Campfire Conversation
111 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 months ago - ★★★★★ - 47 ratingsThe stories, lessons, and magic of summer camp change campers (and staff) for the better every year. Speaking with people who spend their lives planning for and running summer camps around the country, the Campfire Conversation podcast will give parents, teachers, coaches and mentors a unique perspective on raising, teaching and leading children. Pull up a log, get your marshmallows ready, and let’s chat!
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Episodes
The First Full (time) Year
June 17, 2023 19:37 - 25 minutes - 37.3 MBAfter six summers and 15-months of ‘full time’ camp work, Samantha Thomson joins us around the campfire to explore the full time life of summer camp. (Hint: there is no ‘off-season!’). Enjoy!
The Start of a (Camp) Life Together
May 26, 2023 18:35 - 23 minutes - 33.9 MBSeeing great people build a life together is an amazing thing. That its also happening when you are helping to run camp together for the first time adds to the fun. Nikki Zenkel and Max Grossman join me to talk about their first foray into full time summer camp together and their plans for after the summer. Enjoy!
A Spark of Wonder
May 12, 2023 19:43 - 31 minutes - 45.6 MBI’ve enjoyed working with and supporting Focus for a Future for many summers. The work they do introduces, as one great camp guy describes it, a spark of wonder for all the children at camp. My friend, Andy Newberg, joins me around the campfire to give us the inside scoop on all the great outcomes Focus for a Future and their volunteers create for kids.
Camp Can Make Business Better
April 28, 2023 19:31 - 28 minutes - 40.5 MBWhat is learned at camp can have far reaching effects both personally and professionally. Tony McGaharan left Northern Ireland to spend two summers at camp. His journey from there included working for non-profits and then Google before starting People Playbook, a company which sounds a whole lot like… well, being back at camp.
Starting a Camp from Scratch
April 17, 2023 20:00 - 27 minutes - 40.3 MBImagine taking a nice piece of property, full of trees and grass, and turning it into a summer camp. Think about all the pieces that go into that experience – planning, building, creating and more. Jackie Brethel of Kippewa Point tells us all about the ins and outs of starting a camp from scratch!
What Camp Teaches a Teacher
December 16, 2022 17:34 - 38 minutes - 54.2 MBHow does working at summer camp influence a school teacher? In what ways does working as a teacher make you a better a summer camp professional? Our long-time team member, Dana Stassen, lives in both worlds professionally and is happy to share her insights. Enjoy!
Leaders are Grown
December 02, 2022 21:24 - 30 minutes - 43.8 MBWhat is it like to go to camp when it’s nothing like the world you know? What’s it like to move from camper to counselor and then to Division Head? How do we apply the lessons of camp back home? Jorge Perez is kind enough sit around the campfire and answer these and many other questions. Enjoy!
Hope for Homeless Kids
November 18, 2022 21:25 - 22 minutes - 33 MB Did you know that one-third of the homeless population in the US is made up of families? Homelessness can have a huge (negative) impact on children… which is why camp can be so important and positively impactful in their lives. The work that Tyrone Squire and Homes for the Homeless is doing is literally changing lives.
Maintenance Matters
May 20, 2022 17:25 - 31 minutes - 45.1 MBOne of the most necessary (and under-appreciated, misunderstood) aspects of camp is maintenance. Camp Maintenance Director John Weidner is around the campfire to pull back the curtain on this essential work at camp. A must listen for parents, camp directors and camp summer staff!
What you get from working at or going to Summer camp
May 06, 2022 19:51 - 37 minutes - 53.8 MBWe are talking today about all the benefits sleepaway camp has to offer. We talk to so many people on the podcast who are summer camp lifers. They grew up at camp or their family ran the camp, but Sara and I share something in common. We don’t come from that background. We found summer camp later in life and we want to explore what that impact has on people.
From Counselor to Camp Professional
April 22, 2022 18:05 - 34 minutes - 49.4 MBEvery summer, more than 100,000 college-aged people decide to work at summer camp. From this incredible pool of people, we hope to find a few that want to do the work full-time. Brenn McCans has several great lessons to share from her bumpy path from counselor to camp professional. Enjoy!
Notes from the Camp Bunk
April 08, 2022 17:23 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MBGoing to camp for the first time can be daunting. That is why 12-year-old Eden WROTE A BOOK. Notes from the Camp Bunk will help campers, parents and camp staff alike start summer off the best way possible.
PERFORMing at Camp
March 25, 2022 18:05 - 38 minutes - 52.4 MBA person’s mind, when trained correctly, can be a person’s greatest tool. Dr. Lonnie Sarnell, a clinical and sport psychologist… who also happens to be the Girls Head Counselor at Tyler Hill Camp, has a great way to help all of our kids PERFORM at camp and everywhere else.
