The Secret to Creating Staff Trainings People Actually Remember
Explore what makes a presentation memorable and how great speakers create meaningful learning experiences. Drawing on her years of experience presenting at camp conferences and leading staff trainings, Kim shares how her approach to teaching has evolved from simply delivering information to focusing on what participants actually learn and retain. She introduces her unique approach to building presentations like a fine dining experience, using appetizers, three main courses, and dessert to create anticipation, structure, engagement, and lasting impressions. From understanding how the brain processes information to incorporating movement, music, visuals, and opportunities to reflect, Kim offers practical strategies that camp professionals can use to make their conference sessions and staff orientations more effective.
Key Takeaways:
Build Your Presentation Like a Fine Dining Experience. Kim uses the metaphor of a meal to structure her presentations. Start with an appetizer that creates curiosity and gives participants an anchor for what is coming. Organize the main content into three manageable sections, then finish with dessert by providing a memorable conclusion that ties everything together.
Use Brain Bites to Keep Participants Engaged. The brain remembers information more effectively when it is presented in manageable chunks. Kim recommends incorporating movement and music, using meaningful visuals, and remembering that people retain information particularly well when it is presented at the beginning and end of a learning experience. Breaking longer trainings into smaller sections with multiple beginnings and endings can help prevent important ideas from getting lost in the muddy middle.
Slow Down and Give People Time to Process. One of Kim's biggest recommendations is to resist the temptation to squeeze too much information into a presentation. Build in opportunities to pause, reflect, write down thoughts, and discuss ideas with others. Giving participants permission to process independently or with a partner helps them connect the dots before moving on to the next concept.
Sponsors:
Camptivities
Thanks to our friends at Camptivities for sponsoring the first season of Stickier. The most intentional camp programs are the stickiest. Campers remember them, and families return. Camptivities’ algorithm builds schedules around your camp’s rules, so every camper gets the program you designed. Visit https://www.camptivities.com/ for 15% off fall implementations and to see how we can help make your program a little, Stickier.
Host Links:
Ryan Rosen, Owner/Director Camp Kinneret & CEO of Camptivities, LLC. ryan@campkinneret.com
Dr. Kelly Jones, Owner/Director of Outpost Summer Camps. kelly@outpostsummercamps.com
Kim Aycock, Camp Consultant and Staff Trainer. Contact Email. Instagram.
