SWCC Conference Information

swcc  ll  register  ll  conf. info  ll  exhibit  ll  volunteer  ll  Workshop Descriptions

conference information 

Please scroll to find information you need to plan your trip.

How to register:

REGISTER ONLINE

 

Our host: 

Special Events Center - Garland, TX
4999 Naaman Forest Boulevard
Garland, TX 75040

Phone: 972-487-4700

http://www.specialeventscenter.com

Directions

 

meals:

On Monday, January 23, 2012 lunch and refreshments are provided with your paid conference fee.

 

lodging:

American Camp Association Conference Rate: $85.00 plus taxes.

Hyatt Place Dallas/Garland
5101 North President George Bush Highway
Garland, TX 75040

Located directly across the parking lot from the Special Events Center

To receive discount room reservation, please register using this link: Hyatt ACA Rate.

 

what's happening during the conference

program (.pdf) l schedule l special events

 

Tentative Schedule

Sunday January 22, 2012
6p-9p Conference Special Event
Monday January 23, 2012
8:00-9:00 Registration
8:30-9:15 Conference Kick off Activity
9:30-10:30 Keynote - Suzie Humphreys
10:45-11:45 Session 1
11:45-12:30 Lunch and Exhibits
12:45-1:45 Session 2
2:00-3:00 Session 3
3:15-4:15 Session 4
4:15 Conference Closing Special Event and:  
  Big 500 Giveaway
  Lost and Found Drawing
  Best in Show Awards

 

 

SWCC 2012 Workshop Descriptions

 

Food Service

Alison Hinton               Teach Campers to cook and earn money

 Need a new program area at camp?  Why not teach the campers to cook!  At YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow, we added "Pan-Handlers Club" during summer 2011.  It was a huge success.  Campers were taught some basic cooking skills along with a bit of philanthropy.  Learn what it takes to get started, a few pitfalls, ideas and successes along with the time it really takes for this class each day.  We will also discuss how to generate income from the class. 

Ben Elble-Doing More with Less, Keeping Menus Fresh Without Over Stocking Your Kitchen

Keeping variety in your menus can be difficult, especially if you have limited storage space.  Come discover ways to use the stock items in your kitchen to produce a variety of meals including those tough to figure out special diets.

Sterling Leija -  Food Services Facelift: 10 Tools to Give Your Food Services Department a Fresh Look

With the challenges camp directors and food service directors face, how do you give your camp kitchen a new look without busting your budget?  Come join a discussion based around 10 tools to give your food services department a facelift!  Bring both questions and challenges as well as ideas and stories to share.

Epic

Mary Helen Franko     Budgeting 101 -- for the Program staff

You don't like or "do" numbers. The plan is to de-mystify the "B" word... BUDGETS. This workshop is for the relatively new program staff person who needs (or wants) to understand the budget process.

EPIC Round Table

Join us for an introduction in to the world of EPIC. We will discuss upcoming issues in our trade and begin to figure out how we will structure the group for the future.

Program

Mary Helen Franko Camp International Camping Fellowship

What do you know about camping around the world? What makes it similar and different from camping in the US? What can you learn from attending the International Camp Congress? Come hear about travels to these meetings held every 3 years, most recently in Hong Kong.

Erik Tackett                 Is your Water-ski Program Safe?

Waterskiing and wakeboarding have become more and more popular at summer camps. Unfortunately as the popularity rises so do accidents. Nationwide boating deaths have risen 78% in the past 3 years. Water-ski Works is here to assist in helping camps run an effective and accident free program.

Stacey Otlin     Camp and Pervasive Developmental Disorders:  How can we support our campers and help them thrive.

Has your camp seen a rise in the percentage of campers with autism and Asperger’s?   Set your staff and campers up for success by providing them with knowledge and strategies for working with this growing population.  This workshop will provide hands on camp specific activities,  communication tools, and practical information that will empower your staff to, not only manage behaviors, but start to build connections with a hard to reach population.

John Duntley   Current Trends In Camping

 Ever wonder what is happening across the nation in camping? We will discuss current trends and issues that face our industry.

Mark Young        Your Camp's Journey

We have always been told it is the journey, not the destination that counts.  so what is your camp's journey, and how do you create a great journey every time for your campers and parents.  Can you do it in a way that makes them begging to come back to camp year after year.  Learn how in this fast paced inspiring hour.

Stacey Otlin: The two sides of stress management and how it applies to the camping environment:

Stress has a bad reputation: discover the ways stress can help focus and drive you and your staff, as well as, learn to identify when it gets to be too much. You will learn the “fast five” ways to prevent overwhelming stress in staff, and how respond to it.  You will also become familiar with the physical ways our bodies react. This is a training you can take home and immediately put to use with your staff.  Come learn about the brighter side of stress!

Peanut Henderson          Best of the Best Summer Camp Games

Tired of the same old games? Need some new games for your staff training and summer camp. This workshop will teach participants how to use games effectively in their summer camps.. Best of all, you will have a great time playing the games yourself! So come prepared to play and have fun.

Edward Jenkins           Friend Me - Social Media & Camp

The presentation will cover best practices for social media, obstacles and risks, and how to utilize social media for long term engagement with campers, parents, and the community.

 

Day Camp

 Melany Thompson and Hilbert Fields     Putting that Pizazz in your Day Camp! How do we make our day camp programs feel and look like resident camp?  How do we keep it from becoming the same ole thing day in and day out? Well, we will look at the answers to these questions and how hiring the right staff and providing the right program really creates "the pizazz" we are all looking for!

Curtis Lemieux and Melany Thompson          Where Everyone Belongs: Creating a Bully-Free Environment        

This training has been developed to educate staff about bullying.  The training covers the definition of bullying, the types of bullying, it's effects, it's consequences, and what we can all do to prevent bullying on our watch.  It is a very interactive training with a lot of group work and activities, as well as videos and articles. 

Laura Stern-YMCA- Program description to come.

 

Executive/ Administrative

 John Duntley  Executive Round Table          

We will discuss issues and topics relevant to the current state of camping and hot topics.

 

 Britt Darwin Looney        Six Abuse Concerns that Keep Camp Staff Awake at Night:

When it comes to child abuse prevention, camp staff often feel like they have more questions than answers.  Join attorney Britt Darwin-Looney of Praesidium as she answers six of the most frequently asked questions and provides strategies for preventing abuse at your camp.  This presentation will highlight topics such as the problem with background checks, risks for adult-to-child and child-to-child abuse, how to prevent false allegations, how to spot red flag behaviors, and what to do about high-risk areas at camp.