It’s that time of staff week: today our counselors found out their bunks and campers for summer 2019! While we have been hard at work getting camp ready, we know the staff was ready to get personal about their summer spaces. After breakfast and schticks around the flagpole, we split into groups for a morning on inclusivity and support.

At EKC, we recognize the importance of having appropriate resources to meet our campers’ and staff’s varied needs. We have made great strides in becoming a more inclusive camp over the past year. With the help of outside consultants and our talented staff, we have made changes like sensory spaces, soft lighting, and quiet lunches that make our environment and programming accessible to everyone. In the office, we have already assembled a designated room where campers and staff alike can go for a quiet moment. Plush carpeting, soft lighting, weighted lap pillows, a sound machine, adult coloring books, fidget toys, and more are there to soothe and refocus everyone on having fun! Like last year’s decision to go screen free, these new additions are just the beginning of bringing out what makes camp special.

After lunch we lightened the mood with staff-made videos discussing the dos and don’ts of camp. Filmed and edited by camp’s full-time videographer, Caleb Labelle, we had a few laughs and some great discussion about making a safe, comfortable environment. Staff spent the afternoon settling into their new living spaces, and we ended the day outdoors together, swimming and playing games on the upper ball fields. With a last bowl of ice cream, our staff are off to bed and are even more excited to be one step closer to camp starting!