The American Camping Association offers an outdoor living skills program that promotes understanding of the natural environment and the value of minimum impact camping. The program is based on five levels and encompasses six skill areas. It can be adapted to any age group and to venues such as day camps, residential camps, outdoor education, or…

The most essential set of skills that camp directors can impart to staff are effective group skills. One trick to working with campers in groups is to formalize brief meetings as part of the program. Types of meetings described are daily group, bunk, or cabin meetings; briefing and debriefing before and after activities; public appreciation;…

Advocates restoring vision of early outdoor education leaders for the welfare of children and the strengthening of society through enlightened policy of recruitment, sensitive appraisal of camp activities, and realistic staff training programs. Details purposes and activities to include in 15-25 hour staff field training model. (NEC)

Transmitted by mosquitos, West Nile virus may cause serious illness, but the actual likelihood of infection is low. Prevention, implications, and recommendations for camps are discussed. Poison ivy identification, treatment, and complications are presented; a prevention quiz is included. Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease are described, as are…

Discusses the psychology of anger as a basis for dealing with anger-related problems that arise at camp. Camp staff may have problems with anger that are not identified by staff screening. The camp staff manual should contain a written policy regarding overt displays of anger. Guidelines suggest the use of anger during conflict resolution. (CDS)

Having a designated safety expert at camp creates a culture of safety. The Gene Ezersky Camp Safety College, which certifies safety directors, has identified seven areas of camp that should be the focus of the safety director: kitchen and food services, health and sanitation, emergency preparation and management, leadership training, facility…

Camp counselors in training (CIT) are usually adolescents. CIT programs must support teens through their developmental changes and provide opportunities to practice activity and life skills in a safe environment. Developmental tasks teens face are identified and elements of a strong CIT program are discussed. Sidebars present teen trends and…

Steps in developing a camp staff handbook include considering its intended uses, choosing a name, deciding on the handbook's size and the cover's style and design, choosing and sequencing topics and subtopics, and designing the layout of each page. Eye-catching ways to present information and tips for refreshing an old handbook are discussed. (SV)

Returning camp staff can help build a team environment with new staff during precamp activities. A panel of experienced staff can answer questions and previous emergencies can be reviewed to build risk management expertise. Three games are described in which returning staff can share knowledge in a fun way. (TD)

How a camp responds to a crisis may determine whether it can survive financially. Effective risk management requires total commitment from ownership and management, and staff involvement. Steps in formulating a risk management plan include identifying all potential crises and their frequency and severity potential, developing responses,…

Presents an exercise to encourage camp staff to appreciate their responsibilities by composing a letter from a parent to a staff person expressing feelings, expectations, worries, and hopes about camp. The exercise focuses on guiding staff to generate an action plan to meet these expectations. Gives sample hypothetical letter from parent. (TD)

Camp counselors who are "life changers" nurture relationships within which others can grow and explore. They challenge children to reinvent the boundaries of what they expect of themselves. Such people have common characteristics that include love, humor, forgiveness, honesty, humility, encouragement, generosity, and integrity. The…

Presents strategies for making peak moments happen at camp. One camp made it a priority for counselors to do little things for campers. One counselor started a bedtime ritual where campers discussed the day's highlights and thanked someone. Another strategy involved campers writing positive notes to each other. Proclaiming one day to be…

Discusses how to encourage creative journal keeping among campers during camping trips. Tips include keep it simple, don't present it as an assignment, the counselor should make entries, allow an open format, vary the writing time, make it a group effort, and send it home. (TD)

A food service director for a YMCA camp offers advice on conducting yearly in-house training for camp cooks. Training resources could include a camp-specific training manual, training videos, training guidebooks, and demonstration of kitchen equipment. Health department issues should be covered during training. Kitchen resources from the American…