Partnering with Parents in 2023 - with Jolly Corley - CampHacker #180

We also need to adapt to post-pandemic parents!

We need to adapt a whole lot as camp directors.

On the checklist of “things we need to re-assess every 5 or so years”, parents are certainly on that list.

As the majority of our camper parents start to shift toward the majority being millennials, we need to re-think how we are meeting them where they are at. Systems of communication, expectation-building, community-building and trust are all things that we have control over in this special relationship, and one that we need to pay attention to.

Joining the regular panel is returning guest Jolly Corley, a camp pro and parent partner expert to weigh in on re-evaluating this post-pandemic group.

Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

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Setting Summer Staff up for Success - CampHacker #179

If the success of your camp is your responsibility, then the success of your staff is your responsibility.

The idea that our summer staff need to be set up for success is one of those ideas that is intuitive, yet extremely difficult to get right.

Couple that with a seismic shift in the psychology and expectations of this generation of staff and the “correct path” to properly coaching and nurturing this generation of staff is going to be more important than ever.

Whether this episode is an affirmation of your staffing philosophy, or you’re feeling the strain of this gen of staff, Chris, Gabz and Travis are here to give you practical advice on how to increase the impact of this essential staffing mindset.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

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Camp Programs of the Future - CampHacker #178

10 years from now, are you going to be proud of the program decisions that you made today?

Last episode, we unpacked the types of programs that we think it’s time to say goodbye to.

And because we all know how annoying it is to have people only give you problems and not solutions, that’s where this one comes in.

Travis, Gabz and Chris are here to talk about not only the specific programs that they are excited to see in the future, but the intentionality that will need to go into them.

Because, it’s really hard to know what the world is going to look like 10 years ago. We’re recording this in 2023 and think about how different the world was in 2013! A smartphone, 4 major social media platforms and a pandemic later, and we could have never seen what was coming.

Whether technology majorly changes or not, we know that it’s “people before programs” so making sure we have the right people and right philosophies around social-emotional learning is what’s going to really move the needle.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

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What Programs Are We Ready To Say Goodbye To? - CampHacker #177

Should They Stay or Should They Go Now?

Being a culture of change is essential for any camp that wants to be around for a long time.

True camp pros know this, live this and breathe this, but even the best of the best can fall prey to the “way we’ve always done it”-itus.

Camp programs.

Sometimes, camp programs like our rituals, opening/closing ceremonies, activity areas, camp-wide events gain this “sacred” status that we hold onto for simply the idea of it.

Consider this episode your wake-up call.

Chris, Joe, Gabz and Travis put their heads together to call out and call in camp programs and rituals that they think need a good hard look at.

As a preview - Chris is going to make you think differently about Color War.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

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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 summercampsoftware.com/camphacker