As a camp director, I have aspirational goals. One such goal is to create a place everyone can belong and not just “fit in.” When you belong, you’re accepted for who you are, as opposed to having to hide who you really are to be accepted.
As an educator, I look for signs of how well we are acheiving our goals.
T
oday gave me a few shining moments. As I write, I am in my office, next to the staff room and everybody knows I can hear everything that is said. Sometimes I even answer questions through the wall: “Laundry goes out Tuesday”… “Thanks, T!” For the past two hours, the staff have been talking about campers and camp. Apart from a few forays about worst 80’s B-movies and some ukulele playing it’s been a constant chat about camp. After a full eight hours of Wilderness First Aid training, followed by an after dinner top-to-bottom clean of our dining hall – there was only laughter, connection, and shared enthusiasm for camp.
We have done training ranging from lifeguarding to goat milking, to hanging rafters. We have worked to practice our facilitation skills so we can ask the right questions and guide conversations so all voices are heard. We’ve reviewed our curriculum and rubrics for success in each activity area. We’ve had moments of camp magic and laughter. We have reviewed emergency responses and drills.
We are still working to forge deeper connections and prepare ourselves and Timberlake so that this can be an unforgettable summer. As we find that balance between challenging and supporting each other, we get a bit closer to that ambitious “Anything Is Possible” goal of being our best selves all day, every day.