The world around us is changing, but have our staff changed over time? Listen in today to find out what are pros have to say! 

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.gocamp.pro/campcode/arestaffactuallydifferent

We often hear camp directors tell us that staff are so different than ever before?  Is this actually the case and, if so, what can we do about it.  Join Gabz, Beth, and our special guest Kim Aycock to hear our thoughts.

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Kim

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Let’s find ways to introduce our staff to the reality of working at camp. If we could find ways to introduce our staff to camp, show them what camp looks like or feels like. Kim created a handout called A “sense” of camp for new or returning of staff, with a “scent” sticker of camp with a scratch and sniff sticker. A copy of this ides can be found here!

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Special Guest:

Kim Aycock, Camp Consultant, https://kimaycock.com/

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Your Hosts:

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Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - GoCamp.Pro

Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Stress is everywhere around us. Learn how to deal with the stress in a world of chaos! 

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.gocamp.pro/campcode/manage-stress

Stress has become such a big part of all of our daily lives. From troubling things going on in our world to the personal stress that staff may be feeling from the hard work at summer camp. We all need to have tools and resources to cope. Join us today as we discuss what we can offer staff to help them deal with what we face at camp and what life will throw their way.
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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Beth

Let’s frontload this by saying that Beth is in no way diminishing people’s triggers. There are ones that are certainly important and we need to be aware of them. People have gone through so many different types of stress, PTSD, etc… 

When we are stressed, we are often on the lookout for our triggers, big and small. There are words or signs or triggers that can cause us to be more negative, anxious or fearful. Why not teach your staff to pay attention to their glimmers, the opposite of triggers. The little moment of peace or joy that allow our nervous system to be safe and connected. When you look for them, you will find them everywhere. At the end of your training day, ask your campers to share their glimmers to allow you to focus on the bright moments throughout the day. 

Special Guest:

Kate Taylor, Camp Consultant, Stephane Richard Development Consulting 

Your Hosts:

Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - GoCamp.Pro

Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.gocamp.pro/campcode/nine-sentences

Here are 9 things that we want your staff to say!

Nine sentences! You know…the ones that make for better experiences for both our campers and our staff. Listen in today! 

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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

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Kate

In today’s episode we focused on the nine things we want our staff to say. What about the sentences we don’t want our staff to say? As a part of your summer training, front load both the things you want and don’t want your staff to say! We’ve prepped you with a short list that comes to mind: 

• “I don’t have time for that!” - We want our staff to remember to make time for things. Be it helping a colleague or supporting a child, it is our role to find ways to support each other.
• “That’s not my job!” - Camp is all about community and communities come together to help out when and where is needed!
• “Calm Down/Your Okay” - This dismisses someones feelings and as camp leaders, we need to demonstrate empathy with our campers.
• “That’s so cute / you're so cute” - This can show that you are fantasizing on or about someone and the way they look. We 100% support the idea of sharing compliments and recommend we focus on things that can help construe confidence in our campers. 

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Special Guest:

• Kate Taylor, Camp Consultant, Stephane Richard Development Consulting

Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsor…

UltraCamp

Wouldn’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 ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.camphacker.tv/camp-code/key-skills-2024

Here is what we need to focus on to make the upcoming summer the best it can be!

Talking with Camp Pros at Conferences this Fall, we’ve noticed a lot of similar issues folks are dealing with. Join us as we discuss key skills that require our focus for a positive and successful 2024 camp season.

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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

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Beth and inspired by Kelly Schuna

Vulnerability is a powerful tool that we should all learn to harness and today we want to share thoughts on how we believe vulnerability can be used to repair relationships. As leaders, there are going to be times where we need to have hard conversations AND there will be times where we screw up having those conversations. When we go back to that person to reconcile, there are three phrases that you can use to demonstrate vulnerability: 

1. I didn’t like how I handled that. 
2. So… that wasn’t my best work.
3. Here’s what I wish I would have said.

Teach these phrases to your staff. It demonstrates reflection in our work and demonstrating vulnerability allows us to recover from our mistakes with ease.

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsor…

UltraCamp

Wouldn’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 ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.camphacker.tv/camp-code/womenincampsummit2023
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What We Learned at the Women in Camp Summit

When camp pros gather, it is always extraordinary.  We just had the pleasure of attending the Women in Camp Summit and it was truly amazing! Join us for the stories and the lessons learned from sessions, village time, connecting, networking, and playing together.

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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

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Ruby

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Lifeguard training at camp is weather dependent. Yet, as camp leaders, we depend on our staff to obtain the right training and certifications to ensure our camp programs run throughout the summer. Inclement weather is going to happen, leverage your resources to ensure your lifeguards are trained. Local community centres or hotels may have availability throughout the day that you could rent in the event of bad weather. Pool availability and your capability to rent them is going to help to ensure that your camp’s lifeguard training and schedule stays a float! 

**BONUS**

We were once again reminded this year at the Women in Camp Summit that some folks are just going to come early to help. As camp professionals, it’s always important to keep a list of tasks that need to take place. We’re all camp people and we’re always willing to help, always keep that in mind. 

