American staff, interviews

I just read an interesting article in the Boston Globe, written by a Babson College professor. It is entitled "My lazy American students". At Maine Arts Camp, we run a shorter camp season than most camps (5 weeks), with most staff only staying for 4 weeks. Since we run for such a short time, we don't hire international staff like most camps, as those staff come on longer visas. Some of the article certainly rings true, as last year we did have a problem with some staff texting and/or taking cell phone calls while on duty. It was limited to just a few staff, even though we made it clear in our Staff Handbook and at staff training that while on duty, the only time staff would use their cell phone would be a camp related call. We have also had to talk with staff about checking e-mail during meals a couple of years ago. We will make our policies even clearer this summer during staff training and discuss the rationale. Any camp staff need to understand that if the campers can be unplugged, the staff needs to set an example and do the same. Taking a summer camp job is different than working a 9-5 job and staff need to set aside some of their normal habits. As a whole, I think that our staff are quite good and dedicated to working with campers. The interview process is the key. If we receive a staff application and the reason that the applicant wants to work at our camp is to just have fun, we move on to other applicants. During the phone or in person interview, and through checking references, we can also quickly gather what level of dedication an applicant will have toward being a camp counselor. I think that the professor from Babson (the author of the article) is probably accurate as a whole, but there are lots of quality American staff working at camp. Camp directors just need to be picky, which is easy with so many people looking for summer camp jobs. If you're looking for some good interview questions, we have sat in on a good ACA workshop with Gary Forster. Noel Corpuel of Camp Wayne is also quite expert at staff interviews. We appreciate all of the great resources and fellow camp directors, but these two come to mind first.

Rick Mades
owner of Camp Finders & MySummers
owner/director of Maine Arts Camp

Pick an activity night - evening activities

We just spent the week in New England, visiting with interested families and meeting some talented staff applicants. Often parents ask us what we do for evening activities. About once a week, we do a "Pick an activity" night. Kids like to choose their activities, especially with how structured school and some camps can be. What we try to do is find special talents that our camp staff have. If the staff can offer something special that is meaningful to them, it is easy to get excited about the activity and sell it to the kids. We have each staff put on a quick skit so that the campers can figure out what activity is for them. It is interesting how some activities would be loads of fun for the kids, but the staff doesn't sell their idea enough. Each staff member needs to figure a fun way to present their activity to hook the kids. We usually have one or two arts activities, one or two active options, maybe cooking, karaoke and more. Lots of fun! The key is that the staff needs to feel empowered and energized and part of a team. For good information on team building, read this article. For a good resource on activities for camp, go to the Ultimate Camp Resource.

Rick Mades
owner of Camp Finders and MySummers
owner/director of Maine Arts Camp

Interviews, staffing

We're on the road in New England, meeting with families interested in Maine Arts Camp and interviewing staff applicants. With the current economy, there are so many quality teacher and professionals looking for summer work. We had one of our best days ever for interviewing on Thursday. We met with a professional woodworker who specializes in marquetry. Unity College has a incredibly well equipped woodshop and we will be adding woodworking as an activity this summer. It should be a hit for both boys and girls as they learn some basic skills that one can't find in schools any more. We also met an experienced and interesting art teacher, with over 20 years teaching elementary through college. We met with a dance instructor from Belfast, Maine, as well as a drumming and guitar instructor from the area. Being at Unity College, the surrounding areas are chock full of creative professionals, educators and artists. As for parents, we just met with two families in CT and hope to meet more in the Boston area tomorrow. Overall, a fruitful trip!

Rick Mades
owner of Camp Finders and MySummers
owner/director of Maine Arts Camp

Staff retention

I'm on the e-mail list for a blog by Steve Maguire. Steve is a dynamic speaker that I met last February at a camping conference. After reading his last blog, I started to be more proactive with staff from last summer. Thinking she wasn't going to be asked back, one of our staff who we would like back had already started to apply to other camps. We only gave her positive feedback over the past two summers, so that was a surprise. We needed to contact her earlier, probably in October sometime. After contacting the returning staff we want back, I already have a good idea about what areas we need to start addressing. We have moved our camp from Bethel, Maine to Unity College, in Unity, Maine. It is a very exciting time as the communities around Unity, especially Belfast, seem to be very artsy & full of creative and talented teachers. We need to transfer that message to parents and staff, to get them ready for a new adventure this summer. Within the week, I'll follow several of Steve's suggestions, including either listing returning staff at our Facebook page or e-mailing staff directly about summer 2010. He has many other great suggestions, including getting their input about camp (we have done this by phone over the past few weeks and by evaluation forms at the end of the summer), thinking about ways returning staff can take on new responsibilities and leadership roles, and getting out summer 2010 agreements in the past few weeks. Here is the full article from Steve's blog. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Rick Mades
owner of Camp Finders and MySummers
owner/director of Maine Arts Camp

