Our Camps in the News

Why the Berkshires Are the Best Place to Attend Summer Camp

There is truly nothing as splendid as the rolling hills, lush forests, serene mountains, and sparkling lakes of the Berkshires. With an average summer temperature in the high seventies and a so much nature to explore, it’s no wonder that the Berkshires have become a hub of some of America’s best summer camps. While an easy driving distance from New York and Boston, Berkshire Summer Camps feel like a remote retreat that is worlds away!

However, campers aren’t just attending Berkshire Summer Camps for nature! Berkshire camps possess unique programs and traditions that make for one-of-a-kind summers.

A Summer Haven So Close to Home

Today’s children are facing a world in which screen time often outweighs outdoor play and exploration. Summer camp gives children something they may not get during the rest of the year: time to explore, discover, be active, and just be a kid again. Berkshire summer camps provide activities as varied as rock climbing, team sports, water sports like canoeing and kayaking and visual and performing arts. Each camp offers its own unique variety of activities, traditions, and skill-building activities.

World Class Instruction and Activities

Some Berkshire camps specialize in sports or outdoor recreation. These specialty camps allow children to learn from world-class instructors and coaches.

Berkshire Summer Camps also benefit from a flourishing creative and performing arts community. Inspiring teachers and staff lead campers on their path of self-expression, fueling it with opportunities to tackle new projects and improve important skills like public speaking. Children looking to pursue a creative passion can choose from theatre, dance, music, ceramics, woodworking, painting, drawing, crafting, and more.

No matter what activity, Berkshire instructors are committed to providing children with a fun summer experience marked by self-fulfillment.

A Tradition of Excellence

Most of the Berkshire Summer Camps have been around for over 50 years – and it shows in the vibrant traditions, staff, and culture that define everyday camp life. Plus, every camp has been accredited by American Camp Association to assure a quality summer experience.

Many camp directors have dedicated their entire lives to children and summer camp. Their expertise transcends generations and their love for camp unite alumni of all ages. You will not find this kind of lifelong dedication anywhere else!

To top it off, each camp has its own full set of traditions – from songs to games to daily routines. These traditions help campers understand that they are an important part of the camp community. They also make for many wonderful memories!

There is truly nothing quite like going to summer camp in the Berkshires! Each camp has something special to offer, but no matter which camp you choose, you won’t be far from home! To learn more about Berkshire Summer Camps, visit berkshiresummercamps.com.

Berkshire Summer Camps Are Upping Their Game for 2019

This coming summer, thousands of families from across the country and the globe will drop their children off for an exciting summer camp experience in the Berkshires. While camps all over the country offer great summer camp programs, Berkshire Summer Camps offer some of the most unique and exciting programs imaginable. Here are some of the special things Berkshire campers will experience this summer:

Unreal Culinary Experiences

Farm-to-table takes on a whole new meaning at Berkshire Summer Camps! Campers visit local farms, milk cows and then use raw milk to create fantastic cheeses. One camp is introducing a new outdoor cooking program, incorporating produce from their camp garden and local FarmGirl Farms. Cooking, baking, recipe development and more are a few of the available culinary experiences.

Our camp kitchens also partner with local Berkshire companies to serve the freshest and best food. Camp salad bars feature fresh, Berkshire-grown produce. We love serving and eating the best fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses that the Berkshires has to offer.

Get in the Game

Summer is the perfect time to improve your sports skills, and our Berkshire Summer Camps take sports instruction to the next level. Visiting sports pros are common at our camps. Mia Hamm is just one of the amazing pros that will teach soccer to Berkshire campers this summer.

Another one of one of our programs will be featuring Quickball, a lead-up baseball game developed by Cal Ripken Jr.! Berkshire Fitness Camp, a brand new program for summer 2019, will help campers focus on an overall healthy lifestyle by uniting summer camp with fitness and wellness.