Growing Up The Camp Director's Kid
February 25, 2022 19:06 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBLiterally growing up at camp is a gift though not one without challenges. Lily Stoltz and Cole Kelly III give us the inside scoop of what being raised by camp directors is like. And make sure to stick around for a special guest at the end!
“Risky Business”: How Kids Learn through Risk
February 11, 2022 18:07 - 33 minutes - 47.3 MBWhen we remove all risk from our children’s lives, we stunt their growth. Paul Dreyer, the CEO of Avid4 Adventure is an experiential learning expert who has a lot to teach about introducing the right kind of risks so that our children grow into competent, confident humans. Enjoy!
Building Resiliency: Lessons from Camp
January 28, 2022 18:15 - 31 minutes - 45.3 MBOur kids have been through a challenging time over the past two years. Summer camp provides a great set of lessons on building one of the vital ingredients to make it through challenging times: resilience. Expert researcher and commenter Stephen Gray Wallace joins us around the campfire to reveal these resilience lessons and how we can apply them back home.
Sports, Camps and Christ: An Introduction to the FCA
December 17, 2021 15:26 - 33 minutes - 47.2 MBIt’s Christmas season and, for many, that means as much reverence as it does presents. In that vein, we wanted to learn a bit more about Christian summer camps. My new friend, Spencer Breedlove, joined the campfire to teach us more about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Merry Christmas everyone. See you around the campfire in the new year!
Jewish Camping: A Primer
December 10, 2021 16:55 - 39 minutes - 56.5 MBAs we move into the holiday season, we are talking about religious camps around the campfire. Our neighbor and good friend Jeff Braverman of Camp Nesher and NJY Camps joins us for an introduction into the joys of Jewish camping.
Grateful for Summer Camp
November 26, 2021 16:17 - 28 minutes - 41.7 MBThere is a lot to be grateful when thinking about summer camp: incredible mentors, carefree activities, a thriving community… and all the good this provides. Dan Zenkel, the person responsible for getting Kate and I into camping, is around the campfire to talk about what he’s grateful for, SCOPE, and a lot more.
Welcome Back, International Staff!
November 12, 2021 15:22 - 34 minutes - 49.1 MBWhile there are a lot of pieces to a ‘great summer camp’ puzzle, summer staff is the biggest and most important one. For many camps, international staff members who come through the J1Visa cultural exchange program are essential to their staffing puzzle. Ivy Cohen, head of Camp Leaders, is around the campfire to explain the importance of these great people to camps across the US.
Welcome Back, International Staff!
November 12, 2021 15:22While there are a lot of pieces to a ‘great summer camp’ puzzle, summer staff is the biggest and most important one. For many camps, international staff members who come through the J1Visa cultural exchange program are essential to their staffing puzzle. Ivy Cohen, head of Camp Leaders, is around the campfire to explain the importance of these great people to camps across the US.
We Did It! Opening Campfire, Season 6
October 29, 2021 21:01 - 26 minutes - 38.7 MBWhen we last left you, summer camp staff orientation was about to start and the campers were not far behind. It’s been a few months now since we dosed the last campfire of the summer and caught our collective breath. Camp was amazing and challenging and fantastic and tiring – more so than any summer before. And, it was the most important summer in the history of our industry. Here’s a short conversation from the two of us as we learn from this past summer and prepare for an even better Summe...
Final Campfire - Season 5
June 14, 2021 22:24 - 14 minutes - 21.8 MBWow - What a year! Tonight's final campfire of this season is about both remembering and looking forward. We hope this fun "wrap up" conversation leaves you looking forward to more Campfire Conversations this fall. Have a safe and happy summer!
Lessons from Family, COVID and Camp
May 29, 2021 20:05 - 40 minutes - 57 MBWant to know what it’s like growing up at camp, leaving camp, and coming back? Want to know what it’s been like to be a camp director preparing for the most important summer of our lives? My friend Adam Baker, Director of Camps Equinunk and Blue Ridge, is around the campfire tonight and will give you all the details. Enjoy!
A Summer of Hope
May 14, 2021 15:49 - 32 minutes - 46.3 MBWe are all coming out of a very tough time with Covid and political strife and so much more. However, it’s time to move from despair to HOPE. No one I know thinks more deeply about this move than John Hamilton, the Director of Camp Hope America. It’s hope-full people who change themselves and the world around them in positive ways. John will tell you how it gets done. Pull up a log and have a listen!
Learning from Legends
April 30, 2021 19:17 - 36 minutes - 52.3 MBWe are lucky when we get to learn from legends, even more so when they are our parents. My friends, Ross Moskowitz of Camp Westmont and Matt Stoltz of Island Lake Camp share many of the lessons learned from Mike and Bev and Fred and Minna. There are some very important lessons for parents (and children!) in this conversation. Enjoy!
