My first summer working at camp was 2006 (OMG–am I that ancient?!?!--yes.). I don’t remember much at all about staff training that first year. I do remember:
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Feeling really weird when I figured out that I was one of two new staff members (the camp where I was hired had an incredibly high return rate)
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Feeling really weird about having to do a swim check moments after I first arrived
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Assuming these two counselors were dating each other and being mortified when I found out they were actually siblings.
What I don’t remember is a single educational session–EXCEPT I very clearly remember the half day that Scott Arizala came in as a guest trainer.
Seventeen years (again, OMG) later–I remember a half day of camp staff training. I remember how he taught us to talk with kids in a positive voice (this session of his is called “Don’t Think About the Rules”). I also remember:
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The team-building exercises he did
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The stories he told (for those of you who have listened to Scott, you’ve probably heard Cat Girl).
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The feeling of being pretty intimidated by just about everyone at camp (Don’t worry, they are now all my friends! But it was a rough start)
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The 15 minutes I got with Scott on the dining hall steps to get some advice and assuage my fears
If you look back at my diary from that week (actually, don’t do that–take my word for it), you’ll see that 15 minutes talking with Scott made the difference from me wanting to jet out of there and quit to me being willing to give the summer a try. And I’m glad I did! Here I am, almost two decades later, working on helping emerging camp staff in the same way that Scott helped me.
As you plan your summer, I hope you’ll remember Scott’s lasting impact on me as a young camp counselor. I also hope you’ll think about the following benefits to yourself, your team, and your overall program as you consider making the investment in an outside trainer and/or convince your supervisor/board to agree. This type of commitment is so, so worthwhile.
10 Reasons to Hire an Outside Trainer
10. Planning a great staff training day takes time. When you delegate some of that planning to a guest trainer, you save preseason time and energy for everything else you have to do.
9. The chance for inspiration: Trainers have the stories that tug on your heartstrings; that are a call to action; that remind camp staff why they’re doing this important work.
8. Oftentimes, staff members (especially new ones) don’t ask critical questions to their supervisors because they don’t want to “look stupid.” They sometimes feel more comfortable getting advice from a guest trainer.
7. From songs and games to dealing with homesickness, camps around the country have great new ideas. Guest trainers get to see the best of the best. Trainers share this information as we go from camp to camp.
6. Oftentimes guest trainers can say the same message that you’ve been saying for forever, and the staff will start to listen. They realize that your message about supervision, time off behavior isn’t just your thing but an important reality.
5. Let’s face it: the days leading up to camp are filled with staff training and getting everything else ready for opening day. When you turn time over to a guest trainer, you can participate alongside your staff, which is symbolically very powerful–and also gives you the opportunity to observe them and get to know them with a new lens.
4. It’s another way to show your staff you care about their growth and professional development—evidence for Project Real Job —and provides them with a lasting connection in the camping world. We often hear from counselors who saw us at their camps during training when they are looking to make decisions about grad school, are seeking full-time camping jobs, or need help with a new initiative or a problem at camp.
3. A trainer looks at your way of doing things from a different angle. Trainers don’t just give advice to staff; they help you refine multiple aspects of your program simply from being embedded with you for part or all of a day.
2. If you're looking to shift gears on an aspect of your camp's culture, trainers can sow the seeds of cultural change (seriously, we have session designed just for that). Culture shifts can be hard for returning staff to get on board with because they feel like they know you, they know camp, and they know the direction. Bringing in an outsider trainer shakes things up and shows a commitment to something new.
1. It shows camp staff that they are part of not just one camp but the entire camping movement. And that’s a powerful thing.
The Math
A Note From Allison
Outside trainers obviously cost money to bring in BUT there are trainers at so many different price points and they are so worth it. Not only from the benefits listed above, but they can actually make your camp money in the long run. How? Let’s crunch some numbers.
Let’s use these numbers for example:
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Cost of Trainer: $2,500
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Average Amount Campers Pay for Camp: $750
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Hard Cost Per Camper: $450
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Profit from Each Camper: $300
Okay, I know what you’re thinking - “That profit is already budgeted to somewhere else. It’s all budgeted.” Sure, I’m a Y person, I get it.
BUT what that doesn’t take into consideration is that unless you’re completely full and can’t fit another bed anywhere (call me, we’ll fit some beds in), you have room to make more money. AND if you are already full, you have a lot on the line to fill the same number of beds next year.
If an outside trainer is $2,500 and I make $300 per camper, I just need NINE campers to either come for another week of camp, recruit a friend, or be locked in for next summer to make it worth it. Nine campers isn’t that hard, and it is WAY easier if you have an awesome staff that an outside trainer helped make more awesome.
If ONE counselor goes from meh to awesome because of an outside trainer, the math makes sense.
Want to train with us?
We have an awesome team of trainers with different price points, in different areas of the country, and with different experiences. Reach out to Allison at allison@thesummercampsociety.com to start the conversation.
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