Behind the Scenes of Staff Training: How Staff Prepare For The Summer At Kippewa
Have You Ever Wondered How Staff Prepare For The Summer At Kippewa?
PRE-CAMP TRAININGS AND PROGRAM PREPARATIONS
Pre-Camp and Staff Orientation are critical parts of every summer at camp. Specialized trainings and orientation take place in the weeks leading up to camper arrival. Counselors arrive early to receive certifications in specialized areas such as archery and ropes, and swim and boating staff brave the lake in May to receive their waterfront lifeguard certifications. Equestrian staff use the additional time to make sure our 50+ horses are ready for the upcoming lessons. Camp is a busy place weeks before our campers ever arrive!
STAFF ORIENTATION
Traditional staff training, or “Orientation” begins 8 days before opening day. During this time new and returning staff members come together to become the Kippewa staff for the upcoming season. Every summer is unique and it’s important for us to build the camaraderie and feeling of teamwork and family that is a central part of Kippewa.
Orientation consists of three primary objectives.
Preparing to teach our campers: Staff work with experienced program leaders to create lesson plans and organize materials for teaching activities; they familiarize themselves with equipment and set up lesson spaces in their activity areas; counselors practice teaching lessons to each other to make sure they are fully comfortable and ready to help campers learn and grow.
Immersion in the Kippewa culture: Learning and understanding the Kippewa culture includes everything from tours and team-building activities to learning camp songs, forming friendships, experiencing favorite evening activities and special events, practicing a Kippewa cook-out, and more. We try to give everyone a taste of camp life and energy before campers make their way down Kippy Road.
Learning about working with our campers: This is one of the most critical parts of preparing for the summer. We want to make sure our counselors are as ready as possible to greet our campers! We practice a variety of role plays including scenarios that can take place in bunks and activities; work through how to help a homesick camper; discuss what it means to transition into a new environment; problem solve together how to approach difficult conversations; and go over different age groups and what to expect and how to best care for campers of all ages.
The over-arching goal is for our staff to feel comfortable, supported, and ready to greet our campers with enthusiasm and confidence. By the end of Orientation the counselors just can’t wait for our campers to arrive!
Please check back in for future blog posts detailing some of the trainings we do with our staff. We hope it is helpful to get a bit of a peek behind the curtain of how we make the magic happen each year!
