Three Real-World Aquatic Emergencies
In Camp Waterfront Management ($24.95 on Amazon), author Cathy Scheder emphasizes the distinction between lifeguards’ certifications and their competence. Scheder, who also holds a doctorate in educational leadership and serves on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, was one of the first aquatic professionals to advocate for rigorous on-site lifeguard training and skills verification.
Power Praise In Programs
The phrase “effective praise” might sound redundant. All praise feels good and increases desirable behaviors, right? Wrong. Some forms of praise fall flat and do little to shape future behavior.
Five Ways To Wreck Empathy
Let’s get three things straight. First, empathy is not a soft skill. It’s much harder to express effectively than most people realize.
Selling For Social And Emotional Success
Admiring a photograph of an expert climber flashing a frosty smile and waving a tiny flag on the summit of Mount Everest is radically different from actual Himalayan mountaineering.
What’s The Problem Now?
Relationships form the heart of the camp experience. Dynamic programs, beautiful settings and lofty missions have little value without sterling leadership (staff/camper relationships) and
The Well-Trained Staff
Welcome to the debut of Camp Business’s new column on staff training. Dr. Chris Thurber, one of the most sought-after camp consultants, responds to reader queries, and offers cutting-edge, turnkey content
Play The Part
“In theory, role-plays are supposed to teach by offering staff practice with key skills. But in practice, role-plays often flop. They either escalate into hyperbole or degenerate into
Feedback For Staff
"Chris, my supervisory staff members don’t always know the best way to provide feedback to their counselors. Most of the time, they see what needs improvement but don’t say anything
Competition Conundrum
"We try to emphasize safety and fun at Laney, even in competitive games and sports Although I’ve read some passionate arguments opposed to any form of competition, campers seem to
Leadership By Example
“Chris, in my early years as a camp director, I never worried about the off-season behavior of my staff. Now that staff members photograph and post most of their social lives online, I’m
Six Lessons Lifeguards Must Learn
Directors at camps and other youth programs work hard to staff pools and waterfronts with certified lifeguards. That’s a good start, but to prevent accidents and to run a top-notch
Spirituality At Camp
The first camp directors were iconoclasts, a description that seems rather unspiritual. But nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of shying away from the spiritual aspects of camp,
Sidestepping Stereotypes
Alongside the pop-culture image of summer camps as frivolous playgrounds for food fights and panty raids lie insidious and maladaptive gender-role stereotypes. Boys’ camps are thought to be full of ma
Integrating The Relaxation Response
Millennia before Harvard University’s Dr. Herbert Benson documented the health benefits of the relaxation response in humans, Eastern and Western religions quietly espoused mindful
The Beauties Of Camp Duties
Promotional materials for most day- and resident camps tout a sense of community and increased self-reliance as outcomes. Naturally, the materials highlight the camp’s facilities and activities, but f
Leadership After Failure
onference workshops, camp publications, and staff training manuals are replete with inspirational advice on exactly how to get it right. This is how to lead a group. This is how to discipline children. This is how to run stellar activity periods.
Lifelong Leaders
I had a surreal experience in February at the National Association of Independent Schools conference in Washington, D.C. I’d been invited to present a workshop called Cracking Kids’ Secret Code, one o
Talking To Lifeguards
Larry, the waterfront director at Camp Whatsit, was on top of his game. He boasted new certifications in swimming instruction and lifeguarding from national organizations, had been teaching swimming for four years at his town’s parks and rec department, and even turned down an offer to be the head lifeguard at the local beach to become the waterfront director at Camp Whatsit.
Staying Relevant
Among the most difficult leadership transitions is that from camper to staff member. Indeed, challenges facing new leaders include:
For Juniors’ Sake
First, the good news: Your youngest staff members possess a brand of exuberance, creativity, and playfulness that older employees do not. That positive energy is a tremendous asset to the camp.