In that moment when something goes wrong, grit is about looking at the big picture and realizing this is just a small set-back. Grit is about perseverance. It’s about passion. It’s about resetting and moving forward despite the set- backs. As a camp counselor, you need grit. You have a plan of how you think the day, the experience, or the activity will go. You prepare and get everything ready. Then, it doesn’t go as expected. It’s easy to say you’ll never do that program again. It’s easy to let it get you down and slide into a slump. But, that doesn’t help you or the campers. This workshop is about moving past the set-backs and developing your grit. It’s about learning how to stay focused on being an amazing camp counselor and other goals you have. It’s about providing an awesome experience for campers, even with unexpected set-backs.

You will learn:

• What grit is, why it matters, and how it works
• The elements of gritty people
• Brain science that influences your decisions and reactions
• How to develop your own grit with a focus on working at summer camp

Details:

• Length: half-day program
• Size: 3-150 people
• Who: any staff member who experiences set-backs in their work

As experiential educators, we often encourage students to be creative and collaborate, but we don’t usually teach them how to be creative together. In this fast-paced workshop you will learn the Creative Problem Solving process (see image), a research-based strategy that has been used for decades in organizations and schools around the world. You will practice new ideation techniques beyond the typical brainstorm. Learn about the latest research on creative and innovation. You will have the option to work on a real challenge from camp and leave with lots of new ideas. More importantly, you will learn the tools and techniques to repeat the process in order to solve problems in the moment. Learn how to creatively solve problems when you need it and push to the next level of innovation.

You will learn:

• The two types of creative thinking and when to use which one
• The steps to the Creative Problem Solving process and how to apply them.
• How to move beyond brainstorming and practice new ways to generate ideas.
• How to decide if an idea is worth pursuing
• How to approach the risks related to creativity

Details:

• Length: half-day or full-day program, depending on depth
• Size: 3-150 people
• Who: any staff member who solves problems as part of their work

There are so many elements that go into being a stellar facilitator. You need to think about the group’s goals, the progression of activities, the stage of the group’s development, how ready they are to learn and engage, and so much more. This workshop will be customized to the needs of the facilitators attending. The workshop will be completely designed based on your input and address specific facilitation challenges.

Areas of focus may include:

• Creative debriefing techniques
• Dealing with difficult participants
• Giving/receiving effective feedback
• Communication styles
• Collaboratively developing group working agreements/expectations
• Developing trust
• Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• Johari’s Window
• Understanding communication styles using Social Styles
• Managing change and transition

The final topics and outline will be sent to the camp for approval and feedback. Learning outcomes will developed after the workshop is customized.

You may learn:

• How to decide which activities to use and when
• How to use models and frameworks in your programs.
• Tips for delivering quality presentations and debriefs.

Details:

• Length: half-day or full-day program, depending on depth
• Size: 3-25 people
• Who: camp counselors with some facilitation experience who will be focused on developing teams (e.g. cabin staff, teen leaders, adventure staff, trip leaders)