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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/camphacker/welcoming-and-including-1st-year-staff

How to Make Every New Staff Member Feel Included and Supported from Day One

This week on the Camp Hacker Podcast, Chris Hudson, Travis Allison, and Kim Aycock dive into how to make camp's most beloved "magic moments" genuinely welcoming and inclusive for both first-year staff and new campers. The crew challenges the notion that camp success relies on "magic," arguing that true inclusion comes from intentionality, strong communication, and better systems.

Key Takeaways Include:

• Segment Your Communication: Avoid overwhelming new staff with an 80-page PDF. Break down essential information into multiple mediums (audio, video, simple graphics) and frequently reinforce the most crucial rules and camp lingo to appeal to different learning styles
• Make Tiny Pockets of Safety: Intentionality means equipping new people with little wins before they arrive. Teach them one song, one chant, or one ritual via video before the first day so they can immediately participate and feel like an insider.

Tool of the Week - Make Yourself a Better Camp Director

• Travis - Simple tricks for defensive calendaring to take back control of your time, by Andy Polaine
• Chris - I wrote this for you, by Iain S. Thomas
• Kim - How to Work with Complicated People, by Ryan Leak

Your Hosts

• Travis Allison, Summer Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
• Chris Hudson, Camp Consultant and Director - Camp Highlight
• Kim Aycock, Camp Consultant and Staff Trainer - https://kimaycock.com/

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UltraCamp

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