Preparing For a Massive Demographic Change at Camp - with The Summer Camp Society Podcast - CampHacker #189

Are you being thoughtful about how a changing demographic will affect your camp?

Whether you are a camp with a wait-list, or you’re hoping for a few more “bums in bunks”, something that we need to seriously be thinking about is the potential to serve a the demographic in the world. And, this isn’t just in a “be better at DEI” lens (although we should all be consistently trying to be better with our DEI practices). Communities are getting older, more racially diverse, more neuro-diverse, more accustomed to technology, privacy - the list is literally endless.

For camps that are being thoughtful about this, it’s an opportunity to not only bring in new campers, but to bring in new investments into your programs and facilities.

But - it doesn’t come easily.

Luckily, you’ve got some incredible camp pros on your side. Travis and Chris are joined by Jack and EmJ from The Summer Camp Society Podcast to help guide Camp Pros on unpacking this vast discussion.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

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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/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

Is Our Thinking About Technology at Camp Outdated? - CampHacker #188

Is the “no technology” policy at your camp compatible with the campers of today?

“No technology at camp” is a sacred part of many of our summer camp cultures. The value of unplugging. Being “in the moment”. “Being real” are all things plastered all over our website and marketing materials.

Is this the right way? Or is it just the way that…wait for it…we’ve always done it.

The answer definitely isn’t clear - but Travis and Chris wade into the murky deeps of the techno-sphere and how camps can more intentionally think about technology at their camp.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

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Your Hosts:

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!

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/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

Parent Communications in 2023 - CampHacker #187

How confident are you that your camp parents will read and act on your emails?

Getting your information to parents. The most necessary and maybe one of the most difficult parts of the job.

Even though the communication landscape is constantly shifting, what remains the same is that you have important information that parents need. So - adapting is once again - the name of the game!

Chris and Travis get together and talk about the hellish present and…maybe less hellish future of communication with parents.

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Tool of the Week – Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

Chris - An earpiece for your walkie talkie! Total James Bond!

Travis - Photo sorting and AI editing: https://aftershoot.com/downloads/

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Your Hosts:

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Rate and Review the CampHacker Show

(Thank you!)

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Thanks to our sponsors!

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/camphacker

Camptivities

Why spend hours on your schedules, only to find mistakes and missed activities for your campers! Let Camptivities do the heavy lifting and help you create the best schedules yet, without the mistakes, and in less time. Come check out Camptivities; specifically designed for camps by camp people. Find out more at camptivities.com

"The Bubble" and Camp Magic - The Pudding #3

How do you measure magic?

Every camp professional, whether new or seasoned, knows what we mean when we say “camp magic”.

For most of us, we think of camp magic as this ethereal, indescribable, ever-present part of camp. This “magic” is what many of us feel sets camp apart from everywhere else.

To a camp researcher, this camp magic is something that is actually definable.

Tune in to this episode to hear Travis and Mandi unpack their vast experience living and researching this “insiders-only” concept.

You’ll hear about:

  • What does camp “being a bubble” have to do with camp magic?

  • How are the people at camp integral to creating that magic?

  • What elements go into creating this “world apart”?

  • At what point does “camp magic” become “camp cult?”

  • How to support camp staff while they’re living and working in the “bubble”

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