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Platform Points ->
LINK TO FULL PLATFORM: https://tinyurl.com/3h4vw59k

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Submit your questions directly underneath the platform point using the format below

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P1.Training
a. Camp Counseling Toolbox Trainings Throughout the Year
b. “When You Didn’t Know” Segment at Meeting
P2. Bringing My Background with Kids with Disabilities and Behavioral Challenges to Troy Camp
a. Using My “Camp Survival Guide” Document as a Resource
b. Implementing Parent Confidential Forms Before Camp
c. Increasing Accessibility and Inclusion at Camp
P3. New Programming and Camp Traditions
a. New Songs, Games, and Activities
P4. Framing and Marketing Camp
a. Reframing Camp to Reduce the Gap Between Camp Goers and Non-Camp Goers
b. Implementing More Camp
c.Traditions Within Programming
Marketing Camp Earlier

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-All questions must be submitted before Saturday, 11:59pm.
-Questions will be made public on Sunday at 12pm.
-Anonymous Questions (non-context) will NOT be accepted.

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TC Leads Member, Zoom Facilitator, and JC Selection Committee Member - Fall 2019-Present
SP Head - Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Spring 2021
Assistant Director of Pass the Can - Fall 2020
General Troy Camp Member - Fall 2018 - Present

Counselor and Director of Inclusion at YMCA Camp Tecumseh - Summers 2017, 2018, 2019
Student Ambassador and Director of Outreach and Engagement in the USC Admission Center - Fall 2019 - Present
Read on full platform

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Submit questions asking for context all the way to the right, using the format below

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Questions are directly below their respective platform points

Questions will be voted on by those present at the Election on Tuesday and then asked in order of votes

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Counselors in Troy Camp should all feel prepared, trained, capable, and confident when it comes to their counseling skills. While there’s definitely benefits to offering program specific training and then intensive training specifically for camp, I think it would be really beneficial to build up “camp counselor” training throughout the year that could help counselors feel more comfortable and confident come time to apply to camp. Additionally, doing more training related to skills that we typically think counselors at camp need to have will benefit all our counselors in SP, LIT, TC Leads, and Yearlong. I would love to do mini workshops a few times throughout the year leading up to the big push towards spring retreat and camp on things like creative counseling, relying on co-counselors, feeling empowered to be a leader in TC, and more. I would love to collaborate with all of the programming directors to make these trainings focused on general counseling strategies that a camp counselor should have but also tailored specifically to programming.

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For the past couple of years, getting people to apply to camp, especially boys, has been challenging. This should be addressed early on in the year by encouraging people to consider camp when making plans for the summer. The earlier we address applying to camp and hype it up as something that people should prioritize if they are interested, the better chance that people will try to schedule their summers around camp and not be disappointed later that they made an unchangeable plan that interferes with camp just because they hadn’t thought about it enough. To specifically address getting a more diverse counselor body including more male counselors, I want to make sure to hold panels talking about the value of being a counselor as early as the fall semester after new members join.

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To make a spin off of “The More You Know,” I want to make a segment at meeting in the fall semester when camp is typically not on people’s minds. Each week, one counselor would be pre-selected to come up and tell a story of a time when something happened at camp or really in any programming where they didn’t know what to do. They can share about the difficult scenario and what they did. Counselors can then ask questions, offer suggestions for what they would’ve done, etc in an open format. I love situational training and feel like it is often the most productive form of training. Getting real world examples and having to talk out scenarios helps people feel more secure and calm when they are faced with a similar situation.

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During my time as the Inclusion Director at YMCA Camp Tecumseh, I created a detailed document that explains multiple behavioral challenges, disabilities, or just common scenarios that you might encounter with kids in a camp setting. I have sections on everything from autism to anxiety to when a camper gets upset or when a camper won’t listen. I’ve detailed how kids might present certain behaviors, what they could mean, and some strategies to help your campers in these scenarios, especially focusing on camp specific things. I have also created a 1-hour training presentation that accompanies this document that I gave to over 200 counselors at Camp Tecumseh many times. I would love to make this presentation part of Fall Kick Off and make sure that counselors feel they have the proper education, support, and resources to handle any challenging situations and be able to best love and support their campers.

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In what ways do you plan to hype up camp, especially for male counselors ?

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At Camp Tecumseh, I implemented sensory toolboxes all throughout the campsite. These boxes were physical boxes filled with sensory tools including fidget toys, playdough, and a plethora of other little gadgets that I ordered. Sensory tools are really beneficial for kids with sensory processing difficulties, kids with a variety of disabilities, and also just many neurotypical kids when they are stressed out or upset. When a counselor notices that a camper is having a hard time focusing, is getting frustrated, has extra energy, needs special attention, or anything else applicable, they can go to these sensory toolboxes and pick out a tool for their camper. These have been proven to be super effective and are such an easy thing to implement. I would love to also work with the Yearlong director to get sensory tools at yearlong events where counselors could access them if needed for a camper.

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As someone who went to sleepaway camp for 7 years, worked at that same camp in the day camp and overnight camp for 2 years as a counselor, and eventually became a director in a position that I helped create, I have so many ideas for games, songs, and activities that I could bring to Troy Camp. I have dozens of ideas for songs similar to the ones we already sing at camp that we could add! This could also help level the playing field in terms of more experienced versus less experienced counselors because everyone is learning something new. I also have tons of cabin games, icebreakers, camp-wide games, and more that could be easily implemented in Troy Camp. From being a part of Troy Camp after having such an extensive camp background, I’ve seen the strengths of Troy Camp and the unique parts of our program but also areas that could benefit from adding new traditions!

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While camp is definitely a huge, very valuable aspect of Troy Camp, as we say, Troy Camp is more than just a camp. While we preach this as an organization and recruit counselors on this principle, I sometimes feel that we don’t truly live this out. I even noticed at information sessions for Troy Camp that counselors constantly talk about camp when asked about their favorite memories. While this is a completely valid and genuine response that we shouldn’t fault anyone for having, it creates a big divide between counselors that go to camp and counselors that don’t even though we don’t want that. When I didn’t go to camp after my freshman year, I felt way more removed from Troy Camp and like I was falling behind. I would love to reframe camp to make sure that this gap is reduced. I want to frame camp as the entry into the rest that Troy Camp has to offer but not the end all be all or even the most impactful things for the campers. While camp should be celebrated, it should not be something that excludes and discourages counselors that aren’t able to participate in it. I want to make a conscious effort to talk candidly about this early on and assure counselors that their role in Troy Camp and their inclusion in the org is not dependent on going to camp.

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To help bridge the gap mentioned above, I want to be really intentional about incorporating camp traditions as an active part of programming. This will help counselors learn things throughout that make them feel confident and prepared to apply to camp. On the other hand though, it will also help counselors feel like a part of camp even if they can’t go. I want to include things like we have in the past like songs and campfire at yearlong but also things like a modified dream hike as part of LIT or even TC Leads as a nostalgic reflection activity to embrace how far our campers have gone and their long journeys in TC.

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How would you choose the counselors for this segment? Would it be volunteer or nomination based or something similar?

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How will you address the gendered nature of camp, especially for our non-binary/GNC campers and counselors?