Explore the Arts

Everyone knows that culture abounds in the Berkshires. Between Tanglewood, Jacob’s Pillow, The Clark, and MASS MoCA, music, art, theater and dance can be found all across the Berkshires. Similarly, at our Berkshire Summer Camps, our campers explore the arts every single day. Visiting artists and professionals join our amazing staffs to help our campers improve their skills in every artistic discipline.

At one Berkshire camp, twenty-two private studios nestled in the woods house private music instruction in voice, piano, wind and string instruments. Another camp brings in Kripalu yoga instructor, Mary Hannah Parkman, to help campers master their mind and strengthen their bodies. It is wonderful to explore the arts at our Berkshire Summer Camps.

Families who send their children to summer camps in the Berkshires really do enjoy the best of everything. The Berkshires are so close to home, yet provide so many opportunities not found at other camps.

If you are looking for a unique summer camp experience for your child, you will find it in the Berkshires! To learn more about the best summer camps in the United States visit: berkshiresummercamps.com.

Crane Lake Camp: Looking for the Good and Being the One

The Look for the Good Project (LFTGP) is a non-profit organization that uses gratitude to empower kindness in communities. Previously, Anne Kubitsky, the founder and CEO of LFTGP, went to schools to introduce the project and two-week gratitude campaign. Recently, LFTGP launched an online initiative that is accessible to any school who would like to participate in this program. So far, over 30 schools have signed up for the gratitude campaign kits, which will empower over 12,000 kids to lift up their schools with gratitude and spread kindness in a time where we really need it the most. The LFTGP has really skyrocketed this past year and has made a difference in the lives of thousands of kids all over the world.

As MVP (Most Valuable Player) at LFTGP, I have helped to write and edit a book that is included in the campaign kits, appeared on tv twice to promote the project, participated in packing the campaign kits, and raised over $800 for a yearly scholarship fund. Additionally, my sister, Emi and I were able to use the LFTGP’s message to lift up a little boy who was harshly brought down by bullies. 7-year-old Jonathan was severely attacked on his school’s playground by two older boys and was left with a broken arm and scarred heart. This little boy needed some love and to be told that he matters. Emi and I asked our school communities to help out, and we collected almost 1000 cards with inspiring and motivating messages to deliver to Jonathan. Jonathan is now wearing a smaller cast and is gradually starting to feel better after this traumatic experience. Emi and I both used gratitude and kindness to show this boy that love always wins, and no matter what happens people will always be there to support you and lift you up!

I am also currently working on my Bat Mitzvah project, for which I will be bringing the LFTGP to my temple to inspire my religious community and hopefully make it a more grateful and kind place.

At Eisner we are taught to “Be the One” and to be kind to everyone, which are some of the same ideas we promote in the LFTGP campaign. At Eisner, our differences do not polarize us, but bring us closer together. We embrace everyone, no matter their sexual orientation, the gender they identify as, or their personal beliefs. LFTGP also encourages students to be kind to everyone, despite their differences, and teaches that our differences make us stronger. Although Tikkun Olam, Gemilut Chasadim and B’ztelem Elohim are Jewish ideals taught at camp, they can also be applied to LFTGP, as repairing the world, performing acts of loving kindness, and living in the image of God are important values of the campaign, and are needed in order to spread kindness around the world.

Camp Watitoh: Why summer camp is more important than ever before!

We hear it all the time- “What’s with these young people? They can’t focus, can’t communicate, they’re entitled, self-centered, constantly staring at their screens!” Well folks, this is the generation we have fostered. Technology snuck up on us, we gave them all participation trophies, and now we have to work alongside of them for the rest of our lives. But, today’s parents are generally better at understanding what is lacking in their children’s development and are prioritizing differently for the children we are raising now.

For the past 150 years, our educational system has focused on “the 3 R’s”, hard skills, memorizing dates, formulas and vocab words, while in the 21st Century, the world suddenly changed. All of a sudden, millions of jobs have become antiquated and disappeared. To paraphrase the Global Markets Institute, as automation became cost-effective, the bulk of the workforce has shifted from ‘doing’ the work (HARD SKILLS) to organizing, coordinating and supervising the increasingly complex resources behind it (SOFT SKILLS). While there are currently an estimated 7.4 million unemployed workers, there are 5.6 million job openings. That’s a huge SKILLS gap, and according to employers, it’s not the hard skills that’s the problem, it’s the lack of soft skills of the entering workforce.