Keeping Camp Healthy
April 16, 2021 17:28 - 39 minutes - 55.5 MBHealth Care at summer camp is very much in the limelight these days. (Frankly, it always should be!) Tracey Gaslin, the Executive Director of the Association of Camp Nursing, is around the campfire talking about how parents, Health Center staff, and camp directors can best work together to make Summer 2021 a happy and healthy success.
Global Camps Africa – Doing Good with Camp
April 02, 2021 17:52 - 32 minutes - 46.9 MBSometimes it’s easier to see the impact of something when you are further away. We all know summer camp is a gift for children. This is especially so for those from the poorest, most difficult situations. Global Camps Africa’s Executive Director, Emily Crowder, is around the campfire talking about all the good being done in South Africa by people who love summer...
Preparing for Joy
March 19, 2021 20:12 - 25 minutes - 37.2 MBWe’ve all lost a step in the ‘joy’ department. The lockdowns and the past year has been tough for everyone. It’s time to unclench our hands and open up. That’s the only way to give and receive any gift… and especially the gift of camp. Camp owner and director Kate Kelly is around the campfire to talk about the important lessons of joy camp can offer up.
Lessons from a Life in Outdoor Education
March 05, 2021 18:14 - 39 minutes - 56.6 MBWhat would five decades of summer camp experience teach? What if those (ongoing) fruitful years included learning from and visiting camps not only around your own but around the world? John (Jorgi) Jorgenson, Camp Director at Camp Tawingo and the Head of the International Camping Fellowship spends some time around the campfire to chat. Pull up a log and sit a while - it’ll be well worth your time!
Diversity at Camp
February 19, 2021 21:29 - 44 minutes - 63.1 MBMaya Angelou said “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” This is certainly true for summer camp as well as the rest of the world. Briana Mitchell, the Director of AF Camp and co-founder of S’more Melanin (and a long time camper) describes how we can use summer camp to bring that strength of diversity to light.
Lessons from a Successful Summer 2020
February 05, 2021 19:19 - 30 minutes - 42.2 MBGina Greenlee said “Experience is a master teacher, even when it’s not our own.” Dayna Hardin, Owner/Director of Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods camps in Michigan welcomed campers and staff for Summer 2020. She’s around the campfire tonight to share what she learned and describe the very hopeful path forward to an amazing summer 2021 for us all.
From COVID to Camp: Preparing Kids (and Parents) for a Great Summer
January 22, 2021 18:00 - 33 minutes - 48.4 MBAfter months of COVID lockdowns and social distancing, our kids (and parents!) need summer camp like no other time in recent memory. And, while we are all excited about heading to camp, we’ve got to be honest about the rise in anxiety and intentional on how we handle it. Mental Health Counselor and summer camp veteran Rikki Goldenberg is around the campfire to help.
Doing Good
January 11, 2021 18:59 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBThe idea behind this podcast is to shine a light on those lessons learned at summer camp and figure out how we can apply them in our lives going forward. I hope you’ll enjoy what you hear and put these ideas to work in your life back home. From the outside looking in, I wouldn’t be surprised if you thought summer camp was a pretty insular place. The camp spirit at each camp is very high. The traditions are unique. The staff are fully engaged with how we do it. In fact, you’ll often he...
A Covid Camp Director
May 29, 2020 14:38 - 23 minutes - 28.8 MBCole spends some time around the campfire talking about what it's been like being a Camp Director in the time of a pandemic.
Happy Campers Back Home
May 22, 2020 16:12 - 37 minutes - 44.9 MBWe all know the power of camp: the fun, activities we have a hard time re-creating at home, and the joy of learning something new. While many camps have closed for this summer, Happy Camper Live has become a great way to keep the spirit of camp going for kids all across the country. Join me, Allison Miller and Steve Slavkin to learn how we can literally bring camp home this summer.
Council of Dads
May 15, 2020 16:41 - 37 minutes - 45 MBAfter chatting with the moms last week, it's time for the dads to get into the action this week. Tune in as we assemble the "Council of Dads" to talk about how summer camp makes better Dads.
What Moms Can Learn from Camp
May 08, 2020 14:44 - 41 minutes - 49.2 MBCamp teaches a lot of great lessons to kids and staff. And, it teaches us parents as well. I thought it would be fun and instructive to find out how camp has shaped the parenting styles of three great moms with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working for many years.
The Power of Mentorship
May 01, 2020 17:32 - 33 minutes - 40.1 MBSummer camp serves as a launching point for so many people. Thankfully, it’s helped a large number of staff and campers alike become professional helpers as mentors and teachers. LaDarrius Calvin, Vice President of Boy II Men in Indianapolis, IN, spends some time talking about the magic of summer camp the power of mentorship.
