Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/05/start-camp-2025 If we were starting a summer camp from scratch, here’s what we can do! 200 episodes and over 14 years, the CampHacker Podcast has been around literally so long that we actually can’t find the first few episodes (seriously, if you find th…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/05/camp-pro-adhd You can be a camp professional and have ADHD - there are lots of us out there! You probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that as we have gotten more comfortable talking about exceptionalities, disabilities or diversabilities, the rate of …

Send us a Text Message. https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/05/camp-2035 How are you doing at pushing past the overwhelm and considering the big picture? If you’re reading this on release (mid-May) - it may feel impossible to get out of the weeds and think about the future. That’s fair - and - in order for our industry, and even our camps to make it…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/04/13-tips-for-new-camp-pros New and new-ish Camp Directors, this one is for you. Kick some butt this summer. There are a TON of full-time camp professionals that have entered the industry post-COVID. For those of us that have been around for a while, we k…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/04/what-they-dont-get What is one thing you learned working at camp that surprises people when you talk about? The fact that people don’t understand what we do full-time is not just and “us” problem - it’s a problem for our entire industry. It’s annoying a…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/03/choice-based Elective-based, choice-based, whatever you call it, it just may be the future of camper programs. We welcome back one of our original hosts, Dan Weir and welcome back Jack Schott from The Summer Camp Society (and TSCS Podcast!) to unpack al…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/03/our-advice-to-new-staff What are the most important things staff need to know to be successful this summer? Right now (March), camp directors everywhere are starting to think about staff training…or, intending to do so at least. There are a trillion thi…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/gen-z Unlocking the Potential of Gen-Z at Summer Camp Staffing continues to be one of the biggest thorns in the paws of our industry. It’s a challenge that isn’t likely to go away soon, so what can we do to ride this wave, rather than just letting it crash int…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/power-between-people With great power comes…well, you know the rest. We all know that even in the sunshine and butterflies that is summer camp, there is evil lurking about. An evil that affects people and communities from all over. It has a name, too. Are you …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/02/retain-staff The number one recruiting tactic? You got it - retaining! As the summer creeps closer, the staffing woes of the industry rear it’s ugly head again. Wouldn’t it be great if staffing wasn’t the thing that stole your focus from creating the be…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/01/camps-and-ai Is AI going to ruin the summer camp industry? AI really proliferated right before we all went to camp in 2023. Some of us started playing with it, but over the summer, while we were living in our “unplugged” utopia, many parts of the world …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/good-for-everyone Just BEING at camp is a good thing - the science proves it! We intuitively know that camp is a good thing. We can tell a million heart-filled stories about how camp changes lives. But as you all know, the proof is certainly in the pudding - s…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2024/01/climate-change Recycling programs and talking nature education programs are only step 1. When we talked about climate change and camp 10 years ago, the conversation usually was about how we can be a bit more sustainable, how to teach campers about natur…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/12/giving-up-on-dei Where did the momentum go? We believe that summer camp should be an accessible place where individuals feel welcome and included for the unique and wonderful things they bring to the community. Right? While many camps would say that the…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/the-pudding/being-in-nature And are we thinking about “nature” too specifically? Being in nature is good for us - we know this intuitively. But did you know that science backs this up? It is proven, beyond doubt, that being in nature decreases anxiety, decreases ruminatio…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/12/demographics-tcsc Are you being thoughtful about how a changing demographic will affect your camp? Whether you are a camp with a wait-list, or you’re hoping for a few more “bums in bunks”, something that we need to seriously be thinking about is the pot…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/11/no-tech Is the “no technology” policy at your camp compatible with the campers of today? “No technology at camp” is a sacred part of many of our summer camp cultures. The value of unplugging. Being “in the moment”. “Being real” are all things plastered …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/11/parent-coms-2023 How confident are you that your camp parents will read and act on your emails? Getting your information to parents. The most necessary and maybe one of the most difficult parts of the job. Even though the communication landscape is cons…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/11/camp-magic How do you measure magic? Every camp professional, whether new or seasoned, knows what we mean when we say “camp magic”. For most of us, we think of camp magic as this ethereal, indescribable, ever-present part of camp. This “magic” is what m…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/11/small-systems It doesn’t take as much as you think to set yourself up for long-term efficacy. Travis is joined by Dr. Lydia Hughes Evans to discuss systems of project management, personal efficacy and organizational development that any camp pro can pic…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/10/decoding-research What is research, and what can it be for camp pros? We need to start here. Before we get into how to use research to empower our marketing and recruiting efforts, we need to unpack the basics of research. So, whether you’re a research …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/10/setting-and-honoring-boundaries - We are good at so many things as camp pros. Boundaries, writ-large, is not one of those things. We are excited to kick off this, the 13th season of CampHacker with an episode that will especially resonate with those com…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/08/the-intersection-of-camp-and-research Did you know that the positive experience of summer camp is a proven fact? Yes. It is! In this new mini-series from Go Camp Pro, join Dr. Mandi Baker and Travis Allison to focus in on prominent and emerging research…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/06/30-tools - What will you be putting your brain to keep you focused this summer? Well folks, if you’re reading this in June - you’re in it now! Us, too! As we wrap up this season to take our focus to the summer, we want to leave you with a wickedly pract…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/05/alumni-community - Do you wish your camp had the benefits of an engaged alumni community? It’s a gift to have a group of people that intimately “get” what your camp is all about. And, alumni can be like getting a gym membership