Internships, summer camp jobs

With the job market so weak, it makes sense for college students to look into internships. While any internships are unpaid positions, think outside the box and apply for a summer camp job. Most camp directors will be open to filling out the paperwork needed for an internship if they can get quality staff. Even better, camp jobs have a salary so college students get invaluable experience while still helping to cover their expenses for the rest of the year. If a college student wants to gain independence, instead of living at home for the summer and taking the typical retail or restaurant job, take a job at a sleepaway camp. Besides a salary, room and board is included. Yes, that's free food! I used to work at a day/boarding school in Florida and a fellow teacher had a joke he used to tell (and still does!). He said the more you eat, the more you make (you may not want to go overboard on this advice though). Another advantage to working at a sleepaway camp is that many of the camps are in the middle of nowhere, so there is less opportunity to spend what you earn during the summer.

To make the most of your summer camp job/internship, go to Quint Careers for some great advice. Who can benefit from working at a sleepaway camp? When I did my student teaching (math) at Newton South High School in 1990, the department head told me that openings for math teachers only come available every 5-6 years at his school. He also told me that when 50-60 applications come through, he first looks for someone who has worked at a sleepaway camp. Living with kids 24/7 takes a strong commitment and future teachers learn so much about themselves and children in such a job. Besides teachers, learning to work with your peers as part of a team transfers to the business world. By being a camp counselor, one learns how to think out of the box and be creative in problem solving. Good counselors also learn how to ask for help and how to take the initiative.

So, where and when to start? Contact career services at your school and inquire about what it would take to make a summer camp job into an internship. Then, in talking with camp directors, you'll be able to show right away how mature and organized you are. As to when, late fall/early winter is when camps start to hear back from returning staff. So, start the application process in November and you'll have better choices than waiting until late Spring.

There are plenty of web sites that will help you find camp jobs. One is MySummers, the site that I have been running since 1999. About 50 camps subscribe to the site and are looking for quality camp counselors.

Best of luck in your search for a wonderful summer camp job!

Rick Mades
owner of Camp Finders and MySummers
owner/director of Maine Arts Camp

personal growth

Overnight camp provides a wonderful place for children to grow, gain independence, learn to work through problems without the help of a parent and become part of a community. Often campers come back from camp more confident and willing to try new things. Children can also discover new interests, meet interesting young adults (the staff) as well as re-define themselves at their second home. As a side benefit, when former campers go to college, they have already worked through feelings of homesickness as a camper and are more likely to adjust to being away from home. Camp also creates a different learning environment than school, one where there is pressure from grades and other obligations children have at home. Children can also connect with nature and the outdoors, learn in more active ways than they do in school, and create lifetime bonds with their new friends. For a great article about children growing at camp (and having fun!), read what Chris Thurber, an academic psychologist with years at camp has to say. I have sat in on many workshops run by Chris. He is knowledgeable, has hands on experience at camp, and a great sense of humor. I highly recommend Chris' book, the Summer Camp Handbook.

Rick Mades
owner of Camp Finders and MySummers
owner/director of Maine Arts Camp

Cooking activities at camp

The camp that I direct, Maine Arts Camp, is quite different than traditional camps. We have no team sports, Color War, intercamp competition and more. In creating programs that of our interest to our campers, we try to think out of the box. Our campers love to cook! If you are looking for some new and exciting offerings for your campers, adding a cooking activity, with the right staff running it, will create a buzz among the campers. Although our cooking program is extensive and we're looking to expand it this year by hiring two full time culinary arts instructors, any camp can start out small. Some of your counselor staff may already have some experience in the kitchen. Check out some of our recipes from summer 2008. The baking recipes may be some of the easier ones to use. There is even a Food Network that is solely dedicated to cooking. Try contacting colleges that offer an AA degree in culinary arts. The college students could work as a bunk counselor and teach cooking. Remember, save a dessert for me, preferably something chocolate!

Rick Mades
owner of Camp Finders and MySummers
owner/director of Maine Arts Camp