According to the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (p21.org), which is comprised of Fortune 500 business leaders and progressive educators, the top skills sought by today’s employers are:

1. Oral Communication (great texters and tweeters, but not great face-to-face)

2. Teamwork & Collaboration (great on their own, not so much when working with others)

3. Professionalism & Work Ethic (personal satisfaction reigns supreme- YOLO!)

4. Written Communication (most of today’s teachers have literally given up)

5. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving (Parents micro-manage their children to the point in which they can’t do things for themselves)

Add to this picture that 30% of students entering 4-year college programs DROP OUT after their first year, and only 56% graduate within SIX years. Why is this? Besides financial burdens, see the big five p21 skills above that our kids are lacking, especially #5 when Mommy or Daddy aren’t around to fix their problems!

So where can we help young people find these skills? Schools are focused on standardized tests, Families run their children from obligation to obligation, plus homework, and the allure of xBox, YouTube, Instagram and the DVR. Where can children experience a “Step Back in Time” to a more care-free environment like we experienced as kids, unencumbered by technology, where people interact by actually speaking to one another, face to face, outside amongst nature, in a supportive environment that fosters the development of skills that employers are looking for in the 21st Century,away from their over-loving and ever-hovering parents? At SUMMER CAMP!

Summer Camps have existed for over 100 years, but have become more important for the development of children than EVER before. Children work together in groups, led by energized staff who lead by example, forced to communicate and compromise with one another, conquering their fears, pushing beyond perceived limits, making and keeping friendships, and learning an abundance of new skills (hard and soft).

The American Camp Association estimates that 11 million children attend Summer Camp annually, which leaves another 30 million who do not. Why is this? What holds back the uninitiated parent from enrolling their children to Camp? After growing a successful program in an area with no prior culture of Camp, I present to you my top three excuses:

1. “Too much money.” Of course, this is a perceived belief, as there are camps in all price ranges, and if the camp experience was valued as much as “camp people” attest (priceless), these families could stay at a smaller hotel at Disney, or make other choices to give their children a summer camp experience. Many adults say that they learned more about life at Camp than they did at College, at a fraction of the price!

2. “I just want my kids to relax during the summer.” As they should, and boredom (without screens) is an important component of growth. After a couple of days immersed in a quality Camp program though, children find it very relaxing and enjoyable. They can play video games, stare at their phones and sleep late in the time they will still have at home.

3. “I want to spend time with my children.” That’s wonderful, but will you be providing meaningful opportunities that teach your children important character and life skills this summer, or just entertaining them? Camp can do both!

At Summer Camp, children take advantage of the unique “out of school learning environment” that is able to teach the vital life skills that traditional schools can not- Skills that allow children to grow into happy, successful, contributing members of society. In a world today that often seems to de-value virtues like kindness and acceptance, Camps create a culture that makes it cool to be kind. As parents, we do our best to provide a strong foundation for our children in our homes, like nutrient-rich soil for our little seedlings. Summer Camp provides an environment for our little flowers to flourish and bloom, outside in the fresh air and sunshine of the summer!

Crane Lake Camp: Behind the Music: Be the One – Songs from the Bubble, Part 1

The response to our new collection of camp songs has been amazing, and we wanted to go “behind the music” to show you how it all came about and how it’s inspiring members of our camp community. We speak every summer about how each of us can be the one to stand up to bullying, to help feed the hungry, to protect our environment. Each of us has the ability to take action and do something, and to see the ripple effect that our action can have on others. This past Hanukkah, we released a new Eisner album: Be the One – Songs from the Bubble. Now we have an incredible song, as well an entire album, that will help us reinforce and spread this message during the summer and beyond.

