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Where do we draw the line for "you can or can't call-off"? I know that we all sometimes need to take days for our health (physical and/or mental) especially when working in such a demanding space, but we had call-offs for over half of the camp days this summer.

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My team's goal was to have 4 summer seasonals to lead camp, and we luckily got 3, two of which were last-minute hires.
My organization overall wasn't able to hire enough summer seasonals, especially for our camps.
I know hiring is a struggle in many industries currently. Anybody have success recruiting and hiring a full staff this summer? Especially interested in tips to appeal to young adults (18 - 25) and to increase diversity of staff.

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2022 Nature Day Camp Team - Chippewa Nature Center.

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Staff Retention and Recruitment for New Team Members

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Staff Retention and Recruitment for New Team Members

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What strategies do you use for staff retention? What has been the most effective practices for recruiting new team members? What steps are you taking to recruit a diverse pool of candidates?

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Due to a catastrophic flood, we had to move our camp to a temporary space that is much closer to more popular public spaces that have more visitors. Do any of your camps share their space with public programming? What measures have you put into place to ensure a safe, secure camp environment? How do you manage the 'camp experience' vs. the need for nature to be a quiet, restorative place for visitors with different needs?

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In the last 3 years we have expanded our teen volunteer program from 70 volunteers to a team of 150 members. Instead of turning teens away, we have now included two new positions to allow more to volunteer. It is a significant way we serve teens through our organization. The three roles are Counselors-in-Training, Activity Crew Members, and Teen Volunteer Crew Leaders -(leadership position for ages 16 to 17). We learned a lot last year with the pilot and are actively designing the program to make it even better this coming summer.

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ACA Inc., ACA, New York and New Jersey, and ACA, New England are proud to present the 2022 Staffing Summit.

The 2022 Staffing Summit will feature critical learning, speaker panels, roundtables and engaging sessions spanning three days.  The virtual delivery of the conference increases the benefits of convenience and value while preserving the great networking and timely information which are hallmarks of ACA conferences.  We will share practical solutions around addressing the staffing shortage, innovative ways to recruit staff and best practices for staff retention.

The 2022 Staffing Summit will offer 45 sessions on out of the box ways to connect with staff, virtual job fairs and interviewing, recruiting specialized staff, and so much more.  Session recordings will be available to attendees for one month following the conference. Each day will have featured speakers, keynote presentations from industry thought leaders and networking opportunities to share resources and ideas.  Don’t miss one of the most important events of the season!

Please send questions to John Beitner jbeitner@acacamps.org

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The Youth Mental Health First Aid Course is designed to teach individuals how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders. The scenarios used throughout the course are camp based.

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© 2022 American Camp Association, Inc. A 501(c)(3) Organization.

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Emotional impacts of covid isolaton on campers.

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Emotional impacts of covid isolaton on campers.

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We've encountered more kids with emotional difficulties this past summer than ever before. A lot of it seems to be reverberations from the isolation of the pandemic---kids not knowing how to socialize, lacking the skills to cope when they get upset, lashing out physically when frustrated. Our seasonal staff does not have the training to provide the support that these kids need, and end up becoming burned out. Have you experienced anything similar? What kinds of trainings are available to prepare counselors for kids with specific emotional needs?

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Children with Behavioral/Emotional Needs not identified prior to camp

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Children with Behavioral/Emotional Needs not identified prior to camp

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Similar to the above comment.
Our campers tend to come for only one or two weeks of camp. This year we had several who had significant emotional and behavioral needs - resulting in a lot of one:one supervision by staff. Our staff is not trained in this type of intervention for the most part. In one instance, the child was asked not to return after only two days of camp as the child was a flight risk and physically attacked staff and campers. We need resources and strategies to address what I fear will be a new norm.

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I have been managing the camp for 2 years now and we only had one day of training for staff. I think for experienced lead counselors who are already accustomed to working with kids, its enough. But we also hire assistant counselors who are all teenagers, and they really need to learn more than just the basics. I am curious about how other camps structure their staff training prior to camp, how many hours of training everyone receives, etc. Are there additional trainings or feedback throughout the summer? How do we get teenagers really up to speed, especially if its their first job?

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Obviously we want to keep the amazing counselors, but what about the ones who are borderline? They didn't do anything amazing, but also weren't horrible. I am leaning towards having a serious conversation prior to rehiring some of my assistant counselors for next year, and really make it clear what the areas for improvement would be. However, we also tend to get plenty of applicants for assistant counselor (good Lead Counselors are much harder to find). With so many applicants, should I just interview new candidates and take a chance on someone new?

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Tips and Tricks - How to make Day Camp AWESOME!!

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Tips and Tricks - How to make Day Camp AWESOME!!

