Leaders Assembly 2018

Inspired by Janusz Korczak's ideas on the rights of children, during this session you rethink and transform how you approach behavior management of young campers. Participants will explore how to address the specific developmental needs of young campers and learn effective communication strategies. You will gain tools to bring back to camp, to build a respectful community that empowers children and counselors to play, learn and grow.

This workshop will support camp directors and high level leadership in preparing staff training on mental health. You will learn what to teach vs. what not to teach when training staff, how to best equip staff while emphasizing boundaries (for those who are not mental health professionals), and ways to empower counselors to identify red flags through conversation. We will discuss how to communicate the mental-health procedures at your camp, including when to loop in additional support and who those people are and what the process will be to get young people support when a mental health issue arises. This workshop will provide tangible resources and handouts for camp leadership to use and/or personalize for summer staff training.

All the values that parents strive to instill in their kids can be learned at camp! All the educational moments that happen when there is time for exploration, creativity and curiosity, happen at camp. If a child is ready for preschool, they're ready to benefit from camp. Dr. G will clarify the truths that camp people have known for decades: that camp is the place to set young children up for success in school, at home and in life. Day camp experiences for the youngest children teach them to respect themselves and others, to recognize and do their best to meet obligations, and how to bounce back when there are obstacles. Get the language you need to attract parents and families to this fantastic opportunity, and the vision that will help you train counselors to not just keep kids safe but to set them on the path to happiness.

Research shows that out of the approximately 5.3 million Jewish adults living in the United States, nearly 662,500 have experienced some form of childhood maltreatment that will have life-long consequences. As camp professionals, we have the unique opportunity to recognize and respond to children and families dealing with maltreatment (i.e. emotional neglect, exposure to violence, etc.). This session will help you build a supportive camper care program for children who have experienced trauma or maltreatment and assist in guiding staff as they respond to and engage with campers.

In this session you will explore the reasons some campers (and staff) garner a lot of attention and others do not. We will discuss why this happens, who gets the focus and who does not and what to do about this issue. You will also learn how this connects to discipline, programming, relationship building and how to insure that all campers (and staff) have our attention as needed. Understanding the group dynamics of camp groups can help all the other aspects of camp counseling and supervision to be more intentional.

Can we even hug kids anymore? Camps are asking the essential question: How do we protect kids while still having fun and providing them with experiences that make camp the incredible place we know it to be? This session will address the realities of child abuse, how to protect campers, educate staff, and craft effective policies to keep camp and campers safe. This session will help camps proactively prepare and respond to allegations of abuse and children in crisis.

Growth mindset is the belief that talent is just a starting point and that ability can grow with hard work, persistence, and application of strategies. Recent research has confirmed that a growth mindset is a tremendous asset to future success in academics, athletics, and the career world. What better place to cultivate and develop the power of a growth mindset than at Jewish camp? A growth mindset helps kids to persevere through challenges, embrace risks, and overcome failure. In this session, you will break down the brain science of mindsets and equip leaders with the tools to develop growth mindsets in campers (and staff!) through a variety of meaningful, memorable, and easy-to-implement tools and activities. You will leave this session with an understanding of growth mindsets and strategies to help you positively impact and influence life at camp!

Sleep matters whether at home or at camp. In order to thrive at camp, you need sleep. Amidst the busy, active days, everyone can experience what great sleep feels like. As camp professionals, you have the power of instilling good sleep habits into your community. Who knew that, camp may be just the recipe we all need to experience a great night’s sleep!

Camp is a sacred, beautiful, fun, and connective place, where the ultimate goal is the happiness and wellbeing of every camper. How can you create an incredible experience for each camper? How great would it feel to be better prepared to serve them in any situation that arises? How awesome would it be to feel complete confidence in your ability to nurture their wellbeing? During this experiential session you will build a Happy Camper Toolbox. Session objectives include, understanding what has the biggest impact on a camper’s happiness and you will learn the tools that you can use to serve and nurture your campers. You will walk away with a complete Happy Camper Toolbox.