Last week, our JCC Pittsburgh camp teams had the privilege and opportunity to attend the American Camp Association Tri-State Camp Conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We heard from keynote speaker Danny Meyer, renowned restauranteur (perhaps best known as the founder of Shake Shack), writer and hospitality industry leader. Central to Danny’s message was the philosophy that people – both employees and customers – should always come first.  He emphasized the importance of empowering our staff, building genuine connections with others, prioritizing personal well-being, and creating environments where every individual feels valued and respected. Danny challenged those in attendance to intentionally build a camp culture where every member of the staff is encouraged (and expected) to deliver more than what our campers and families expect whenever possible.

As we dug into the various sessions at Tri-State, we spent valuable time with camp colleagues from around the region discussing industry trends, learning from one another’s successes and failures, and developing new approaches to address the ever-evolving needs of our campers and families. No matter the issue, though, we found ourselves coming back to the foundational role that staff play in delivering on the promise of Jewish camping and how pivotal the overarching staff experience is in their ability to consistently exceed expectations.

While our focus has already shifted greatly over the past couple of years to put as much emphasis on the staff experience as we put on the camper experience, our learnings from the conference have us thinking beyond just Danny Meyer’s philosophical approach. This means not only preparing staff for their roles at camp. It means preparing them for what they will do after camp and later in life as well, both personally and professionally. Camp is an invaluable work experience that allows young adults to learn transferable soft skills that will benefit them in any future career. Giving our staff the chance to build their resume through various training programs, certifications, leadership roles, and internships must be a core component of the overall staff experience.

Building a culture in which staff can thrive also requires significant care and attention to their mental and emotional health. At Tri-State, we learned new and innovative ways that camps are prioritizing the wellbeing of their staff by providing resources, support systems, and training on topics such as stress management, self-care, and resilience. Working with organizations such as the 10/27 Healing Partnership allows us to enhance staff engagement and place more of an emphasis on this critical component of one’s overall health.

At the end of each summer, our goal is for staff to walk away saying, “I am better off today because of my experience at a JCC Pittsburgh day or overnight camp.” Just like Shake Shack is so much more than burgers and milkshakes, camp is more than just summer fun. And we know it all starts with the staff, those charged with delivering formative experiences and fostering connections that stay with our campers long past the summer. We are excited to put our time at Tri-State to use in achieving our shared vision of a “high hospitality” workplace culture where our staff are best prepared and empowered to deliver another incredible summer full of connections, values, growth and fun for our entire camp community.

Wishing you and your families a Shabbat Shalom and a Chag Purim Sameach,

Rachael and Aaron