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Staff Training - How to, what's important, orientation

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Staff Training - How to, what's important, orientation

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Inclusion - How to encourage, get people in, transportation?

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Inclusion - How to encourage, get people in, transportation?

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Hi all, in the Camper Emotional Needs group I shared some successes we had at Tremont with moving to a responsive management system. Here are the slides from our training session. We also spent a lot of time in training on clear, concise directions, which we few as the first line of camper management that can prevent issues before they arise. Let me know if you have any questions- logan@gsmit.org

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The School, Teacher, & Student Workshop sessions are designed to provide school communities the support needed to practice daily mindfulness and self-care. Through a culturally-relevant, pedagogy enhanced version of mindfulness, school communities step closer to being more emotionally healthy and self-aware. Includes:

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The School, Teacher, & Student Workshop sessions are designed to provide school communities the support needed to practice daily mindfulness and self-care. Through a culturally-relevant, pedagogy enhanced version of mindfulness, school communities step closer to being more emotionally healthy and self-aware. Includes:

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Beating the Heat - How to deal with the weather

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Beating the Heat - How to deal with the weather

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Many camp directors report that often 1 misbehaving camper can throw off the entire group. Many times, parents seem to be unaware of the problems their kids are having/causing at camp.

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Although questions on behavior and emotional issues are present on registration forms, parents often don't divulge relevant info, leaving staff unprepared.

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Some counselors have implemented "quiet time" for campers to meditate or write in journals when they needed to regulate their behavior. In some cases, parents have misinterpreted these interventions as discipline or exclusionary.

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Kids are behind due to the pandemic, isolated at home with little opportunities to practice social/emotional skills among peers.

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Kids are behind due to the pandemic, isolated at home with little opportunities to practice social/emotional skills among peers.

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Chat Log cause there's so much good stuff!

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Chat Log cause there's so much good stuff!

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This is really messy, but I can try to format it better later

