There are many reasons that parents send their children to Camp every summer –  trying new things, making new friends, gaining independence, and improving self-esteem are among the ones we hear about the most.  But we know Camp provides way more than that.  At EKC, we’re attempting to change the status quo with the staff experience.  With that, we asked ourselves this question…

Why can’t the staff at Camp get the exact same thing out of their Camp experience every summer?

Spoiler alert – they can.  That’s how our focus and attitude has shifted, to put as much emphasis on the staff experience as we put on the camper experience.

How will we accomplish that?  First and foremost it’s about creating the type of atmosphere and culture that our staff can thrive in.  One where they feel like true partners in what we’re accomplishing together. Soliciting their feedback on what is needed during staff training, making sure we give them the tools they need to provide the campers with their memorable summer.  At EKC, we work and play together, and we’ve carefully assembled our team with staff who genuinely want to work with children, enjoy working with others, and have naturally positive attitudes.

We’ve also made some physical changes to the staff lounge space that will make it easier for them to unwind (air conditioning) and we’ve changed the pacing of staff training and our staff meetings during the summer to decrease burnout.  And, the one that has gotten the most attention so far is we’ve been able to add Starbucks coffee to the dining hall, too!

We also want to encourage our staff to follow their passions, both inside and outside of Camp.  During the non-summer months, we are committed to supporting our staff that are driven to help others.  When our staff participate in fundraisers on their college/universities campuses, they’ll receive a donation from us (so, reminder to share what you do with us!), honoring their commitment to making the world a better place for us all.

We know that our staff is the bedrock of Camp, delivering incredible adventures and life changing memories that stay with our campers long past the summer.  Now, we aim to deliver that same sort of experience for them.

In the spirit of camping,

Aaron Cantor
Camp Director