Title: The Advocate Generation: Constructive Interactions with Staff  (Jan. 2024)

Summary: Today’s staff are certainly not afraid to share their opinions or speak up when they think something is wrong or unjust. But when does well-intentioned advocacy cross the line into unacceptable workplace behavior? How can we encourage staff to share their needs with supervisors constructively, rather than resorting to ultimatums and even outright aggressive interactions? How can we accept the real, meaningful input they are seeking to share, when they don’t have any understanding of how our operations truly work from a logistics and budgetary standpoint? What if we just don’t want their unsolicited suggestions? We’ll dive in and answer these questions and more. Free preview: it starts with understanding where they’re coming from and includes viewing intergenerational interactions through an empathetic lens. You’ll leave this engaging discussion with an enhanced understanding of your current workforce, as well as concrete strategies to use when staff offer ill-timed, misplaced or simply mis-considered “advice” to leadership.

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Additional Breakout Sessions:

• Bullying, Social Exclusion, & Relational Aggression

• Identifying, Avoiding, and Addressing Staff Toxicity

• Restorative Justice & Circles for Conflict Resolution

• Building Relationships & Managing Groups of Kids

Title: We're Done Getting By, It's Time to Rediscover our 'Why' (Jan. 2024)

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Summary: Giving 110% is what camp people are known for, and yet the last few years has seemed to require 1000% just to get by, leaving many of us feeling a little out of touch with our "why." Why do we "do" this camp life? The reason might be buried a bit deep under the toll of recent complications, but at the core, it hasn't changed. It's because our work makes a difference, helps raise kids up, puts our young staff on a positive professional course, changes lives, and, lest we forget, comes with unlimited s'mores. At a time when we could all use both a gentle reminder that our efforts matter, and a moment to celebrate successes, let's highlight the path forward on the other side of this "new normal." Join Emily for an engaging conversation and connections event where we rediscover our passion, engage with others in the room, and reconnect to the core of why we love camp! 

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Additional Breakout Sessions:

• Executive Leadership Workshop & Board Development Training

• Understanding & Supporting Neurodiversity at Camp

Title: Tackling Thorny (Camper & Staff!) Behavior with Confidence  (Oct. 2023)

Summary:  Kick off your conference with Emily as we delve into some thorny issues of behavior - both camper and staff! Emily will share strategies and considerations for tackling the tough stuff, and then you'll have a chance to get in on the action! We'll go in-depth into discussion of specific scenarios, seeking answers to questions including "what impacts does this decision have on each part of our camp community?", "what resources do I have/need to manage this?" and "what else do I need to consider when making my next move?" It's part behavior skills, part staff management strategy, and part decision-making practice...the whole session adds up to increased confidence when handling future bumps in the road.

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Additional Breakout Sessions:

• Essential Behavior Skills Your Staff Needs for 2024

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging at Camp: A Primer

• Understanding and Supporting Neurodiversity at Camp

Title: "HELP! My Staff Are Holding Me Hostage!" (Dec. 2022)

Summary: Today’s staff are certainly not afraid to share their opinions or speak up when they think something is wrong or unjust. But when does well-intentioned advocacy cross the line into unacceptable workplace behavior? How can we encourage staff to share their needs with supervisors constructively, rather than resorting to ultimatums and even outright aggressive interactions? How can we accept the real, meaningful input they are seeking to share, when they don’t have any understanding of how camp operations truly work from a logistics and budgetary standpoint? This session will answer those questions and more, and you’ll leave with concrete strategies to use when staff offer ill-timed, misplaced or simply mis-considered “advice” to leadership.

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Additional Breakout Sessions:

• Considerations for Mental Health & Behavioral Supports at Camp

• Why Can't You All Just Get Along?

• Warm Body or Burning Building?

