Despite today’s internship and leadership-centric
culture, a college student is rarely put in a place where they are responsible for caring for others, making decisions that directly impact others and leading others through growth-producing experiences. They can get this as a summer staff member. It is also rare that college-age students have the opportunity to live in community and be supported by peers and mentors in faith. Again, they can get this as a staff member at a camp. This relational element of a summer staff experience, specifically the relationship between the supervisor and the staff member, makes a great deal of difference in the lives of our summer staff. Real responsibility under the guidance of trained mentors in a Christ-centric environment gives staff a vision for a life of integration where faith is the bedrock of everything they do. So, what does that mean for our camps? How can we both capitalize on their desire for formation and make sure that we are facilitating it? Let’s take each question in turn.
First, how can we capitalize on their desire for formation?
1. When recruiting staff, market the growth. Oſten, we try to entice people with a fun summer at camp, but the reality (and we all know it) is that camp is exhausting. Eighty percent of summer staff report they are somewhere between “tired and burnt out” at the end of summer. When recruiting at colleges and universities, highlight growth leadership, teamwork, responsibility — these are all things their career coaches are telling them they need to develop. Marketing the opportunity to be mentored is also highly effective. Tis generation of students wants people to pour into them.
2. Help staff articulate and apply their growth. Many staff will know they have had a significant experience, but they may not know exactly what has happened or how they have grown. Give them structured time at the end of summer to reflect on and name their growth. You might even consider naming it in them yourselves. Have them answer questions like: What is different about me? What skills did I have to use this year that I haven’t used in the past? How will I use this in the future?
3. Help staff communicate their growth. Naming growth for themselves is only one part of the process. Staff also need to know how to communi- cate their growth to future employers. Consider hosting a resume session at the end of summer in which you help them update their resume with their summer camp experience. In this session, help them choose words that frame their experi- ence in professional terms, not camp language.
February/March 2020
www.ccca.org
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Photo courtesy of Calvin Crest
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