Efficient and Budget-Friendly: Streamlining Staff Training for a Successful Summer Camp Operation

Hana Park
CoDo on Onboarding & Training
3 min readMay 17, 2023

Summer is quickly approaching, and in many areas, schools have already closed their doors for the season. While children eagerly anticipate a well-deserved break from their busy school year, working parents are busily arranging a myriad of summer activities to keep their kids engaged and entertained.

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Summer camps offer a unique opportunity for children to engage in enriching activities and create lasting memories. Behind the scenes, an efficient and well-trained staff is essential for ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for campers. In this article, we explore how CoDo can revolutionize summer camp staff training, streamline communication, and enhance overall camp operations.

Champions of Successful Camp Operation

A successful summer camp operation involves several key individuals, each with their specific roles and responsibilities. These individuals include the site leader, education staff, supply team, parents and guardians, and the students themselves.

The daily operations at a summer camp encompass a wide range of tasks and activities. These may include pick-up and drop-off procedures, supervising campers, providing coaching to camp supervisors and leaders, managing communication channels such as camp letters and program activities, facilitating lunch and break times, assisting educators and administrative staff, handling paperwork, setting up and tearing down equipment, and monitoring and maintaining supplies for both physical and digital resources. Additionally, ensuring camper safety and assessing risks are crucial aspects that require continuous training.

Image from Freepik

Types of Training Needs

To prepare summer camp staff for their roles effectively, it is essential to address specific training needs. These may include:

  1. Pre-Camp Leader Training: Equipping leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge to fulfill their responsibilities efficiently.
  2. Understanding Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly defining the roles and expectations of each staff member to ensure smooth operations.
  3. Camp Policies and Guidelines: Familiarizing staff with camp policies, protocols, and guidelines to maintain consistency and enforce rules.
  4. Supply and Order Management: Training staff on how to manage supplies effectively and utilize the ordering system efficiently.
  5. Risk and Safety Training: Educating staff about potential risks, emergency protocols, and implementing safety measures to protect campers.
  6. Effective Communication with Participants and Families: Developing communication skills to interact professionally and responsively with parents, guardians, and campers.
  7. First Aid, Child, and Adult CPR: Equipping staff with essential medical knowledge and skills to address potential emergencies.

How Can CoDo Help?

CoDo, a micro-training platform, offers several benefits for summer camps as they prepare the season kick-off:

  1. Streamlined Communication with Parents and Guardians: Efficiently communicate with parents and guardians by answering their questions about camp activities, rules, and schedules promptly. This eliminates the need for phone calls, individual text messages, or expensive mass communication systems.
  2. Efficient Staff and Site Leader Training: Simplify the training process by providing a centralized platform for delivering and tracking staff training modules. It ensures that all staff members, including site leaders, undergo the necessary training when schedules change or new staff members join due to unforeseen absences.
  3. Pre-Training Safety Standards and Rule Enforcement: Pre-train staff on safety standards and enforce camp rules consistently. By ensuring that all staff members are well-versed in safety protocols, the well-being of campers is prioritized.
  4. Efficient Delivery of Daily Messages: Use CoDo’s mobile messaging for daily messages and efficiently deliver to staff members. It eliminates the need for individual calls or text messages, enabling mass communication with ease.

Training summer camp staff is crucial for a successful and safe camper experience. By utilizing CoDo, camps can enhance their staff training programs, streamline communication with parents and guardians, enforce safety standards, and ensure smooth operations. With CoDo, summer camps can focus on creating unforgettable experiences for campers while fostering a secure and well-organized environment.

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