Each song on the album shares this message of social justice and how we can help make the world a better place. It starts with our title track, Be the One, written this past summer at camp by Eisner campers together with singer/songwriter Alan Goodis. This song quickly became the unofficial anthem of the summer.

Some of the songs on the album are classics of the Reform Jewish camping movement (Lo Alecha, Im Tirtzu, Not By Might) while others come to us from the American folk tradition and remain popular at camp (This Land is Your Land, If I had a Hammer, God’s Counting on Me). Still other more recently written songs represent our continued commitment as a movement to social justice (Lo Yisa Goy, L’takein, Al Shlosha, What Makes You Glow) or come to us from the rich tradition of Israeli music that emphasizes a similar spirit of repairing the world together (Ani V’ata, Shir La’Ahava). Of course, no Eisner album would be complete without our camp song, Over the Rafters!

We learn and practice so many ways to be the onewhile we are at camp each summer. While we talk about the values that we want to live by as a cabin, unit, and camp-wide community, we also put our words into action. This past summer, for example, we participated in a 5K walk/run to raise awareness for different causes selected by our campers and staff, including support for the Jewish community of our two Ugandan staff members, Yonatan and Sam. We have continued to support Yonatan and Sam’s community of Namatumba through an organization called Kulanu this year. (If you’d like to make a donation, be sure to write “Eisner/Namatumba” in the comment field or check memo.) We just received thank you photos from them and wanted to share them with you!

We also raised money for a wide range of social justice organizations at the annual Ofarim Tzedakah fair. Our Ofarim campers (rising 7th graders) also participated in a special volunteer day, giving their time to organizations around the Berkshires to support our local community.

We hope that as you listen to these songs throughout the year, you will be inspired by what you have learned and done at camp to take action beyond the Eisner bubble. This album is a soundtrack for Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, something we know you each have the ability to do!

Camp Watitoh: Lessons from Camp

FREE FROM SCHOOL-YEAR DEMANDS, SUMMER CAMPS ARE A KEY VENUE FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Summer camp: For so many kids, it signifies carefree days of swimming, playing sports, singing songs, and reveling in freedom from the demands of the school year. Camp means no homework, no studying, and no teachers.

But significant learning is still taking place at summer camp — even if the campers don’t necessarily realize it.

SUMMER LEARNING (WITHOUT THE BOOKS)

All those classic camp dynamics — being away from home and parents, making new friends, being part of a team, and trying new things — are building blocks to crucial social-emotional skills.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) can encompass a variety of practices, but most experts agree that a child with high SEL skills is successful in five core areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. These skills are increasingly understood to be central to success in school and in professional life beyond, but schools don’t always have the time or capacities to teach them explicitly. Obligations to complete curriculum and boost student achievement often make it difficult for teachers to prioritize community building, goal-setting, or problem solving in their classrooms.

Unconnected to the commitments of the school day, summer camps (particularly overnight camps) can dive head-first into social-emotional learning — and many do. These opportunities are especially importance for low-income students, many of whom already have fewer opportunities to gain these skills outside of school.

A 2005 study of 80 camps by the American Camp Association (ACA) found significant growth in children’s social-emotional skills after a session of summer camp. Camp staff, parents, and children reported increases in children’s self-esteem, independence, leadership, friendship skills, social comfort, and values and decision-making skills, from the beginning to the end of a session.

WHAT A GOOD CAMP EXPERIENCE LOOKS LIKE

It’s not just the new environment and flexible schedule that builds kids’ social-emotional skills. Many camps have an intentional focus on social-emotional learning. YMCA camps, for instance, explicitly discuss their four values — honest, caring, respect, and responsibility — constantly, through songs, skits, and rallies. And most camps train staff to coach kids on becoming more independent, socially aware, and reflective.

