Specialists and Activity Leaders Working Effectively with Day Camp Staff - with Michael Brandwein - Day Camp Pod #27
Welcome back, Michael Brandwein!
Your staff being able to work together may be one of the biggest keys to success of your camp program.
You can have the coolest activities and the best classes around, but if the staff running those areas don’t work well with your camp counsellors, you’re missing out on the full potential of those programs.
It’s understandable why this can be a problem. Your specialists (activity leaders, program staff, etc.) are usually older and may not have as much camp-kid-experience. Your counsellors (group leaders, unit leaders, etc.) are younger and may not understand how they can jump in and properly assist when they don’t have the skills in those programs. When differing experiences and differing expectations meet, you know that it can be a recipe for trouble.
It may manifest in the counsellors not taking the initiative the specialists are looking for, or the specialists treating the counsellors as a glorified babysitter. In any case, communications break down, people get bitter and it causes a big headache for Day Camp directors everywhere.
However, like all staff conflict, it’s often something that we can get ahead of and address in your staff training before the summer even starts!
Staff conflict? Intentional training? Hyper-specific camp problems that seem unsolvable? Are you thinking about who we’re thinking about?
That’s right! He’s back, friends! Joining Sam, Andy and Ehren is the great Michael Brandwein!
Tune in to this episode to hear some of Michael and our host’s best tips, tools and secrets that have helped them teach staff the benefits of truly valuing each other and using their combined skills to make camp programs the best they can be.
Any questions? Ideas for shows? Topics? Guests? Please send them to daycampquestions@gocamp.pro
The Day Camp Program Tip of the Week
Andy: Glow and Grow cards, with specialists
Sam: Marble painting, but with toy trucks!
Ehren: Specialty Activity Board
Michael: Follow Sam’s Advice!
YOUR HOSTS:
Andy Pritikin, Owner/Director - Liberty Lake Day Camp, past president ACA NY/NJ, partner/founder Everwood Day Camp, founder/past president NJ Camps Government Affairs Project
Ehren Gluckstein, Assistant Director - Camp Robin Hood - Robin Hood Leadership Centre & Corporate Rentals, Volunteer Ontario Camps Association (OCA) annual conference/accreditation visitor
Sam Thompson, Recreation Supervisor - Crystal Lake Park District, Vice president ACA Illinois
Michael Brandwein, Speaker, Trainer and Author - https://www.michaelbrandwein.com/youth.html
Sponsors:
Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who help make this Go Camp Pro podcast possible:
American Camp Association, NY & NJ http://www.acanynj.org/
AM Skier Insurance http://www.amskier.com/
Commercial Recreation Specialists (CRS) https://crs4rec.com/
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