1. TRAINING
DAY CAMP STAFF
to exceed expectations!
Deborah Gilboa, MD

2. Camp requires: Camper-focused Able to follow rules and schedules
Consistency
Qualified applicants
Staff commit to the job and show up for it
People who work hard

3. Young Adult Patterns: Brain changes
Develops from “back to front”
Gray matter getting pruned to make connections more efficient and specialized
Emotions stronger than judgment AND very idealistic and cause-oriented
Young Adult Patterns: Brain changes

4. Young adult expect this job to:
Camp fun!
Flexible
Appreciative
Young adult expect this job to:

5. The Solutions Understanding GENZ
Prove the value of a camp job to your community
Involving parents the right way
They will get involved anyway
Partner with them to stress their kids to grow
Set the bar HIGHER not lower for your staff
Making staff better, more effective, not happy

6. GenZ Up to age 21 Influences Core values (or 24, depending)
Never lived a day without the internet/Digital natives
“Always on”
Co-creating culture with the influencers
Drone parenting
Receding economy, huge educational costs
Core values
Change the world
Anyone can be “famous” - recognition
Empathetic self-starters
Uniqueness/authenticity/creativity Shareability
Suspect dishonesty
Ideas, not age or seniority, should rule

7. With staff-aged students
Prove the Value
What’s your camp’s REP?
In community
With parents
With staff-aged students
Build Reputation
To community
To parents
To staff

8. Demonstrate the value of working at camp
Review Expectation
Setting Strategies
Ask someone else to read your staff manual , give you feedback on materials and trainning
Engage Parents
Start from the :same page:
Share their goals
“Of course you know this!”
Here’s how you can help your child achieve!
Demonstrate the value of working at camp
Before summer starts
Demonstrate the value to individuals of working at camp (college, etc)

9. Unsafe vs Uncomfortable

10. Successful rules Identify “problem” rules Match rule to the mission
If you can’t explain the rule to yourself, ditch it
Don’t be afraid of “why”

11. How can you start the uncomfortable vs unsafe conversation?
Community – what is a strategy that might change your rep in the community as a summer job?
Staff – knowing what you know now about GENZ what will you change? What isn’t working? What is?)
Parents – what do parents need? How will you get them there? What could you do that would goal share and recruit parents to your view?
How can you start the uncomfortable vs unsafe conversation?
Pick a Question:

12. Pre-interview Expectation Setting
Build sense of mission
Explain challenges
Promise rewards
Pre-interview Expectation Setting

13. Before anyone signs the contract
What do you need to know
What do you need them to know
WHY??

14. Between signing and showing up
Mental health strengthening – microactions, positive coping mechanisms
Community-building – make them part of something!
Help them with Future-feeling
Streamline and connect your rules to your mission

15. Pick a Question
How have you handled mental health struggles in staff and what might you do differently?
What are “deal-breakers” that you’d rather they didn’t sign the contract?
Interview expectation setting – what might you change in what you’re asking or telling in interview to get the staff you need?
What rules get the most push back and how can you explain the why of those rules in the context of your mission?

16. Being a counselor at your camp builds the adults your community needs
Parents are still raising your counselors – make them part of your solution
Mental health IS the conversation to have
GenZ wants you to ask more of them – MISSION is how you do it
Don’t Forget!

17. Dr. G has digital resources YOU need for your families!
Pick a time to talk to her about it! (click this!)