In particular, camps foster relationship skills and social awareness by:

• Introducing children to an entirely new group of peers. Camp may be the first time children have spent substantial time with people whose background — home, race, or religion — is different from their own.
• Setting up opportunities for children to find their own friends.According to education researcher and longtime camp counselor and director Claire Gogolen, counselors often begin a session by leading icebreakers and regularly sorting a cabin group into different pairs. These activities give campers explicit opportunities to get to know each other, allowing them to figure out who they want to become better friends with.
• Creating a space where silliness is accepted, and bullying is not.Without the need to plunge into academic content, camps have time to use the beginning of a session to prioritize group norms, says learning specialist and former camp counselor and director Ari Fleisher. Counselors can make it very clear that bullying and teasing are not acceptable. At the same time, camps can encourage songs, jokes, and general silliness that allow campers to relax and be themselves.
• Taking a break from technology. Many overnight camps restrict or prohibit phones and computers. For many campers, this means it’s the first time they’ve made friends without the help of Instagram or Snapchat, and they learn how to navigate social cues to build and maintain friendships in “real life.”
• Modeling teamwork and sportsmanship. During staff training, many camps stress the importance of adults demonstrating cooperation and friendship to their campers. When campers are surrounded by positive role models — particularly role models closer to their own age than teachers are — they learn how to get along with peers who may be different from them.

Camps also nurture self-awareness, self-management, and responsible decision making by:

• Requiring children to solve day-to-day problems on their own.With limited contact with parents, campers have to learn how to manage their own conflicts, whether it’s a disagreement with a bunkmate or not getting their first-choice activity.
• Presenting activities that are new to everyone. Counselors often purposefully lead games and activities that none of their campers have tried before, says afterschool specialist and former camp counselor Nicky DeCesare. Without the fear that some peers will already have a leg-up on lava tag or basket making, children may be more likely to decide to try new things.
• Offering kids the chance to set and accomplish daily goals. The sheer amount of new activities makes it possible for kids to continually set and achieve goals, deepening their understanding of personal limits. One day a camper may be set on reaching the top of the climbing wall, and the next she may be determined to collaborate with her group to create a new song.
• Helping children uncover new skills. Kids who are usually immersed in academics may become aware of new skills that they didn’t know they had. For children who struggle in school, these opportunities can increase self-confidence.
• Providing time for reflection. Many camps begin or end the day with reflection activities, in which campers can think about the challenges they’ve faced, how they’ve grown, and what they’re excited for. These moments, rare in a typical school day, can develop self-awareness and mindfulness for all kids.

Camp Watitoh: Be an Outstanding Counselor this Summer

For 80 summers, parents have been entrusting the care of their campers to Watitoh, and that trust is something we do not take lightly.  For our camp staff, the ones that are on the front lines making sure your child is having the best and safest summer possible, the camp season begins at least one week before our campers arrive.  During our Staff Orientation we are setting expectations, participating in workshops related to child development, inspiring staff bonding and team building, reviewing camp policies and learning what it means to be a part of the Watitoh Family.  We spend time reviewing each camper with their counselors and preparing them to be the most successful they can be. By the time the campers arrive, our counselors are ready to welcome them with open arms and create the best summer experience possible.

The below article was written by Audrey Monke and posted on the American Camp Association’s website.  It is one that we have shared with our staff for 2016.  Enjoy!

Five Ways toBe an Outstanding Counselor this Summer

Hey, you! I know something about you. You want to be a great counselor this summer. You really do. And you can one of the best, most memorable counselors your camp has ever seen.

But this job is going to be a lot harder than you thought. It will tax every part of you mentally, emotionally, and physically. Some days there will be hurdles — lots of them. There may be one kid in your cabin who doesn’t appear to hear any instructions you give, or the entire group might be in chaos because they didn’t get the memo that you are their counselor and the one in charge — and therefore are to be respected and listened to. One camper may forget to visit the restroom and have multiple accidents daily. A staff member you really like might start dating someone else. Or your supervisor seems to only see what you’re doing wrong instead of what you’re doing well. Stuff will go wrong this summer at camp, I promise. In fact, that’s the one thing you can be sure of. Your cabin groups will not fit the picture-perfect mold you envision. You’ll make mistakes and need to fix things.

