What is even more unique is when we have the opportunity to do work to prepare for FUTURE summers. Finding time to go to meetings and conferences with people from other camps, thinking about what’s next for CK, and how we can make our program even better for the following summers. And even MORE exciting is when we get to spend time with FUTURE counselors -- teenagers who think they might want to be counselors some day, and get them thinking about what it means to work and teach at camp before they even have a job!
And that is exactly what I did about three weeks ago. I went to a Teen Leadership conference that was held in NYC. Not only did I get to go, but I got to present a session during the conference, AND I also got to bring some participants! Four of our returning Staff Assistants—Zach, Caroline, Lauren, and Kelcy—joined me at the ACA’s Teen Leadership conference for a day of thought-provoking, fun, and lively discussions and sessions. It was basically a mini Tri-State Camp Conference for teens, and not only did I spend the day with them, I met many teenagers from all sorts of camps who were looking to give themselves the extra edge for their future counselor jobs.
All of the teenagers who participated were once campers at some camp, whether it was a day camp or sleep-away. They had that exciting buzz about them, not just because many of them were reuniting with other camp friends, but because they were all on the brink of a new adventure. No longer campers, these teens were gearing up for the first summers at their camps in various new programs and positions– Leaders-in-training (LIT) programs, Counselors-in-training (CIT) programs, Junior Staff, Kitchen staff, and the coveted CKNJ position of Staff Assistant!
We woke up quite early to catch our train. Caroline, Kelcy, Lauren, and Lauren’s mother Mary Ellen, (who works for ACA), met me at the Westfield station, and we took the (get ready) 6:48 am train to Penn Station in New York. It was really early for a weekend, I’ll admit it, but once we were all on the train, it gave us plenty of time to catch up since the last time we saw each other. We enjoyed the ride and met up with Zach in New York, and then had a nice breakfast to fuel up and get pumped for an awesome day.
 |
| Breakfast at a midtown diner. |
Then, we were on our way to the conference! We took the subway to 112th street and walked to the Bank Street College of Education where the conference was being held. We walked in a few minutes early to help set up and it was a little quiet – but not for long! Teenagers slowly started pouring in until there were almost 300 participants there! Everyone got their schedules and name tags, and I waved goodbye to the Staffies as they went to the first session –some fun camp games to get everyone excited and in the camp spirit.
In the mean time, I set up for my back-to-back sessions. I had prepared an activity and discussion on the topic “transitioning from being a camper to being a staff member,” with the goal of helping the participants begin to prepare for the changes they would experience this summer. It was so fun to finally do the session I had prepared for over the past months, and I think my groups got a lot out of it! I felt comfortable in front of each of my “classes” of 15 teenagers, and I will definitely say my teaching and camp experience helped me stay organized and on topic! While I was teaching, our Staff Assistants attended a variety of sessions, including one called “The top 10 best and worst qualities of a counselor,” and others about managing stress, fun teambuilding games, behavior management, and effective communication. Not only did the Staffies get to learn some good information from other camp professionals about what it takes to be a good counselor, they also spent time meeting teens from other camps, and hearing about what those LIT, CIT, and Jr. Counselor jobs are like! It’s amazing how different their jobs are from what the Staff Assistants do at our camp.
I believe there were two highlights of the day—one was fun and the second a little more serious. The first fun highlight was definitely our “Leisurely Lunch” of pizza. Leisurely Lunch is an idea Zach wants to see take flight this summer. Instead of rushing through the meal to get to bunk time, he’s asked the Staff Assistants to try to eat at a slower pace and spend the whole mealtime together, talking about everything from camp to sports to current events. So, we practiced and ended up being the last people in the lunchroom besides the cleanup crew!
After a wrap- up session and debrief, we got some awesome t-shirts (what camp person doesn’t love a t-shirt?) and headed back to NJ. Our conversation on the way home was about their excitement for, that one day in the future, starting their first summer as a camp counselor so that they could practice what they learned. Although they aren’t counselors yet, I told them that there were two things they could do this summer to prepare for being a counselor. First, they can observe the counselors at camp this summer, to see if they do some of those skills that they had learned would make them better leaders. Second, I assured them there were plenty of ways they could start practicing what they learned about being a counselor this summer when they are staff assistants. They live in the dorms with the campers, eat meals in the dining hall with them, help run evening activities, and can be with the kids at activities. In all of those situations, there are small things they can do to show that they care for the campers and want to be good leaders. After all, it’s definitely not too early to start the preparations for 2013 when they can be counselors!
Until the next blog,
Teri
In the mean time, I set up for my back-to-back sessions. I had prepared an activity and discussion on the topic “transitioning from being a camper to being a staff member,” with the goal of helping the participants begin to prepare for the changes they would experience this summer. It was so fun to finally do the session I had prepared for over the past months, and I think my groups got a lot out of it! I felt comfortable in front of each of my “classes” of 15 teenagers, and I will definitely say my teaching and camp experience helped me stay organized and on topic! While I was teaching, our Staff Assistants attended a variety of sessions, including one called “The top 10 best and worst qualities of a counselor,” and others about managing stress, fun teambuilding games, behavior management, and effective communication. Not only did the Staffies get to learn some good information from other camp professionals about what it takes to be a good counselor, they also spent time meeting teens from other camps, and hearing about what those LIT, CIT, and Jr. Counselor jobs are like! It’s amazing how different their jobs are from what the Staff Assistants do at our camp.
I believe there were two highlights of the day—one was fun and the second a little more serious. The first fun highlight was definitely our “Leisurely Lunch” of pizza. Leisurely Lunch is an idea Zach wants to see take flight this summer. Instead of rushing through the meal to get to bunk time, he’s asked the Staff Assistants to try to eat at a slower pace and spend the whole mealtime together, talking about everything from camp to sports to current events. So, we practiced and ended up being the last people in the lunchroom besides the cleanup crew!
 |
| Our Leisurely Lunch let us enjoy each others company. |
The other highlight was the Keynote Session by Michael Brandwein. Michael is a well-known and frequent ACA conference speaker, and is the author of many books that we use as resources for the training of our leadership team, counselors, and general preparation for camp. This particular session was about dispelling the myth that great leaders are “born with it,” and he worked hard to convince us that there are many things one can learn to do that will make them a better leader and therefore a better camp counselor for children. Just like a trick can be practiced over and over again to look like it’s magic, he assured us that there are many things you can practice doing, and you’ll get better at, to make you a leader.
 |
| Our Staff Assistants (top) pay close attention to Michael Brandwein (bottom) as he shows some tricks, and teaches about being a leader. |
After a wrap- up session and debrief, we got some awesome t-shirts (what camp person doesn’t love a t-shirt?) and headed back to NJ. Our conversation on the way home was about their excitement for, that one day in the future, starting their first summer as a camp counselor so that they could practice what they learned. Although they aren’t counselors yet, I told them that there were two things they could do this summer to prepare for being a counselor. First, they can observe the counselors at camp this summer, to see if they do some of those skills that they had learned would make them better leaders. Second, I assured them there were plenty of ways they could start practicing what they learned about being a counselor this summer when they are staff assistants. They live in the dorms with the campers, eat meals in the dining hall with them, help run evening activities, and can be with the kids at activities. In all of those situations, there are small things they can do to show that they care for the campers and want to be good leaders. After all, it’s definitely not too early to start the preparations for 2013 when they can be counselors!
Until the next blog,
Teri