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14:00:45 From  Steve Frisbee, Chippewa Nature Center (He/him)  to  Everyone:
	Hello Everyone,
14:00:52 From  Debbie Nofzinger  to  Everyone:
	Debbie Nofzinger Sandusky County Park District in Ohio!!
14:01:14 From  Mary Oliver  to  Everyone:
	Hi Folks! Mary Oliver from Hartley Nature Center in Duluth, MN
14:01:16 From  Chad Truxall  to  Everyone:
	Hi Everyone - Marine Discovery Center - New Smyrna Beach, FL
14:01:18 From  Rachel Claire Koch, Warner Park Nature Center  to  Everyone:
	Rachel Koch from Warner Park in Nashville, TN
14:01:22 From  Carley Metcalf  to  Everyone:
	Carley Metcalf with Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida
14:01:22 From  Rachel Giemza (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	Rachel Giemza, Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, Finland MN
14:01:22 From  Steve Frisbee, Chippewa Nature Center (He/him)  to  Everyone:
	Steve Frisbee, Chippewa Nature Center- Midland, Michigan
14:01:23 From  Logan Rosenberg (Tremont, he/him)   to  Everyone:
	Hi all, I’m Logan Rosenberg, Tremont Institute, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
14:01:23 From  Korah Witherell (she/her), Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, NY  to  Everyone:
	Korah Witherell, Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in NY!
14:01:23 From  Arianna Sindelar  to  Everyone:
	Hi, I'm Arianna from Lancaster, PA
14:01:29 From  Kendahl Chergosky  to  Everyone:
	Kendahl Chergosky, World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park (St. Louis) MO
14:01:41 From  Noah Lawrence  to  Everyone:
	Hello everyone! This is Noah Lawrence From the Cibolo Center for Conservation in Boerne Texas.
14:01:42 From  DJ Mlodozeniec  to  Everyone:
	Hi everyone! DJ Mlodozeniec, Okefenokee Swamp Park and Adventures in Waycross/Folkston Georgia
14:01:45 From  Whitney Beaird (they/ them)  to  Everyone:
	Whitney Beaird, Woldumar Nature Center
14:01:49 From  Gail Basiliere - Beaver Brook  to  Everyone:
	Good afternoon! Gail Basiliere from Beaver Brook Association in Hollis NH
14:01:49 From  William  to  Everyone:
	Okefenokee Swamp Park and Adventures in south Georgia!!
14:01:52 From  Vera Roberts, Warner Park Nature Center  to  Everyone:
	Vera Roberts, Warner Park Nature Center, Nashville TN
14:01:55 From  Dominique Montello  to  Everyone:
	Dominique, from Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills, Maryland! 🙂
14:01:58 From  Abby deBuhr (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	Abby deBuhr with the Douglas-Hart Nature Center in central Illinois
14:02:04 From  Ed @ Buffalo Audubon  to  Everyone:
	Ed Sirianno, Exec. Dir. Buffalo Audubon, NY
14:02:08 From  Whitney Beaird (they/ them)  to  Everyone:
	in Lansing, MI
14:02:12 From  Kelly Steyer (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	Heyo! I'm Kelly Steyer from Cincinnati Nature Center, OH
14:02:21 From  Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools  to  Everyone:
	Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
14:02:28 From  Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg  to  Everyone:
	Danielle Racke, with Claytor Nature Center, Univ of Lynchburg in Bedford/Lynchburg VA
14:02:36 From  Annie Labus  to  Everyone:
	Annie Labus from Chicago Botanic Garden
14:02:37 From  Denise Bauer  to  Everyone:
	Denise Bauer, Wildlands Conservancy, Allentown, PA
14:03:05 From  Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	Rachel Ndeto, Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, Medford NJ
14:03:06 From  Alex Runde, Green Valleys Watershed Association  to  Everyone:
	Alex Runde from Green Valleys Watershed Association in Pottstown, PA
14:03:13 From  Michelle  to  Everyone:
	Michelle Golembieski -- Johnson Nature Center + Bowers School Farm, Bloomfield Hills MI
14:04:01 From  Jennifer Rydzewski  to  Everyone:
	Jennifer Rydzewski - Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Illinois
14:04:04 From  Jessica Colby (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	Jessica Colby - Majestic View Nature Center, Arvada, CO
14:04:20 From  Lauren Schmidt  to  Everyone:
	Lauren Schmidt, Nature Center at Shaker Lakes Cleveland Ohio
14:04:21 From  M Vines  to  Everyone:
	Matt Vines Alabama Nature Center Millbrook, AL
14:04:52 From  Camden Palm (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	Camden Palm, Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket, MA
14:05:19 From  Alia Campbell  to  Everyone:
	Alia Campbell, Howard County Conservancy Maryland
14:05:51 From  Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc  to  Everyone:
	Shekinah Hockenhull - CampDoc, Ann Arbor based, serving camps Worldwide!
14:06:28 From  Ilana Grubin, Morris Arboretum  to  Everyone:
	Ilana Grubin, Camp Director at Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia, PA
14:06:50 From  Dan Auer - ANCA  to  Everyone:
	https://padlet.com/ANCAmembership/rl97n7ar6xh62ypp
14:07:45 From  Joseph Dean, Beaver Meadow Audubon Center  to  Everyone:
	Joseph Dean: Buffalo Audubon Society
14:09:32 From  Chad Truxall  to  Everyone:
	You don't want to hear me sing!
14:32:51 From  Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	If you're checking the padlet, I have the major themes I heard as we were introducing ourselves. Feel free to add to any of them as you can!
14:35:51 From  Ijams Camp TN  to  Everyone:
	Check out our new Nature Playscape! https://www.ijams.org/ijams-nature-playscape
14:37:54 From  Michelle  to  Everyone:
	One win that we had was multiage free play. We had preteen 12-13 yr olds supporting our early childhood 3-5 year olds. Magical!
14:38:39 From  William  to  Everyone:
	Are folks inheriting these outdoor play spaces + equipment or funding it and making them new?
14:39:35 From  Michelle  to  Everyone:
	Our freeplay space is currently bare bones -- no specific equipment. Only natural materials. We're also interested in funding to build a more curated space with elements
14:40:06 From  Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg  to  Everyone:
	Our playspace is also only natural materials. It's crazy what the kids can do with their imaginations in it.
14:41:02 From  Ijams Camp TN  to  Everyone:
	William, we had the space, which used to have houses on it, which were demolished but still had a ton of odds and ends of natural materials (stones, bricks, etc) that we used to create our playscape areas. We also had a generous amount of support from a regional Subaru busiess
14:41:45 From  Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools  to  Everyone:
	William, we have a fort zone, mud kitchen, and playground (inherited) and then also take field trips into nearby public lands which are also awesome to explore - especially creeks and lakes which we don't have on-site.
