Hot Topics!
In this Innovative Camp Company space, I am constantly analyzing up-and-coming challenges, innovative solutions, and state-of-the-art products. With summer camp planning and recruitment season upon us, my brain is bursting with ways to help camp professionals prep for the busy season ahead. I chat daily with trusted colleagues to hear what they are observing, struggling with, and conquering.
Here is what I am spending time thinking about right now. Have an old
problem that is driving you crazy? Or a new one that's stumping you?
Reach out - let's chat!
Program Quality
Research done by the American Camp Association has a clear message. Program quality matters and is directly correlated to social-emotional outcomes. The best way to ensure program quality, share the value of your program and raise funds/revenue is to collect outcome measures regularly.
Innovative Camp Company can create simple, easy-to-use, data collection tools to help you engage in a continuous program improvement cycle. This commitment will keep your program fresh and excite your participants!
I also help maximize the use of the data. I curate educational sessions for board members, create social media posts to shout your good news from the mountaintop, support valuable donor stewardship pieces, give your marketing team juicy nuggets for brochures, and more!
Building Character & SEL
In my younger years, I became a special education teacher. I never tell anyone I chose to not teach; it is simply not true. I chose a different kind of classroom -one with expansive views where water bottles and sunscreen are "school supplies." A classroom where we focus on personal growth, social-emotional learning (SEL), and character.
Why do we love camp? It's where we find our people and it's where good people are developed. Grand Canyon University wrote, "Good people with good character make a better society for us all to live and exist in." Sounds a bit like camp.
Programs have different ways of digging into this. Character Lab explores heart, mind, and will. Character Counts breaks skills into trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. There are many ways to define character and at Innovative Camp Company, I want to help you define it, program to teach it, and measure your impact.
Recruitment & Retention
Your staff can make or break your program. So how do you keep up with the changing needs of staff? How do you meet staff where they are to be their best for a busy and long season?
I still remember trusted adults who mentored me when I was young. My oldest was just reminiscing about camp counselors and babysitters who left an impression. And my kids (and their friends) are some of the most amazing humans I know. So what has changed? Why the frustration? Clearly, there is awesomeness in every generation!
Take advantage of an updated approach to staff training that meets your goals while meeting staff where they are at. Reach out to learn more!
Wellness & Mental Health
The mental health crisis is growing. There is a correlation between mental health challenges and living at higher elevations. So living in a mountain community, with two teenagers, youth mental health is always on my mind.
The mental health crisis impacts our clients, staff, and volunteers. We must create communities that prioritize wellness and mental health.
Our team at Innovative Camp Company has hands-on experience with therapy dogs and building wellness programs. Our philosophy develops whole community mental health supports that last beyond the dates of your program or the gates of your facility.
Inclusion and Access
As someone who has worked with special populations for almost three decades, I dream of a day when all kids are included in meaningful ways. There is real power in seeing a camper "graduate" from a medical specialty program into a typical camp. And, it is important to recognize the necessity of education and preparation to ensure the experience is positive.
Reach out to learn more about how simple adjustments to programs and activities can increase access for all, making your program more diverse.
Concussion Safety
At camp, kids play hard. Staff play hard. And sometimes injuries happen. No matter if it's a remote canoe trip or a soccer game, give your staff the tools they need to assess injuries. As a mom of a teenager who has experienced a severe concussion, I know firsthand how important it is to seek timely medical care and prevent secondary injuries.
Concussions can be difficult to diagnose and it is not always clear if medical treatment is needed. A newly FDA-approved concussion screening tool is inexpensive and easy for staff of all experience levels to administer. Order one for every first aid kit for peace of mind. Reach out for more information.
LEARN MORE HERE.
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