We gather every Thursday at 11:00am EDT for a Zoom call with our camp and conference leaders. The conversation will cover a specific topic, as well as offer mutual support. We hope you will be a part of the conversation each week. Our last Thursday call before the summer will be May 27. Please join the Zoom calls listed below at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85286395100.
Topic for April 15 at 11:00am EDT
PCCCA is partnering with the Outdoor Ministries Association of the United Church of Christ for a joint Zoom call on April 15. Our time together will be a presentation and Q&A session on proactive pitching, crafting a strong press release, and actively working to gain positive media coverage. Kelley Freridge, Chief Marketing Officer of the American Camp Association, will present resources and tools you can use to gain positive media coverage about your camp heading into summer 2021. We will also talk about helping parents understand what to expect for summer 2021. This session is for all experience levels and open to all individuals looking to promote camp.
Topic for April 22 at 11:00am EDT
Our time together will focus on how we create community and the emotional, social, and mental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For years our camps and conference centers have been role models in creating intentional engaging community. This year has been a challenge on all of us. When we think about the social, mental, and emotional impact of COVID-19 on our guest and staff, it will be important this year to really understand how that changes how we run our programs and the types of programs we offer. We will also address the major impact that mental/emotional health has on the ability to form a community, especially a camp community.
- How will you talk (or are you talking) about mental health/social/emotional issues? Will that include anything new because of COVID-19?
- Are you preparing staff to handle COVID anxiety with guest and themselves? In what ways?
- Have you renamed or excluded any activities because of the negative impact (insensitive, properly named, etc.) they may have on guests?
- What new ways of communicating have you introduced to make others feel more comfortable or not pressure someone into pushing their social boundaries?
- How do we create a community that accepts differences and meets people where they are (i.e. campers and guest that may have varying degrees of comfort related to your COVID procedures)? Any plans for when your COVID standards don’t match the comfort level of a guest (too strict or too loose)?
- In what ways have you modified programming so that different levels of comfort can participate?
- Can anyone speak to what it is like to have anxiety and how that relates to COVID? Do you have any tips on how to be provide aid or assistance for someone struggling with anxiety or other mental health issues?
Topic for April 29 at 11:00am EDT
PCCCA is partnering with the Outdoor Ministries Association of the United Church of Christ for a joint Zoom call. Teambuilding Guru and summer camp activity specialist Dr. Jim Cain will share his latest, newest and best connection-building activities and best practices, especially those incorporating physical distancing and other appropriate Covid-19 mitigation measures. Just in time for staff training and summer camp! Jim has written two books specifically on physical distancing and other best practices (The Dutchman’s Rope and Connection Without Contact). This workshop will pull the very best from these new books, and the collective wisdom of camp professionals, teachers, trainers, facilitators and youth development specialists around the world.
If you have a topic suggestion for a future call, please contact Joel Winchip.