14:42:14 From  Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	We have Scouts looking for Eagle or Gold Award projects create elements - We have a low balance beam, a stone tunnel and a mini cabin that the kids love in addition to the natural materials
14:42:49 From  Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg  to  Everyone:
	week-long sessions, some kids sign up for multiple weeks
14:43:12 From  Ijams Camp TN  to  Everyone:
	Im not sure I understand the question
14:43:20 From  Ijams Camp TN  to  Everyone:
	Both!
14:43:21 From  Jessica Colby (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	Week long sessions with different themes for each week
14:47:01 From  William  to  Everyone:
	Communication with front-facing employees has always been key for us. The way our park has it set up is that we have school groups coming in short bursts during the normal day. If you have people at the desks being friendly and explaining that 150 2nd graders are visiting for the morning it goes down a lot smoother than if nobody knows what is going on (visitors discovering for themselves).
14:48:03 From  Debbie Nofzinger  to  Everyone:
	many times the kids will explain to the visitors what they are doing and share what they have been discovering
14:48:10 From  William  to  Everyone:
	Shout out to log-rolling for best 5-20 minute activity
14:48:38 From  Ijams Camp TN  to  Everyone:
	front loading that info to the public via signs is helpful too. Something like "This space is reserved for summer camp for X time today. You're welcome to use this space when we aren't here"
14:49:02 From  Michelle  to  Everyone:
	^^ we reserve our picnic tables with signs that say that, so we can use them for lunch
14:50:25 From  Ilana Grubin, Morris Arboretum  to  Everyone:
	Just a few questions for everyone - I really want to hear more about staff training.
14:51:09 From  Ilana Grubin, Morris Arboretum  to  Everyone:
	Also curious what people do when it is extremely hot. We don't have much indoor space for campers.
14:51:38 From  Ilana Grubin, Morris Arboretum  to  Everyone:
	Last question - want to know more about curriculum. Do you write it yourself?
14:51:45 From  Korah Witherell (she/her), Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, NY  to  Everyone:
	I would love to hear thoughts on staff training.
14:51:48 From  DJ Mlodozeniec  to  Everyone:
	A huge plus I have learned with staff training is to have to have a week or at least a few days to simulate the entire camp day process, having the staff actual enact the crafts, games, and activities.  This way they have done these things before and are more effective at leading them.
14:52:09 From  Ijams Camp TN  to  Everyone:
	^Agree DJ
14:52:09 From  Kendahl Chergosky  to  Everyone:
	Seconded on tips for beating the heat/not much indoor space
14:52:39 From  DJ Mlodozeniec  to  Everyone:
	Then while you are enacting those activities you can go over common issues, questions from campers, and the finer points of camp such as behavioral redirection and such.
14:52:45 From  Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools  to  Everyone:
	Logging another Q over here in the chat: I'm curious how folks balance the free play we talked about earlier with structure. I think camp size is our struggle there, so the choice activity thing doesn't work -does anyone else have larger camps, and how do you manage many groups of campers doing different or similar things? Do you standardize what groups are doing or leave it up to instructors?
14:52:49 From  Korah Witherell (she/her), Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, NY  to  Everyone:
	For hot days, smaller games in shade is what I used. (frogger, medusa, down by the banks). There are plenty of games you can look up that don't require a lot of space.
14:53:01 From  Korah Witherell (she/her), Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, NY  to  Everyone:
	Also, kids love good ol water fights to cool off!
14:53:27 From  Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools  to  Everyone:
	And for hot days, water! If you don't have a creek or lake, sprinklers, sponge toss, drip drip drop, slip n slides, etc.
14:53:29 From  William  to  Everyone:
	Coolers of ice water stationed at activity points have helped us a lot down in the heat of the swamp. Even small indoor places with a portable AC are good resting points for explanations in between outdoor activities.
14:54:12 From  Ijams Camp TN  to  Everyone:
	For CIT programs: Do you charge for this program?
14:54:25 From  Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	Water games are a must in our facility. Drip drip drop is a hit
14:54:28 From  Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg  to  Everyone:
	I've had similar experience - no applicants for CITs
14:54:29 From  William  to  Everyone:
	We also advise parents/coordinators for when groups are coming that long sleeves and pants are actually cooler during a hot day because it keeps the sun off you. But most people still show up with thick clothing that covers arms and legs
14:54:50 From  DJ Mlodozeniec  to  Everyone:
	I haven't in the past because they are volunteering their time to help with the camp, so we do not charge them.
14:54:51 From  Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg  to  Everyone:
	ditto @william
14:56:20 From  Dominique Montello  to  Everyone:
	in the past we did charge for CIT's to participate in camp however this year we offered it as volunteer hours. making this switch greatly increased the amount of applicants we had.
14:56:38 From  DJ Mlodozeniec  to  Everyone:
	Fragmenting activities with lots of water breaks to the point where the kids get annoyed is something that helps with extreme heat.
14:58:29 From  Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her)  to  Everyone:
	There's so much good stuff in the chat, I'm just going to try and download this to upload on the padlet
14:59:36 From  Ijams Camp TN  to  Everyone:
	my 20something staff told me to text them if I emailed them bc they don't check email
14:59:45 From  Michelle  to  Everyone:
	lol
15:00:33 From  Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg  to  Everyone:
	Could someone please re-share the padlet link? I can't find it.
15:00:42 From  Dan Auer - ANCA  to  Everyone:
	https://padlet.com/ANCAmembership/rl97n7ar6xh62ypp
15:00:50 From  Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg  to  Everyone:
	Thank you. Yay tech issues.
15:00:54 From  Whitney Beaird (they/ them)  to  Everyone:
	For the emotional and behavioral needs: https://starr.org/certified-trauma-and-resilience-education/
15:00:59 From  Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc  to  Everyone:
	Most states have funding to employ youth ages 14-24. You can apply for funding to hire youth as support staff in training.

