Creating a Safe and Loving Place for Campers of Color

Written By Travis Allison

Hey everyone! Here are some great questions to ask yourself during these times that I feel can really help improve the summer camp community as a whole! Camp is meant to be a safe and loving space for everyone so I hope these can help! đźŚ˛đź’– also thank you to the original post author for using your platform and privilege to address the Black Lives Matter movement!

  1. Is my camp a welcoming environment that campers of color can feel welcomed by their peers?

  2. What can I do to ensure campers of color (COC) feel accepted into an environment that is different from what they’re used to?

  3. What are some resources to help my staff members understand diversity and how to address micro/macro aggressions in a proactive way?

  4. What trainings can I offer my staff to ensure that micro/macro aggressions don’t happen amongst staff?

  5. What are some healthy ways to discuss race issues if they arise?

  6. What are some camp policies/rules that need revisiting to make sure the wellbeing of COC are addressed as well?

  7. How can I show that my camp is an ally and is willing to learn and to listen?

  8. How can i make camp more affordable for COC who can’t afford camp? What information could be provided?

  9. What are some things that are “camp culture” actually offensive and how do we tackle that? Example: certain songs, games, etc

  10. What processes in our hiring and recruitment contribute to a lack of diversity in our staff and/or campers? (Leilani Nussman)

  11. Is my registration process accessible to parents of COC? (Nicole Plagge)

  12. Please add what am I doing to examine my own privilege and bias? How does this show up when I interact with my campers and staff? (Ange Atkinson)

Travis’ Note: We appreciate Jocelyne Tayla’s work on this in Summer Camp Professionals and want to make sure that the information was easy to access for all camps.
You can check out the camp that Jocelyne works a: Camp Laurel (Girl Scouts of Connecticut)

Thank you to those others who also added suggestions - I’ve included their names in their questions.

Travis Allison
I will Consume Less and Create More. Podcaster, photographer, community builder for summer camps, schools and worthy organizations.
https://travisallison.org
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