So, how can you still do a great job despite the challenges you’re going to face? Here are a few simple tips that will make you stand out at your camp this summer — in a good way!

One: Show your campers, every day, that they’re your number-one priority.

Until this point in your life, you’ve probably had to focus on taking care of only one person — yourself. Maybe you’ve had siblings you’ve helped with or you’ve done some babysitting, but, for the most part, when you’re at college or home, you look out for number one: You make sure that you are fed, clothed, safe, and happy. You haven’t had to worry about taking care of other people. Well, this summer you’ll have to do a big 180 — a huge one. Seriously. You’ll need to start and end each day thinking about your campers, what they need, and how you can best support them. And the rest of the time? You’ll need to show them, through your words and actions, that they are what you’re thinking about most.

What specific actions can you take to show your campers that they are your number-one priority?

• Wake up before them. Make sure you’re up at least 20 to 30 minutes before your campers. Use this time to get mentally and physically ready for the day. Then wake your campers up in a fun way and help them start their day on the right note.
• Check in with each of your campers individually, every day. Ask them, “How’s your day going?” or “Is there anything I can do to make camp more fun for you?” or “Who are you feeling closest to in our group?” Then listen to what they say; this will make your campers feel cared for and help them see you’re addressing their individual needs.
• Don’t plan or talk about your time off with other staff when you’re with your campers. When they overhear you whispering about the fun stuff you have planned for your day off, it makes them think you don’t like being with them. So keep conversations about your personal time and adult social life private.
• Write a quick note (even a sticky note) of encouragement to each of your campers if they need a pick-me-up or if they just accomplished something fun or challenging. A simple compliment about how their smile brightens your day or how impressed you were with how they helped their friend at crafts could be something they remember their entire life. Campers save that stuff.

Two: Wow your campers’ parents too!

You might think of meeting and talking with parents as an annoying side aspect of your job. Don’t. Those parents are trusting you with the thing that’s most important in their lives, and they don’t even know you. You also wouldn’t have a job if those parents weren’t willing to send their children to camp. Think about that. Whether you have a few minutes to interact with parents at the beginning or end of sleep-away camp or if you see parents daily at day camp, use those minutes to wow them.

What specific actions can you take to wow your campers’ parents?

• Take a shower. Groom yourself so you are clean, smell good, and look like someone trustworthy. You may be a super kind person on the inside, but if you look greasy and unkempt, parents are not going to feel good about trusting their child to you. Make sure your first impression is anexcellent one. Take off your sunglasses, look them in the eye, shake their hand, and introduce yourself.
• Ask parents about their child. They are the experts, so treat them as such. Questions like “What are you wanting Johnny to get out of this camp experience?” and “Are there any new skills you really want Susie to learn this summer?” are a great way to show parents that you have a genuine interest in their child and care what they think. Listen to their responses too.
• Follow up on what they shared. If you have the opportunity to talk with the parents again, or if your camp has you write parents a mid-session letter, share how their child has grown, what they learned, and what you noticed about them during camp. For parents, hearing how you really got to know their child and what makes him or her tick is extremely impressive.

Three: Be a model employee who gets a great recommendation from your camp director.

If you tend to think, “No one needs to tell me what to do,” you’ll need to give up that notion this summer. To do a great job at camp, you will need to seek the training and support of those who are more experienced than you. Believe it or not, your supervisors know a thing or two after working at camp for many years. This job is one in which you can build some important life and career skills, but you must be intentional in doing so. Even if you think you’re doing a great job with your campers, make sure you also nurture your relationship with your supervisor or camp director.
What specific actions can you take to impress your camp director?