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Camp staff at Tremont have had success with Responsive Management training

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Camp staff at Tremont have had success with Responsive Management training

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Counselors use one-on-one check-ins with campers to as an opportunity to learn what is going on with them and find the root of their behavior. Counselors come up with solutions along with campers; helping them to be the best they can be rather than focus on discipline.

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Diversity of background knowledge among camp staff

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Diversity of background knowledge among camp staff

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Directors have reported that it is beneficial to hire counselors with a wide variety of backgrounds (i.e., not all wildlife science majors) to maximize the skill set among staff. Counselors with teaching backgrounds often come better equipped to handle behavioral problems.

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Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Resources - Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

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This page contains links to publications, research, reports, related sites, technical assistance, events notices, or presentations for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

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Find jobs in conservation, natural resources, ecology, wildlife, forestry, botany, marine biology, fisheries, and environmental education.

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14:00:44 From Steve Frisbee, Chippewa Nature Center (He/him) to Everyone:
	Hello Everyone,
14:00:51 From Debbie Nofzinger to Everyone:
	Debbie Nofzinger Sandusky County Park District in Ohio!!
14:01:13 From Mary Oliver to Everyone:
	Hi Folks! Mary Oliver from Hartley Nature Center in Duluth, MN
14:01:15 From Chad Truxall to Everyone:
	Hi Everyone - Marine Discovery Center - New Smyrna Beach, FL
14:01:17 From Rachel Claire Koch, Warner Park Nature Center to Everyone:
	Rachel Koch from Warner Park in Nashville, TN
14:01:21 From Carley Metcalf to Everyone:
	Carley Metcalf with Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida
14:01:21 From Rachel Giemza (she/her) to Everyone:
	Rachel Giemza, Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center, Finland MN
14:01:21 From Steve Frisbee, Chippewa Nature Center (He/him) to Everyone:
	Steve Frisbee, Chippewa Nature Center- Midland, Michigan
14:01:21 From Logan Rosenberg (Tremont, he/him)  to Everyone:
	Hi all, I’m Logan Rosenberg, Tremont Institute, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
14:01:22 From Korah Witherell (she/her), Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, NY to Everyone:
	Korah Witherell, Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in NY!
14:01:22 From Arianna Sindelar to Everyone:
	Hi, I'm Arianna from Lancaster, PA
14:01:28 From Kendahl Chergosky to Everyone:
	Kendahl Chergosky, World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park (St. Louis) MO
14:01:40 From Noah Lawrence to Everyone:
	Hello everyone! This is Noah Lawrence From the Cibolo Center for Conservation in Boerne Texas.
14:01:41 From DJ Mlodozeniec to Everyone:
	Hi everyone! DJ Mlodozeniec, Okefenokee Swamp Park and Adventures in Waycross/Folkston Georgia
14:01:44 From Whitney Beaird (they/ them) to Everyone:
	Whitney Beaird, Woldumar Nature Center
14:01:47 From Gail Basiliere - Beaver Brook to Everyone:
	Good afternoon! Gail Basiliere from Beaver Brook Association in Hollis NH
14:01:48 From William to Everyone:
	Okefenokee Swamp Park and Adventures in south Georgia!!
14:01:51 From Vera Roberts, Warner Park Nature Center to Everyone:
	Vera Roberts, Warner Park Nature Center, Nashville TN
14:01:54 From Dominique Montello to Everyone:
	Dominique, from Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills, Maryland! 🙂
14:01:57 From Abby deBuhr (she/her) to Everyone:
	Abby deBuhr with the Douglas-Hart Nature Center in central Illinois
14:02:03 From Ed @ Buffalo Audubon to Everyone:
	Ed Sirianno, Exec. Dir. Buffalo Audubon, NY
14:02:07 From Whitney Beaird (they/ them) to Everyone:
	in Lansing, MI
14:02:11 From Kelly Steyer (she/her) to Everyone:
	Heyo! I'm Kelly Steyer from Cincinnati Nature Center, OH
14:02:20 From Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools to Everyone:
	Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
14:02:27 From Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg to Everyone:
	Danielle Racke, with Claytor Nature Center, Univ of Lynchburg in Bedford/Lynchburg VA
14:02:35 From Annie Labus to Everyone:
	Annie Labus from Chicago Botanic Garden
14:02:36 From Denise Bauer to Everyone:
	Denise Bauer, Wildlands Conservancy, Allentown, PA