The Power of Mentorship
May 01, 2020 17:32Summer camp serves as a launching point for so many people. Thankfully, it’s helped a large number of staff and campers alike become professional helpers as mentors and teachers. LaDarrius Calvin, Vice President of Boy II Men in Indianapolis, IN, spends some time talking about the magic of summer camp the power of mentorship.
Lessons of the Past, Inspiration for the Future
April 17, 2020 15:56 - 38 minutes - 46.4 MBFor the first time in my professional life, I have some concerns about summer camp opening. It’s not what I want to even think about. However, as Mr. Rogers used to say, if it’s human, it’s mentionable. And, if it’s mentionable, it’s manageable. Like many other cultural institutions, summer camp has been greatly affected by Covid-19. Thankfully, there are a number of wonderful resources helping us learn more and devine a future forward. Whether it’s the actions of the American Camp Assoc...
Lessons of the Past, Inspiration for the Future
April 17, 2020 15:55For the first time in my professional life, I have some concerns about summer camp opening. It’s not what I want to even think about. However, as Mr. Rogers used to say, if it’s human, it’s mentionable. And, if it’s mentionable, it’s manageable. Like many other cultural institutions, summer camp has been greatly affected by Covid-19. Thankfully, there are a number of wonderful resources helping us learn more and devine a future forward. Whether it’s the actions of the American Camp Assoc...
China, Camp & Covid-19
April 10, 2020 14:25 - 35 minutes - 42.4 MBThe Covid-19 pandemic has shown us we are all – everyone on earth – are neighbors dealing with the same situation. We get a perspective on camp and Covid-19 from China with my friends Marco Reyes and Mike Lewis of the YMCE Group. If you’d like a window into their experience, I hope you’ll take a few moments to listen.
Simple Steps to Organization & Accountability
April 03, 2020 17:48 - 39 minutes - 47.4 MBEver felt overwhelmed with too many things to do and not enough time? Ever have that organizational system you thought would fix everything simply add more work? We are all feeling this way now with our normal lives turned upside down. Diana Bloom, camp pro, twin-parent, and accountability consultant can help!
High Achieving Learners and Attitude with Lindsay Boccardo
March 27, 2020 15:44 - 38 minutes - 46.5 MBThe idea of achievement is not new but the stress surrounding achievement these days often leads to burnout. These days, with our newly added stressors and uncertainty, we hoped that Lindsay Boccardo, generational coach, would give us insight into high achieving learners, their relationship with burnout, and how a shift in attitude may be the difference in living a life that’s just successful and a life that’s joyful and successful. Take a listen to see what easy and actionable steps Lindsa...
Coronavirus and Continuing Education in Summer Camp
March 20, 2020 17:33 - 34 minutes - 41.3 MBYes, it’s a big issue facing all of us, even those in the summer camp industry. The good news: most camps still have a long time before we open. Co-hosts Scrappy Stassen and Cole Kelly discuss how the camp industry is approaching this summer and everything else they learned at this year’s ACA Tri-State Conference.
The Benefits of Being Outdoors with Ruby Compton
March 13, 2020 20:56 - 47 minutes - 55.7 MBGetting outdoors makes us better people. Sometimes we ignore the evidence that supports this idea because getting outside feels like another thing on a to-do list. On this episode of Campfire Conversations, Ruby Compton shares with us why we need to make the time to leave our offices, classrooms, homes, and cars to reconnect with nature, and she gives us some tips on how to do just that. We hope you’ll give this a listen, preferably on a walk outside, and then learn some more about Ruby by ...
Teach Me to Lead with Professor Dave Malter
March 06, 2020 15:25 - 48 minutes - 57.2 MBThere is no better leadership learning lab for young people than summer camp. The opportunities to lead are widely available as are the lessons from watching near-peers lead themselves and others. Professor Dave Malter is around the campfire talking about ways in which camp develops leadership and how we can instill more of those lessons back home.
PLAY! It’s Good for Everyone with Michael Brandwein
February 28, 2020 15:30 - 51 minutes - 61.2 MBWe all need more playfulness in our lives. As kids, and especially at camp, we play a bunch, whether it’s in the dining hall, the fields, around the craft tables or elsewhere. That play is instrumental in building positive outcomes for kids and adults in physical, emotional, and social ways. Michael Brandwein, one of the most well-known experts in education and youth development in the US, has a lot to say about the positive impact of play and how we can incorporate more of it back hom...
Campocalypse: The Future of Summer Camp with Dr. Chris Thurber
February 21, 2020 16:37 - 42 minutes - 50.6 MBChange is all around us, whether you are at summer camp or not and questions abound: will cyborgs take over camp? Will camps have to become resource independent? Will our minds become unhinged? Take a moment to listen to Dr. Chris Thurber talk through these ideas in the (very!) optimistic backdrop of summer camp.