or Ikea furniture as a gi…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/05/new-career-new-camp What would we do if we were starting at a completely new to us summer camp? We’re so grateful to have one of our founding CampHacker hosts Dan Weir join us this episode. Welcome back, Dan! To support the vast number of new camp direc…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/04/staff-and-boundaries How much do we really need to accommodate this generation of camp staff? Okay, that header is a little misleading. Don’t mistake this podcast for one big “okay boomer” rant. This conversation about summer staff and meeting them wher…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/04/partnering-with-parents-in-2023 It's time to adapt to post-pandemic parents! We need to adapt a whole lot as camp directors. On the checklist of “things we need to re-assess every 5 or so years”, parents are certainly on that list. As the majority of ou…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/03/setting-summer-staff-up-for-success - If the success of your camp is your responsibility, then the success of your staff is your responsibility. The idea that our summer staff need to be set up for success is one of those ideas that is intuitive, yet ex…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/03/camp-program-of-the-future - 10 years from now, are you going to be proud of the program decisions that you made today? Last episode, we unpacked the types of programs that we think it’s time to say goodbye to. And because we all know how annoying it is…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/02/camp-programs-let-go Should They Stay or Should They Go Now? Being a culture of change is essential for any camp that wants to be around for a long time. True camp pros know this, live this and breathe this, but even the best of the best can fall prey t…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/02/motivation-morale - When it’s been a few months without staff or kids, how do you and your year-round team remind yourself why you do what you do? Please review us! - Click here! We tell our seasonal staff that a summer of camp is a marathon, not a spri…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2023/01/physical-mental-wellness - It’s not the same staff as 2010, so why are we treating their wellness like they are? We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again - this is not the same staffing generation as it was pre-pandemic. We’re rebuilding so many of …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/12/staff-from-scratch - This is definitely a “glass-half-full” type of situation… For better or for worse, it’s more than likely that we’ve all had to “start from scratch” at some point in the last 3 years. However, starting from scratch with your staff te…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/12/all-tows - Our favourite annual traditional…you know…besides camp! Look what’s back, back again, all TOWs back, tell a friend! Your good friends Chris, Gabz, Travis and Joe all share different “tools” that make their lives better in the categories… 2 to…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/12/jcamp180-is-supporting-jewish-camps - A vision for the future of summer camp support. What would it look like if organizations outside your camp understood the community-building power of summer camp? We know that camp builds connections that last forev…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/11/next-summer-not-alone - It’s time to start thinking forward - buty make sure you’re not thinking alone! Shake off that rust. Last summer is over. It’s behind us. Yes, there are lingering emotions, program things to wrap up and reports to write, but it’s…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/11/mightiest-mess-ups - None of us are perfect. Come celebrate, and learn from our mistakes! We’ve all been there - so why not be there, together? The positive way to frame mistakes is of course, “these were just learning experiences”, but it sure doesn’t …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/10/debriefing-2022 - Our summers may have been different, but the common thread is that our industry will never be the same again. If we ever needed something to teach us the lesson that “camp, like it was in 2019 isn’t coming back” the summer of 2022 was …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/06/why-society-doesnt-value-camp We NEED to tell our story. Coming out of this major phase of the pandemic is our industry’s biggest chance to prove our value. Period. We need to do everything we can to show the world that camp is more than a place with ga…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/05/calling-camp-home Because what other “home” comes with a Gaga pit and 20+ dining hall tables? We know you’ve heard it. “Camp is my home away from home!” - some camps even go as far as saying “welcome home!” to everyone that drives up the camp road. Why …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/05/sending-campers-home-intention It may not happen often, but when you, unfortunately, have to send a camper home, you need to get it right. One of the unfortunate realities of being a camp professional is that it’s likely that eventually, a camper is goi…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/04/9-tips-new-families How to make campers & families feel like insiders - before they even get to camp! After a few years away from a regular summer, we likely have more new families than ever. One of the biggest “shake off the rust” things that we need t…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/04/honest-staffing-conversation There’s still time to be proactive. For this summer, and the ones to come. Here we go. The camp season is on its way and while we’re so desperately ready to be back, we have to face the reality that the camp industry, like m…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/02/succession-planning The year after you leave camp, how will it be doing? How does that reflect on your succession planning? What’s the plan? Seriously. When you, or another senior staff leaves… Who will pick up where you/they left off? Where are the pro…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/02/our-best-life-advice-for-staff We don’t just raise staff to be great camp employees, we try to help set them up for success for the rest of their life. Camp has this beautiful, strange and messy blurring effect on the work/life relationship between boss…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/02/the-next-100-days When it’s crunch time, you need to make sure all systems are GO. Here are the 10 most vital tips to make the most of the summer camp home stretch. Not only did we get some great feedback on our last episode with Ari and Abi, they reali…

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/02/building-trust-with-parents Regaining and building trust is one of our top post-pandemic priorities. We know, we know. You have a million other “post-pandemic priorities”, but this is one you can’t let slip! After 2 years of a pandemic that had us in a …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2022/01/how-can-we-be-more-motivated Check-in with yourself. What do you need? Here’s how to make it happen. Motivation isn’t innate. There are times that, for whatever reason, we need a boost. Either it’s a project that we find difficult, or we aren’t getting …

Send us a Text Message. Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/podcast/2021/01/marketing-when-you-dont-want-to It’s not about selling people on camp. It’s about telling your stories. Do you like every single part of being a camp director? Come on, be honest. There’s something that is every camp director’s kryptonite - something th…