makers at camp.Best Practice for Leadership TrainingWhen making a decision with a group, explain the Data - Debate - Decide framework for decisionmaking. First, a group must gather data before making a decision and that process may be quite simple or very involved. Next, once the relevant data is on the table, take time to debate the issue at hand using data-based arguments. Finally, take the step to make a decision. The decision may be that more data is needed! Regardless, having this framework can be helpful when discussing issues that are multi-faceted that lead to roundabout conversations where you are covering the same info again and again. By being able to identify what stage you are in, the 3-Ds can help you understand what you need to move forward. HT to Les McKeown at inc.com for this concept that Ruby really really likes.

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Gabz, Beth, and Ruby have spent the last several months working with Colette and Kim from ACA Illinois to put together the first annual Women in Camp Summit. Patti Sampson of Patchwork Marketplace teamed up with the Camp Code co-hosts to do a crossover episode of the podcast to talk about this exciting event. Check out the Rec Heads and Camp Nerds podcast here and learn more about the cool work Patti is doing at Patchwork Marketplace and how you can get involved! Also, if you aren’t following Patti on Instagram, she is a boss at Insta stories. Check out how to do it well!The deadline to register for the Women in Camp Summit is October 1, 2018. Reserve your spot today! Women in Camp SummitNovember 7-9, 2018Chicago area - St Charles, IL - Pheasant Run Resort $300 (some meals included)Register for the Summit NOWCan’t make it to the Summit but want to help a sister out? Help a sister out - Donate now

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Many camps have some portion of their staff comprised of volunteers. Be it your nurse for the week who is also a camper parent and trading their work for their child's camp tuition or a community member who simply loves to give back to camp, it is important that these folks get trained too.If your camp is staffed entirely by volunteers, a complete staff training is still necessary; however there are additional considerations for executing that training, especially when volunteers are coming and going throughout the summer. In this episode, Gabz, Beth, and Ruby discuss some of their recommendations for training volunteers.Best Practice for Leadership TrainingConsider implementing a recognition program for volunteers that highlights the amount of time (in whatever increment makes sense for your camp) that a person has dedicated time to camp. Bonus points for it being a wearable that can be worn at and outside of camp. By having this visual recognition, other in the community become aware that it is, not only an option to come give time to camp, but also that it is a celebrated and valued.

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Every camp director has had that staff member who needs to move on from camp but having the conversation can be difficult. Tune in to hear Beth, Gabz, and Ruby share their best tips for having those conversations now and how to build this idea of "growing elsewhere" into your camp culture so anyone in your community understands that it may be in everyone's best interest to move on. Best Practice for Leadership TrainingAfter a session during training and the possibility of moving on, have staff write you a short letter on their own. Get each person to write to you, the camp director, and to fill in the blanks.Dear [Camp Director]If I am ever exhibiting these behaviors:_______________________________please sit down and have the talk with me. I'll be scared to leave camp and try something new, but if you say these things to me,_______________________________, it would be helpful. I know you are always thinking of the best interests of camp and of me and I also know that I will always have a place here and this will always be my home. And here are ways I'd like to have this conversation:(Add your own ending/sign off)Then, partner staff up and have them read their letters out loud. Be sure to tell them that you will be doing this as part of the activity so staff don't feel like they have to share things that are to deeply personal.

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Video continues to be a powerful resource in this day and age. Beth, Gab, and Ruby discuss 12 more of their favorites that can be incorporated into staff training this year.Gabz VideosMisunderstandingsKnowing our limitsVisual Note TakingThis Grandma Is Trying To Use Google HomeBeth’s VideosRaising Successful Kids Transgender Kids Failure is the only way to Learn The Power of Introverts Bonus: How to Start a MovementRuby's VideosSay My Name Right Where the Wild Things PlayTED Talk - Dark Side of the Subjunctive Fear Setting On the day of this 50th episode, Gab, Beth, and Ruby want to say a huge THANK YOU to all of our listeners for tuning in, sharing ideas, and continuing to lead extraordinary staff orientations each summer. Thank you for making the camping industry great. Here's to 50 more!    

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Teaching campers and staff about consent in a vitally important wayThough recent headlines have brought this concept to the forefront, this has been a conversation that has been ongoing. This is not a fad conversation and right now, there is an opportunity for youthe development professionals to dive deep and make influence real change in the world. It is critically important that the concept of consent is taught at camp to both campers and staff this summer and from now on. #Wehavetobebetter and bring the conversation forward. The industry of camp has a role and responsibility to reset the narrative of the disrespect and disconnection that leads to allegations and assault.Teaching campers about consent within the framework of empowering campers to take ownership of giving consent over their own bodies, not only in sexual situations, but in the broader context of everyday life.Best Practice in Leadership TrainingConsent is not a male-female issue. It is a power issue. Recognize that people in your camp community have different levels of power and the concept and language of consent allows for a discussion that helps empower all voices to be heard.Consent as TeaCampus Toolkit for Creating Consent CultureAsk Doctor G Youtube ChannelUniversity of Minnesota Consent PolicyTeachconsent.org  Tell us your ideas or reflections on this episode by using the following hashtags: #wehavetobebetter and #campcode.  Want more Camp Code?Gab, Beth, and Ruby are offering a 12-week masterclass to help directors build their staff trainings this winter/spring called Designing Staff Training: A Masterclass with the Cohosts of Camp Code. Over the 12-weeks, participants will partake in weekly phone calls, set aside time to build staff training schedules, and discuss ideas for training with other like-minded #camppros who can't get enough of talking about training!This course will...help you design the best staff training.provide access to a private Slack workspace.hold you accountable to your staff training design timeline.break down staff training planning into digestable chunks.provide a small and perso

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!Meal times offer opportunities for connections and teaching and every second of staff training is valuable. Every person has to eat. Can these three truths come together and help relieve the time pressure so many of us feel during staff orientation? Consider how much of your summer is spent collective in mealtime so if you aren't already treating the meal like a program area, this summer think about the shifts you can make to use that time as efficiently as possible.Best Practice in Leadership TrainingIn the spirit of creating a safer and more inclusive eating space for all your campers, instead of asking others if he/she "wants seconds or thirds" instead simply ask, "Do you want more?" This alleviates any stigma that may come with wanting seconds, thirds, fourths, and beyond.Have you heard?Gab, Beth, and Ruby are offering a 12-week masterclass to help directors build their staff trainings this winter/spring. Over the 12-weeks, participants will partake in weekly phone calls, set aside time to build staff training schedules, and discuss ideas for training with other like-minded #camppros who can't get enough of talking about training! If staff training feels like one big project where you aren't sure where to start, or you want to revamp your training and give it a fresh new look, this course will help you design the best staff training, and in turn, have your best summer yet. See you there?