Title: "Outwit Your Mental Clutter: Get Ready to ROCK the Summer of 2022" (Apr. 2022)

Summary: It's shaping up to be an amazing summer at camp! And while we're excited, there are also competing feelings of stress, worry, and anxiety as we continuously re-adjust to the "new normal." How do we make sure we're ready for the challenge of creating the best.Summer.EVER! for campers and colleagues, while also taking care of ourselves? Mind traps – or cognitive distortions if you want to use the fancy term – keep us anchored in self-doubt and limit our ability to dream big and take the next steps. Clearing our mental clutter is the key to unlocking potential, and there are strategies that work to knock those mind traps out of the way and allow us to focus on the job at hand. Join Emily for a fascinating tour of the power of your brain to effect positive change in your day to day camp life. Let's get excited and ready to do summer 2022 together, with the confidence that comes from knowing you are not outmatched by the challenges that present themselves along the way.

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Additional Breakout Sessions:

• Getting Unstuck: Strategies for Powerful Behavior Management

Title: "Outwit Your Mental Clutter: You CAN Do 2022" (Nov. 2021)

 

Summary: “This one was rough” or “well, we got through it” kind of sums up the most positive things we’ve expressed about the summer of 2021, and let’s be honest – many of us were out of gas before we ever got to day 1. So how do we think forward into next year? Where do we summon the energy and strength to create new programs, build up our staff teams, re-engage our campers and families, raise more money, and on, and on, and on? Mind traps – or cognitive distortions if you want to use the fancy term – keep us anchored in self-doubt and limit our ability to dream big and take the next steps. Clearing the mental clutter is key to identifying the positive take-aways from what has been one of the toughest times we can remember for professionals in our industry, and then using those take-aways to build a plan for an even better 2022. Join Emily for a fascinating tour of your strategic needs (staff and camper MESH supports, staff hiring and retention, etc.) through the lens of cognitive distortion. You’ll come away re-enthused about your job and with the confidence that comes from knowing you are not outmatched by the challenges currently on your plate.

 

Additional Breakout Sessions:

• Restorative Justice is the New Conflict Management

• Considerations for Implementing Mental Health & Behavioral Supports​

Title: "How to Maintain Morale & Energize Teams for Day Camps" (May 2021)

 

Excerpt: "Camp is tiring, kids can be challenging, it's hot, your socks got wet during first period and now you're pretty sure you've developed web feet...it's camp life - and we wouldn't trade it for the world. And why is that? Because it is our privilege to give kids the summer of a lifetime. It's our honor to help them make new friends and try new things. Seeing the rainbow is all about the belief that it is there. If we expect to see it, we can search for it even as we get rained on along the way. If we assume it will never come, why on earth would we stand around getting soaked?"

Title: "Successful Camp Experiences for All" (Feb. 2020)

 

Summary: Today more than ever, as youth and young adults feel increasingly marginalized and “othered,” success at camp is essential to their wellbeing. And yet, can we truly expect every camp to serve every individual? Consider that, by doing so, we are potentially putting up unintentional barriers that take us further from our goal of successfully “serving all.” In a world where “inclusion” is often a buzzword with no clear plan for successful implementation, and where it is unfortunately frequently paired with complex PR and legal ramifications, how do we determine and appropriately communicate our vision of a welcoming camp community that actually delivers on its promise? Join Emily for an engaging, thought-provoking, and solution-focused talk that will leave you energized at the idea of thinking through your camp’s plans and possibilities as part of a bigger headline story: Successful Camp Experiences for All.  
 

Additional Breakout Sessions:

• Beyond Self-Care Strategies: Self-Awareness for Stressed-Out Staff

• Let's Talk About Staff: Training, Difficult Conversations, and Scenarios

Title: "Surviving in the New Normal" (Oct. 2020)

 

Excerpt: “We have the choice to go into this year miserable, scared, worried about change, and barriers, and obstacles, and stress, and a never-ending list of reasons why it’s hard. OR, we can choose a different path. We can pivot not only our programs, but our personal outlook. We can focus on finding our own strengths, and those of our colleagues, and most of all, those of the kids.” 

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Additional Breakout Sessions:

• Work/Life Balance for Emerging Managers (Leadership Institute)

• Building & Managing a Virtual Team

• Autism 101 & Techniques Toolkit

• Crisis Prevention & Response: Escalations (Practical De-escalation Scenarios

• Relational Aggression (Bullying & Social Exclusion)