14:03:04 From Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her) to Everyone:
	Rachel Ndeto, Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, Medford NJ
14:03:05 From Alex Runde, Green Valleys Watershed Association to Everyone:
	Alex Runde from Green Valleys Watershed Association in Pottstown, PA
14:03:12 From Michelle to Everyone:
	Michelle Golembieski -- Johnson Nature Center + Bowers School Farm, Bloomfield Hills MI
14:04:00 From Jennifer Rydzewski to Everyone:
	Jennifer Rydzewski - Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Illinois
14:04:03 From Jessica Colby (she/her) to Everyone:
	Jessica Colby - Majestic View Nature Center, Arvada, CO
14:04:19 From Lauren Schmidt to Everyone:
	Lauren Schmidt, Nature Center at Shaker Lakes Cleveland Ohio
14:04:20 From M Vines to Everyone:
	Matt Vines Alabama Nature Center Millbrook, AL
14:04:51 From Camden Palm (she/her) to Everyone:
	Camden Palm, Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket, MA
14:05:17 From Alia Campbell to Everyone:
	Alia Campbell, Howard County Conservancy Maryland
14:05:49 From Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc to Everyone:
	Shekinah Hockenhull - CampDoc, Ann Arbor based, serving camps Worldwide!
14:06:26 From Ilana Grubin, Morris Arboretum to Everyone:
	Ilana Grubin, Camp Director at Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia, PA
14:06:49 From Dan Auer - ANCA to Everyone:
	https://padlet.com/ANCAmembership/rl97n7ar6xh62ypp
14:07:43 From Joe Dean to Everyone:
	Joseph Dean: Buffalo Audubon Society
14:09:31 From Chad Truxall to Everyone:
	You don't want to hear me sing!
14:10:29 From iPad to Dan Auer - ANCA(Direct Message):
	Just tuned in. Where is survey?
14:16:33 From Danielle to Dan Auer - ANCA(Direct Message):
	I can’t decide lol
14:16:47 From Camden Palm (she/her) to Dan Auer - ANCA(Direct Message):
	Hi can tou assign me to day camp room please?
14:18:14 From Emily Ciffone (she/her) to Dan Auer - ANCA(Direct Message):
	Staff recruitment please
14:29:03 From Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc to Everyone:
	We call it quiet time.
14:34:04 From Anthony to Everyone:
	Also interested in staff evaluation. How do you help mentor staff in just 2 months?
14:37:53 From Michelle to Everyone:
	One win that we had was multiage free play. We had preteen 12-13 yr olds supporting our early childhood 3-5 year olds. Magical!
14:38:38 From William to Everyone:
	Are folks inheriting these outdoor play spaces + equipment or funding it and making them new?
14:39:34 From Michelle to Everyone:
	Our freeplay space is currently bare bones -- no specific equipment. Only natural materials. We're also interested in funding to build a more curated space with elements
14:40:05 From Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg to Everyone:
	Our playspace is also only natural materials. It's crazy what the kids can do with their imaginations in it.
14:41:01 From Ijams Camp TN to Everyone:
	William, we had the space, which used to have houses on it, which were demolished but still had a ton of odds and ends of natural materials (stones, bricks, etc) that we used to create our playscape areas. We also had a generous amount of support from a regional Subaru busiess
14:41:44 From Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools to Everyone:
	William, we have a fort zone, mud kitchen, and playground (inherited) and then also take field trips into nearby public lands which are also awesome to explore - especially creeks and lakes which we don't have on-site.
14:42:13 From Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her) to Everyone:
	We have Scouts looking for Eagle or Gold Award projects create elements - We have a low balance beam, a stone tunnel and a mini cabin that the kids love in addition to the natural materials
14:42:48 From Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg to Everyone:
	week-long sessions, some kids sign up for multiple weeks
14:43:11 From Ijams Camp TN to Everyone:
	Im not sure I understand the question
15:00:07 From Dan Auer - ANCA to Everyone:
	https://padlet.com/ANCAmembership/rl97n7ar6xh62ypp
15:00:32 From Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg to Everyone:
	Could someone please re-share the padlet link? I can't find it.
15:00:41 From Dan Auer - ANCA to Everyone:
	https://padlet.com/ANCAmembership/rl97n7ar6xh62ypp
15:00:49 From Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg to Everyone:
	Thank you. Yay tech issues.
15:00:53 From Whitney Beaird (they/ them) to Everyone:
	For the emotional and behavioral needs: https://starr.org/certified-trauma-and-resilience-education/
15:00:58 From Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc to Everyone:
	Most states have funding to employ youth ages 14-24. You can apply for funding to hire youth as support staff in training.
15:01:30 From William to Everyone:
	This is honestly so valuable but rapid fire that it could be a bi-monthly thing
15:01:35 From William to Everyone:
	HI ANTHONY!!
15:01:51 From Rachel Giemza (she/her) to Everyone:
	I vote Anthony
15:06:41 From DJ Mlodozeniec to Everyone:
	Simply talking to campers in an understanding way and helping them reach the behavioral goal instead of just telling them to do it goes a long way!
15:07:40 From Jessica Colby (she/her) to Everyone:
	If anyone has any resources for day camp best practices and/or curriculum development that they are willing to share it would be much appreciated!
15:08:29 From Ijams Camp TN to Everyone:
	We don't follow a curriculum, per se, but here's the standard template we use for day camp: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTR2XaOCo9fKRZlP0F2VG3xyClHebd9-0oj3_Ep-njJmEu5e8sD5NK8ldl2wTcUjOXKVOSGHr4JcFX6/pub
15:09:17 From William to Everyone:
	Honestly, having camp counselors trained in Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder is huge in any sort of nature setting. It supersedes most other trainings imo
15:09:51 From Aaliyah Ross (Schuylkill Center, she/her) to Everyone:
	I need to sign off now, thanks everyone for the great discussion and resources!
15:10:52 From Alia Campbell to Everyone:
	Does anyone have any tips on how to manage long waitlists of candidates?
15:11:45 From Korah Witherell (she/her), Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, NY to Everyone:
	I did first come first serve, unless the campers on the list where already enrolled in another session, then I would choose campers who were not able to come to camp yet.
15:11:48 From Dan Auer - ANCA to Everyone:
	https://natctr.org/events/calendar
15:12:29 From Dan Auer - ANCA to Everyone:
	https://natctr.org/events/relc
15:12:44 From Whitney Beaird (they/ them) to Everyone:
	I'm curious about doing day camp in extreme cold (besides being inside) :P  For the extreme heat, lots of water play if you have access to water
15:12:49 From DJ Mlodozeniec to Everyone:
	Alia, perhaps you can give folks on the waitlist an early registration period for them to register for camp the following year before it gets opened to the public?
15:15:01 From Ijams Camp TN to Everyone:
	Here's a recorded webinar I led with Vermont Env. Ed. Network about teaching in cold: https://youtu.be/20-mE-m_Fcc
15:15:42 From Anthony to Everyone:
	Thank you very much everyone!
15:16:03 From Mary Oliver to Everyone:
	depends on the time of year!
15:16:04 From Carley Metcalf to Everyone:
	We do! For field trips
15:16:06 From Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg to Everyone:
	We do private signups for summer camp
15:16:10 From Steve Frisbee to Everyone:
	Our Nature Preschool goes out all through winter!  We setup warming stations (campfires), layer - with waterproof layer on the outside, and reusable hand warmers.
15:16:20 From Ijams Camp TN to Everyone:
	Yes
15:16:24 From Korah Witherell (she/her), Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, NY to Everyone:
	We have private sign ups for summer camp
15:16:24 From DJ Mlodozeniec to Everyone:
	Private sign ups but advertising through visiting school groups helps with registration!
15:16:26 From Brent (he/him) to Everyone:
	Not sure much for camps but during the school year yes
15:16:34 From Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools to Everyone:
	summer is all private signup but during school year yes
15:16:57 From Gail Basiliere - Beaver Brook to Everyone:
	Many school groups during the year - individuals for camp
15:17:03 From Anthony to Everyone:
	Summer camp is our main driver, but we are looking to increase our participation in the school environment. Espcially aftercare
15:17:40 From Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her) to Everyone:
	individuals for our camp, but other camps can field trip to our facility during the summer. Limited during the summer due to space and staffing
15:17:58 From Whitney Beaird (they/ them) to Everyone:
	schools during the year and individuals during the summer. We'd love to have groups during the summer but need staff to make it happen
15:19:49 From Rachel Giemza (she/her) to Everyone:
	During school year, WRELC we mostly have school groups, during the summer it's a majority of private individuals but we do have some school groups
15:21:19 From Kelly Steyer (she/her) to Everyone:
	Daily school groups Sep-May, private sign-ups for camps. We do partner year-round with other NP organizations to bring more children who wouldn't necessarily have the option to come to camp
15:22:12 From Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her) to Everyone:
	Advertise to schools! Hiring teachers for the summer is amazing.
15:23:27 From Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc to Everyone:
	https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/school-support-and-accountability/21st-century-community-learning-centers/resources-21st-century-community-learning-centers/
15:23:28 From Chad Truxall to Everyone:
	We try to hire interns and advertise to teachers and community job boards.
15:24:03 From William to Everyone:
	https://www.conservationjobboard.com/ if this hasn't been mentioned. I've used this for many of my own jobs and for looking for current employees
15:24:52 From Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc to Everyone:
	Social Media Ads: Instagram & Facebook work for job postings
15:24:54 From Kelly Steyer (she/her) to Everyone:
	We get many counselors who were once campers/LITs or from from word of mouth. Social media has also helped greatly. Many counselors have said "my mom saw the post on..."
15:25:45 From Jessica Colby (she/her) to Everyone:
	We advertised at Diversify Outdoors, National Association for Interpretation, Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, and our local community college job board, as well as the standard job websites
15:26:22 From Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools to Everyone:
	Lots more Qs to log for future discussion: How do you go about balancing fun/freeplay with curriculum/structure? Do you try to standardize the camp experience across different counselors/camp groups? How do you choose your niche as a camp when there are other camps/activities available in your community? How do you create and enforce a camper behavior policy? How do you keep camp fresh for campers who come every week? How do you build bigger camp culture/traditions? How do you seek to promote equity and diversity at your camp? How do you decide on your camp hours/after care? How do you evaluate/gather feedback about your camp with parents, campers, staff? Etc etc :)
15:26:45 From William to Everyone:
	^^ So much to discuss
15:27:52 From Steve Frisbee to Everyone:
	I'm with Molly, we need to talk more often!
15:27:53 From Anthony to Everyone:
	ESF! woo
15:27:55 From Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc to Everyone:
	I am open to connecting to talk about my experience training staff in Social-Emotional Learning, Trauma Informed Care, or mindfulness AND to discuss CampDoc’s software: database management, electronic health records, and reporting tool for Camps. I will be at ANCA in November, I'll see you all there! Email me here shockenhull@campdoc.com
15:27:59 From Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her) to Everyone:
	Can we have a series of these? Day Camp 101 lessons?
15:28:05 From Dan Auer - ANCA to Everyone:
	https://natctr.org/services/google-group
15:28:24 From Vera Roberts, Warner Park Nature Center to Everyone:
	Love the Day Camp 101 idea!  More CONNECTS about camp, please.
15:28:41 From Whitney Beaird (they/ them) to Everyone:
	^^^ yes Vera!
15:29:27 From Gail Basiliere - Beaver Brook to Everyone:
	Thank you!
15:29:28 From Vera Roberts, Warner Park Nature Center to Everyone:
	Thank you Dan and ANCA and everyone!
15:29:36 From Logan Rosenberg (Tremont, he/him)  to Everyone:
	Thanks all!
15:29:39 From William to Everyone:
	I'm staying
15:29:39 From DJ Mlodozeniec to Everyone:
	Thank you everyone
15:29:58 From Chad Truxall to Everyone:
	Enjoy the day, everyone!
15:30:04 From Kendahl Chergosky to Everyone:
	Really fun to be surrounded by all of these cool people!! Thanks all!
15:30:06 From Camden Palm (she/her) to Everyone:
	Thank you!
15:30:08 From Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her) to Everyone:
	Thanks everyone!
15:30:11 From Molly Watters - Teton Science Schools to Everyone:
	Thank you!!
15:30:13 From Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc to Everyone:
	Thank you!!!
15:30:17 From Kelly Steyer (she/her) to Everyone:
	Thanks everyone!
15:30:18 From Danielle Racke Univ of Lynchburg to Everyone:
	Thank you!
15:30:21 From Anthony to Everyone:
	Thank you very much
15:30:23 From Alia Campbell to Everyone:
	Thanks everyone!
15:30:28 From Ilana Grubin, Morris Arboretum to Everyone:
	thank you!
15:30:28 From William to Everyone:
	Everyone here is the cream of the crop!!
15:30:45 From julie eperjesi to Everyone:
	Thank you
15:33:17 From Chad Truxall to Everyone:
	https://www.natctr.org/about/board-of-directors/opportunities
15:33:53 From DJ Mlodozeniec to Everyone:
	If I build the camp capacity and registration I would love to use CampDoc.  Used it at my last position and it was great.
15:36:27 From Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc to Everyone:
	Please do!
15:42:38 From William to Everyone:
	Parks and Rec vibes
15:45:27 From William to Everyone:
	I'm gonna have to hop off, sorry to leave. This was amazing and thank you so much!
15:46:10 From Shekinah H (she/her) - CampDoc to Everyone:
	Thank you all so much! I'm going to have to hop off!!
15:46:37 From Dan Auer - ANCA to Everyone:
	Thank you!
15:46:51 From DJ Mlodozeniec to Everyone:
	I am going to look into the mentor program, sounds awesome!
15:47:29 From Rachel Ndeto WCRWR (she/her) to Everyone:
	Same! I know our Nature Center Membership person is using ANCAs resources, now I want to!
15:49:59 From DJ Mlodozeniec to Everyone:
	I have to log off everyone, thank you for everything.  We'll be in touch.
15:50:22 From Chad Truxall to Everyone:
	I have to go, too.  Take care everyone!