The Camp Director:
It is critical for parents to meet the Camp Director, and ask about their experience as a Camp Director, their reputation and their safety record.
The Director’s priorities should be on safety, supervision, planning, customer satisfaction, and the high level of quality instruction in activity areas. Ask questions related to the Director’s philosophy and objectives about running a camp - culture; focus; bullying; communication with campers, parents, staff and community; willingness and ability to assume responsibility for the growth of campers and staff; overall safety; emergency procedures; behaviour management techniques. Trust your instincts about this person – their communication skills, confidence as a Camp Director, and presence as a leader, role model and mentor.
Visit the camp and check out the following:
The Property:
- Location
- Surroundings - roads, public access to site, wooded area for hiking
- Facilities and property - is everything on-site or do campers have to bussed to off-site facilities?
- Outdoor playing areas and facilities - shade; hiking and nature trails; sports fields; tennis and basketball courts; pools
- Indoor facilities - air-conditioning for rainy or excessively hot days, designated areas to change for swim, facilities to eat indoors, showers and washrooms
- Bus/car drop-off/pick-up area
- Parking
Recognizing that camps are competing with a lot of different interests that kids have today, ask about the camp’s programs and activities, and the quality of the leaders running these activities.
Leadership:
- Hiring
- Training
- Supervision (system for supervising, coaching and evaluation of staff)