Staff Training Part 1

Staff Orientation is underway!

Tuesday evening our college staff arrived. They brought lots of energy with them, as they usually do. I realized this week that we have not in the passed shared much about our Staff Training. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it would be cool for our families to get a sneak peak on what all is going on as we prepare for this summer and loving on your kiddos.

We have two big goals in Orientation. The first goal is to equip our staff to be the caretakers of the 500 plus children that will come through our gates this summer. Our second goal is for our summer staff to really get to know each other. I guess you could say it’s staff bonding. It’s a cheesy phrase, but it really is what we hope for our staff.

One big thing we are really talking about this Orientation is why Huawni exists. Do you know why we exist? Glad you asked. At the end of the day…this is why we exist— our desire is to see all our campers and staff leave our gates knowing their true significance and purpose. In our opening session on Tuesday night I had the opportunity to share how I have personally experienced and continue to experience this in my own life. Camp has been a big part of my story.

The last two days we have been training staff on their specialty activities so that they are fully prepared to lead those this summer. They include lifeguarding, high ropes, mountain bikes, archery, photography and video, and nursing.

In addition to intense specialty training, we have hosted a few different staff gatherings, including last night’s bonfire. Staff got an opportunity to share their life stories. I really enjoyed my time with men’s staff as we shared how we got to camp, one identifier of ourselves, and what’s been predominantly on our minds coming into the summer. The thing that has been predominantly on my mind this summer is this— I want to truly prioritize what is most important in my life this summer in the midst of what is usually the craziest season for our family. So, I have been asking this question personally— what does is look like to truly prioritize my life in this order: God, marriage, kids, work, etc. I am continually learning that I am not in control, and it’s even been encouraging to see our amazing camp team step up this week as they are making Camp better than ever.

We capped last night off with our first Sing Song of the summer on the pool deck. The stars were definitely out and brighter than ever. The frogs and the crickets jumped right as soon as I hit the first note of You Are My Sunshine. It’s almost like they knew Sing Song was scheduled. Summer is here, and we are very excited to see your kids soon!

-Travis

What summer camp staff training covers

Counselors arrive well before campers do, and the pre-season week is the single highest-leverage thing a camp does. Ours covers:

• Abuse prevention, through MinistrySafe — training every staff member completes, on top of screening and background checks.
• Supervision and ratios. A Huawni cabin holds a maximum of 14 campers with 2 counselors, and last summer's overall camper-to-staff ratio was 3.2 to 1.
• Activity-specific certification for the waterfront, the high ropes course, and the archery range.
• Homesickness, which is a skill, not an instinct — how to sit with a camper rather than fix them, and when to escalate.
• Emergency procedures, including the severe weather plan, practiced before campers arrive rather than read about.
• The traditions, taught by counselors who were campers doing them.

Camp Huawni is licensed and regulated by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Our full hiring and training practices are published rather than available on request.

If you are evaluating camps, the question worth asking any of them is not the advertised ratio but two others: what was the real camper-to-counselor ratio last summer, and what percentage of counselors return. More of those in our parent's guide.