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsor…

UltraCamp

Wouldn’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 ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.camphacker.tv/camp-code/unintentional-teachable-moments-2023

Unintentional Teachable Moments

As Camp professionals, we are always looking to improve, be intentional with all our training and programming, and to see the big picture.  There are moments that happen at camp every now and then, however, that teach us that we missed something.  We need to be open to these every-day little experiences so that we can continue to take the best care of our people.  Join us for the stories and the lessons learned.

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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

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Gabz

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Sometimes life events will come up that prevents your staff from attending portions or all of staff training! Your staff knows themselves best and it is your role to support them. In today’s example, Gabz had a staff member who remained in isolation during staff training and recognized that to help them prepare for the first days at camp, they should write down the daily schedule on old t-shirts so they could easily look at their own shirt to recognize what’s coming next throughout the day! 

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsor…

UltraCamp

Wouldn’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 ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.camphacker.tv/camp-code/what-ruby-learned-this-summer

What Ruby Learned This Summer

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Life is all about unchartered territory and trying new things.  Join us as we dissect Ruby’s summer camp adventures and find out what she learned about not only the industry but also herself.  The gang’s all back together for this podcast and we’re excited to glean all we can from Ruby’s summer exploits.

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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

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Ruby

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Take a few of your stuff and run them through the first week or so of your CIT program. It gives your staff the opportunity to learn the roots of that particular camp. A CIT program in general has a guide to lead senior campers to the next step in becoming staff at camp therefore, training is ultimately rooted throughout the sessions. It does create an odd dynamic at times between staff and camper so camp leaders do have to take the time to understand the implications for their camp. For Ruby, it was a genius experience to take part in staff training and then have the new staff take part in the start of the CIT session to apply what they learned at training. 

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsor…

UltraCamp

Wouldn’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 ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.camphacker.tv/camp-code/volunteer-training-management-with-matt-wilfrid

Volunteer Training Management - with Matt Wilfrid

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In this podcast episode with guest Matt Wilfrid, we spotlight Campfire Circle, an Ontario-based organization supporting families and children facing serious illnesses. Campfire Circle’s extraordinary volunteer program, led by volunteers aged 19 to 90, is central to their success. These volunteers contribute their time and skills to diverse roles, from the Toronto office to community programs and overnight camps, totaling over 135,000 hours of support. The organization’s training and ongoing support are tailored to each volunteer’s unique needs. Campfire Circle’s volunteer program is a shining example of the transformative power of community-driven, intrinsic motivation.

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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

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Matt Wilfrid

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Take advantage of offsite events during staff training. Ideas can include mini golf or hiking, as long as its offsite to break the cycle that takes place off camp. What’s even better is going to these offsite events with intention. In Matt’s example, before they left for minigolf, they had their staff divide into four categories based on skill. Allow your staff to put themselves into their own group to allow them to set their own expectations going into the event. Put intention into your offsites to help include all your staff.

Special Guest:

• Matt Wilfrid, Summer Camp Professional, Executive Producer and Consultant at Go Camp Pro

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsor…

UltraCamp

Wouldn’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 ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.camphacker.tv/camp-code/creating-productive-transitions-when-employees-leave-or-you-leave

Creating Productive Transitions When Employees Leave or You Leave - with Colette Marquardt

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In the world of Summer Camp, staff members come and go every year.  How can we make these transitions both positive and productive.  Join us and our guest, Colette Marquardt, Executive Director of ACA Illinois, to find out!

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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

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Colette Marquardt

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As a Director, always be IN the training. Do your best to remain engaged as it allows you to role model what your expect of your staff throughout the summer. Build your staff training around your schedule, to ensure you do not miss key leaning opportunities. 

Special Guest:

• Colette Marquardt , Chief Executive Officer, American Camp Association

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsor…

UltraCamp

Wouldn’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 ultracampmanagement.com/campcode/

Find full show notes and links at: https://www.camphacker.tv/camp-code/post-pandemic-parents

Parents, Caregivers, Camper’s, Grownups, How Have THEY changed since the pandemic?

Just as our campers have undergone a serious shift post-pandemic, so too have the caregivers.

We’re back to pick Gabz’s brain to hear more about the summer of 2024 at Camp Ouareau and how she’s looking to 2024 with a new lens.

If you missed part 1 - check it out here: https://www.camphacker.tv/camp-code/kids-these-days 

Whether your summer felt like a success or not - these episodes will help you not only hear the raw honesty of a fellow camp director, but will help you start thinking about what you can do now to make summer 2024 excellent.

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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

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Best Practice for Leadership Training

From Beth Allison

A good mindset to have (especially with parents) - that difficult people all have a story. Stop seeing parents as an issue to deal with and start seeing them as people to fight for.

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Your Hosts:

• Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Ruby Compton, Chief Exploration Officer - Ruby Outdoors
• Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau

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Thanks to our sponsor…

UltraCamp

Imagine camp registration software that actually gives you MORE time for what you love - CAMP! With UltraCamp, you can effortlessly track attendance, manage staff, streamline registration, and more. Explore now at ultracampmanagement.com/campcode.