As a summer camp expert, each summer I am on the road with my team visiting camps and summer programs to see things firsthand, observe, speak with directors, staff, campers and teens. I learn what has changed, what is new, best practices and more.
So far this summer we have been back to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania and New York. I am off to Massachusetts this week, and likely back to PA and NY (maybe other areas) to maximize summer camp visits before camp 2011 season is over. It takes 10 months to plan for 2 months, and it goes way too quickly!
Parents often ask what it is I look for when visiting camps and programs. While I share with parents what they should look for when visiting, although family tours can be controlled and planned more by camps, our work is a bit more specific to provide us insights into the quality of the facility, its programs, staff, camper culture and more. In other words, I get to ask more private and trend-related information the camps share with us, not necessarily parents, enabling us to better guide families about camps and programs. So here's a birdseye view into a few things I seek out to observe and learn:
- The welcome - entry, greeting, the camp office and personnel. Tip: we try to listen to public conversations to observe interactions between staff, campers, directors. We also hear how front-line personnel might converse with those on the phone (be it parents, other camps, staff, vendors, etc.)
- The walk - we prefer to walk vs. take a golf cart. This way we get a sense of the lay of the land, how it is kept, how vast or small it is, etc. Do directors proactively pick up litter (while we hope to see none it can happen occasionally)?
- The heat - how is this handled? Take this summer of 100 degree plus days we have had. How shaded or sunny is the camp?
- The waterfront - how far or close is it? How many ski boats are there (and how new are they)? How are water activities handled and their real frequency?
- The talk - how do directors talk to us, and those who interact with them while we are touring? Is it organic or forced? How do campers converse with directors? How do directors speak to staff (we love to see humility and empowerment). And importantly, how do they speak of other camps? Real time story: this summer I revisited a camp in NH; there was a multi-camp sports day occurring while I was there. The camp director spoke well of each camp, but professionally identified a camp with whom they reciprocally have their campers eat at because their staff and campers are respectful and share similar values.
- The issues - while we all hope for trouble free summers, we like to hear that inappropriate staff and campers are sent home for unacceptable behaviors, and most imporantly, bullying. Real time story: this summer we witnessed the aftermath of a camp bully who was sent home after several warnings to change her behavior. There was remorse and discontent amongst that cabin group, but the camp used it as a teachable moment and the girls listened.
- The facility - is it well maintained? What are the new improvements? Are they current with other comparable camps? In what condition are random bunks (not necessarily the one families tour)?What are future plans?
- The food - we do eat at the camps! But when we cannot we look for cleanliness, types of drinks served, how food is served, chat with kids about the food quality, and ask directors about food allergy policies, seeking out physical examples of the allergen management (is a camp really nut-free if they serve peanut butter in a contained area?)
- The activities - where are all the campers? How often are campers really getting their choice activities? Who plays the inter-camps? Are there A/B sports teams? And more.
- The camp culture - values, energy, traditions, geographic and religious representation (of campers and staff) and more.
The list goes on, but our takeaway puts us in a unique position to understand who will succeed at each camp and why. The reason why we love to go on the summer camp road trip each and every summer!
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