By Scott Umbel, Rye Y Senior Program Director
When searching for a summer program it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the options that are available to us. Whether you choose a Rye Y Camp or not, we’re here to make sure you’re on the right path for your family. This is a list of questions you as a parent should ask the Camp Directors and staff as you begin to select a summer program for your children.
1. What are the camp’s overall goals and objectives for the summer?
Sure campers will have fun, they will play games and come home safely, and those are the basic components that make any camp run. But what are the camp’s goals or desired outcomes that make them stand out? One of the Rye Y’s objectives is “to encourage creative expressions and character development through programs which appeal to the camper’s imagination.” This is an example of a clear and determined goal that may help define a camp. Weigh the camp’s desire to go beyond the basics and show a drive to make a genuine difference in your child.
2. What is the camp’s approach to fun and games?
The majority of children don’t just accidentally learn to dribble a ball, kick a goal or complete a good pass. They learn these skills because someone was dedicated to teaching him/her through instruction and practice. When you ask any Camp Director about the camp’s activities they will rattle off an impressive laundry list of activities. The important follow-up question is “how will my child learn that?” The camp director should share how skills development, not just play, is integrated into the staff training and summer camp curriculum. The next step is to ask if the camp has dedicated camp instructors or specialists whose sole job is skill development and instruction.
3. Who is the daily supervisor of the camp?
You may speak with the Camp Director, but that individual may not directly run the camp site on a daily basis or may switch between multiple locations. Meeting the person who will supervise your child’s camp staff is a big step in understanding how the camp will run. Be sure to ask as many questions as you can, not only to learn about the camp but how informed the director is about his or her facility and program.
4. What is the counselor to camper ratio?
There are a few very important factors at play here. One, ensure that both of you are talking about counselors and not just staff. The office staff, instructors, maintenance crew and even the camp directors should not count in this ratio, just the counselors. Two, what happens when counselors call in sick for the day? The response you are looking for is “we never compromise our ratio, no matter what.” The ACA, which exceeds county and state regulations, requires that preschoolers stay at a 1:6 ratio, the majority of elementary at 1:8 and those 10 and older are at a 1:10 ratio. Again, these are the minimum operating ratios allowed.
5. How do you select your staff?
The minimum should be a formal application, lengthy interview, at least 2 professional or character references over the phone or in person (not just in writing) and both criminal and sex offender background checks on the state and federal levels. Excellent camps go beyond this step with group interviews that further assess how candidates do in unpredictable environments. The Rye Y’s group interviews ask applicants to teach each other skills, work together as a group and accomplish varying tasks all ensuring that the staff we select can do this on the spot with our campers.
6. Staff Training: how many hours and what does it involve?
The heart of a successful camp is a creative and highly evolved camp staff training curriculum. 24 hours of training should be the minimum (about 3 days) that the camp completes for the counselors and all camp staff. However there should be at least another whole day for the leadership staff to learn and grow as an integral piece of camp management. The fundamentals are risk management and abuse prevention, behavior management, skill training and a ton more.
7. What training does the staff receive in regards to child abuse prevention?
This can be a very difficult topic to discuss, however it’s incredibly important. Pay careful attention to how comfortable the camp director is about sharing the information. He or she has likely lectured on this a dozen times in trainings, interviews, and more and should be very aware of the needs and training curriculum. Candid conversations also help to solidify trust in a camp director.
8. What emergency response training does the staff receive?
The minimum should be Red Cross (or equivalent), First Aid or RTE, Epi Pen Admin and CPR & AED for the Professional. For every 100 campers, there should be at least one person certified in the above training. The Camp Director should know how many and hopefully, exceed this number by a good deal. For staff that do not hold certifications, the camp should at least provide general emergency response training.
9. How does the camp handle behavior or disciplinary problems?
This is where the director’s philosophy comes through loud and clear. Positive reinforcement, assertive role modeling and a sense of fair play are generally regarded as key components of camp counseling and leadership. Rules are necessary in any organization and the disciplinary approach taken should be reasonable and well communicated. If penalties are involved for violations, they should be applied quickly, fairly, calmly, and without undue criticism to campers. The focus ultimately should be on every camper having a fun and equal experience at camp, un-interrupted from bullying and teasing.
10. What licensing and accreditation does the camp hold?
If you are in NY or CT the basic answer should be a county or state summer camp permit. This is a minimum requirement for most camps to operate.
Ultimately, every camp is incredibly unique and different in many ways, just like your own child. It’s a difficult world of choices to navigate, but it’s important to do so as a family by keeping your camper involved in the decision making process. If you would still like to learn more, ask for references. The camp director should be happy to provide them and it’s one of the best ways to learn more. The staff and camp directors here at the Rye YMCA are ready to help in any stage of your camp selection process. Ask us any of these questions; we’re eager to share our story!
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