Valley kids heading into summer day camps and recreation programs will benefit from a mega-training Held June 27 in Greenwood.
With “back pocket games,” training in safety planning and practices, engaging with youth and parents – and more – 80 summer staff workers joining recreation departments from West Hants to Clare are ready to lead fun, adventure and challenge.
Twelve Valley recreation departments sent regular staff to lead a day’s worth of workshop sessions for the summer staff, all hosted at 14 Wing Greenwood’s Community Centre.
“It’s a really good way for rec departments to support each other, and for the summer staff to know themselves there are lots of them working in these positions,” says Lindsay McCormack, 14 Wing’s community recreation coordinator. “It gives all the staff and summer programs in the Valley a similar ‘feel’ as to how camps and programs are executed each year.”
Many summer staff are high school and university students – some 15 or 16 years old, and maybe entering the first job, or their first job working with lots of younger kids. McCormack says its also neat to see how many may also be past day campers themselves.
“We have returning day camp staff, and new staff, who were day campers as younger kids – and they enjoyed themselves, they made memories and they’re excited to be back in camps as leaders.”
Beyond the fun and games training, the day included role-playing and scenario practice for the young staff on handling day campers’ homesickness or nerves, a lost child situation, safety incidents, how to have difficult conversations with campers, co-staff or families; inclusion and team work.
Jill Jackson is the 14 Wing Community Recreation manager. The common training day is a good deal of work to put together between the Valley rec departments, but it’s all with a common goal: “we need summer staff to be engaged with kids.
“I was in the bowling alley with a group, and the group above us in the gym – they were doing some kind of activity and jumping up and down: I thought the ceiling was going to come down!” she says. “If they’re learning ice breaker games, and they’re that energetic, that’s good!”
Rec departments may go back and add additional training to their summer students’ experience: in Greenwood, the staff all take first aid and High Five experience and standards training to ensure safe and quality programming. McCormack says it’s rewarding to see summer staff put it all together as summer programs get underway.
“The summer staff execute these programs themselves – they have to take the lead. We’re here as regular staff for the hiccups and the administration and the safety net.”
