There are many pressures and opportunities facing elder camper groups. The CIT (counselor-in-training or similar) program is an often overlooked opportunity for sustaining and strengthening camp culture and optimizing the future leaders and staff of camp.
There are several components that, when fit together, complete the puzzle of a strong program for your future camp leaders.
Skills
The CIT program must have tangible takeaways for each group to engage with the program. They need to depart from the summer with
Camp Philosophy
This captures the why of their summer. Some CITs return because of the friend group and others because it is what they are expected to do. It is important to work to have the group come together for the why of their camp's philosophy and guiding principles. The CIT year is a time of transition when they can more fully embrace the history while intentionally engaging in moving camp forward into the future. The CITs experience camp for the first time beyond themselves and for others. It is their camp and they make a difference in campers' lives and shape the camp ethos.
Teamwork
The emphasis on teamwork helps set the CIT group up for successes individually and as a group. There are many camp tasks that can effectively be executed by the CIT group, including daily event and special event planning and operation. Any instances that will help the group with meaningful opportunities to plan, to lead and to successfully carry through on an event or a camp tradition will begin to empower the group and create team earned successes. Avoid merely assigning the CITs the undesirable camp jobs that the full counselors are averse to doing. You may also charge the group with developing new camp traditions, ranging from special campfires to composing a new camp song!
Leadership Development
It is essential to give the CITs opportunities to lead. We cannot default to the oft repeated, "You are CITs. You are the leaders of camp." Just because we say so, doesn't mean the CITs have practice leading others. Give the CITs opportunities to develop a leadership style and perhaps arm them with a journal so they can track their leadership success and refine their style. Train staff to model for the CITs active listening skills, asking powerful and non-judgmental questions and role play with them. After leadership practices, also prioritize debriefing with them to discover what they have learned and how they can refine their leadership.
Empower, Act, Thrive
These are essential active verbs that guide CIT successes. Help guide CITs to attaining reachable goals through goal setting exercises designed specifically for the camp season. Push them toward empowerment with powerful questions with role play and other confidence building activities. Encourage action by providing the safety to experience setbacks and challenge while still rebounding toward achieving the stated goals. Be sure to pause and debrief with CITs and they learn how to thrive experiencing success in their goal setting exercises. All of this builds confidence that they can cycle through with many aspects of their camp and outside lives.
CIT leaders must practice giving effective and continual feedback for the group to experience the development you wish. Be certain the feedback contains appropriate and specific praise and avoid fluff. Teach the CITs how to receive and act upon constructive feedback and incorporate the language and accountability you use and expect from counselor staff, so the CITs begin to ascend to the counselor expectations.
As we are busy hiring staff, managing camper and CIT enrollment, attending camp gatherings and so much more, take the time to evaluate your CIT program to ensure it is meeting the needs of today's teenagers. The CIT summer experience, in essence, is your opportunity to begin training and shaping your future staff. The benefits of a strong, popular CIT program will have lasting benefits for the individual and the camp.
This blog was written on behalf of ACA's Project Real Job, whose goal is to support camps in their efforts to recruit, hire, and retain staff.
Whit Ryan has more than 35 years of experience in camping. She has served as Director of Staff Recruitment and Leadership Training at Wyonegonic Camps in Maine. Previously, Whit was a senior staff member at Alford Lake Camp, ME and director of Waukeela Camp, NH. As a career educator and founder and owner of Clearview Life Coaching, Whit focuses on working with schools and individuals to build stronger citizens and communities. She has extensive experience in building leadership training programs that will produce lasting benefits for camps. Whit has presented at both ACA National and New England conferences. Whit can be reached at whit@clearview-lifecoaching.com or clearview-lifecoaching.com/.
The views and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Camp Association or ACA employees.