Everything you do should be done right, right from the beginning.
Summer camp staff training should be one of the most important things you do as a camp director. Before you begin planning for staff training this year, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Take some time with other members of your leadership team and decide what your goals are for the summer.
Know Your Goals:
- Before staff training begins, sit down with your leadership team and determine your goals for camp and, specifically, for training (this is likely best done by everyone writing out their ideas on post-its and narrowing them down together to a handful of goals that cover all that's important to your camp)
- Try to clear your minds and not make assumptions about your training based on what's been done in past years
- Make sure you have a way to teach each of your goals (if not through a session (or sessions) then through an experiential activity)
- As you plan each activity (no matter how small), go back to your list of goals and make sure they jive
- Before training begins, make these goals visible (put them everywhere at camp - posters, stickers, whiteboards, on mirrors, etc.) so that all your staff members know WHY they are attending training
- If you have musical staff members, ask them to create a song about all the goals you have established (this will be a fun and effective way for staff members to remember your goals all summer long)
And remember...“Example is a language anyone can read”. So be sure that all your leadership team members are role modelling ALL your goals at ALL times.