• Ask the simple question, “Is there anything else I can do?” I’ll never forget one of our long-time, outstanding counselors asking me — during his first year at camp — “Is there anything I can do to be a better counselor?” No one had ever asked me that before and, of course, just his asking showed an initiative and drive that stood out. Whether you ask about your whole job performance or about a specific project, the question shows you won’t be a counselor who leaves an area messy, fails to finish or follow through on tasks, or requires extra supervision from your supervisor or camp director. Asking for feedback is a really impressive trait in employees and one that goes a long way toward making an employer feel great about you.
• See the big picture and be flexible. This one’s hard. You might envision yourself in a red bathing suit holding the rescue tube and watching the kids swim in the lake. But maybe what’s needed at your camp is that you help 50 kids start a lanyard or wash 200 dishes from breakfast. Seeing the big picture means remembering, every day, that you are at camp to provide campers with a fun, life-changing experience. This will help you realize that no matter what job you’re doing, you’re contributing to that singular goal. In fact, it is often while doing what are considered “less desirable” jobs that you can have the most impact. Be flexible about your assignments and duties and don’t think of anything as being beneath you. Instead of focusing on the monotony or repetitiveness of a job that you’ve been doing for a while, seek ways to keep it fun and fresh every day. Camp jobs often require repetition, so make each day fun and different by planning new interactions with campers through socializing, songs, and games.

Four: Begin with the end in mind.

How do you want to be remembered by your campers? Fellow counselors? Your camp director? Write it down now. Post it in your trunk or on a mirror or somewhere you’ll see it each day. Keep that in mind all summer so you’ll stay on mission and focused on why you’re at camp. It will help you make wise choices with your campers and when you’re on time off. Always keep in mind your over-arching reason for being at camp.

What specific actions can you take to stay on mission all summer?

• Brainstorm with your fellow counselors or your supervisor about how you want your campers to describe you. Ask yourself, “When my campers get off the bus at the end of the session and their parents ask, ‘What was your counselor like?’ what do I want them to say?” Write it down.
• Get an accountability partner — whether it’s a friend or your supervisor — who will keep you on mission. If you want to be remembered as fun and positive, make sure you have a friend who will give you a nudge if you’re acting grouchy.

Five: Take care of yourself.

I know I told you to focus on your campers as your top priority, but as every over-tired, at-rope’s-end parent knows, you won’t be able to take great care of your campers if you don’t take care of yourself too. Make sure you figure out the habits and routines that are going to work for you at camp this summer. Camp is a fresh start and a great time to change any bad habits. In fact, some habits you’ll be forced to change by the camp schedule and policies. You might as well embrace this opportunity to take great care of yourself.

How can you take great care of yourself this summer?

• Get enough sleep. I know, this is a hard one. There are so many people you want to catch up with during your limited time off, and you’ll be very tempted to stay up late after your campers go to sleep. But you need more sleep now than you’ve ever needed before. Make sure you get at least seven hours (preferably eight) of sleep each night and that you use your time off wisely. Don’t try to drive somewhere far away for a big climbing adventure. Save those trips for after camp.
• Don’t drink alcohol. Whether or not your camp has a policy about alcohol use, you will have a much better summer if you refrain from such habits. If you drink prior to returning to work, you could at best get fired, and at worst, be part of an accident where a camper gets hurt or killed. If you drink on your time off, you’ll likely get involved in something you don’t want your campers hearing about or that leaves you feeling sick and not at your best to do your job when you return to camp. Make this a summer of authentic, healthy living where you don’t use alcohol to socialize.
• Find your bliss and do that thing. What is it that best recharges you? Is it a nap? Listening to music? Getting a latte with a friend? Hiking to see a great view? Reading a book? Writing a letter to a friend? Journaling? Calling home? Figure out what it is that makes you feel best and be sure to do that during your limited time off. Remember, this should be something that recharges rather than depletes, you. If it doesn’t make you feel happy and well, avoid it.

These are five simple ways for you to be a counselor who stands out to your campers, your campers’ parents, your camp director, your co-workers, and yourself this summer. And while they are simple and straight-forward, they each require you to make smart choices and take specific actions.
You can have a life-changing, positive impact on your campers this summer, and you can also create a life-changing, positive experience for yourself.

Have a fantastic summer!