Class Dismissed

HOW DO YOU SCREEN YOUR STAFF?

We view training and preparing our staff for the summer as one of our most important jobs. Throughout the summer, staff lead activities, care for campers, and share the Gospel. Therefore, Staff Training Week is the foundation to having a great summer.

Before a staff member even arrives at camp, they must go through our screening process:

• Staff Application
• Three references
• Phone interview
• Clean Criminal Record Check & Vulnerable Sector Search (for staff over 18)
• Child Intervention Check (for staff over 18 and in applicable provinces)
• Staff Training Week (second interview)

WHAT ARE YOUR STAFF TRAINED IN?

All of our staff are Christians and are committed to helping campers connect, explore, and grow. Staff Training Week is no joke. In addition to familiarizing our staff with our policy and procedures, our staff learn all the activities and games they will be facilitating throughout the summer. This may even include how to start a campfire with one match and then cook over it! Here are the policy and procedure manuals our staff are trained in:

1. Crisis Management & Emergency Procedures
2. Staff Code of Conduct
3. Abuse Prevention and Reporting (Plan to Protect)

We also have sessions that are designed to develop skills around group management, creating special camp moments, and being effective at sharing the Gospel:

• Conflict Management and Resolution
• Group Management
• Working with Campers (when things don’t go as planned)
• How to be an Awesome Camp Leader
• Cabin Leading 101 (Homesickness, Bed Wetting, Bullying, etc…)
• Preaching the Gospel
• Sharing Your Testimony

Lastly, we have sessions that focus on helping staff not just “survive” the summer but thrive in our challenging environment. While Sr. Leadership Team facilitates the majority of our sessions during Staff Training, we will bring in outside facilitators (Mental Health Nurses, Psychologists) to assist with specialty sessions:

• Self-care
• How to find rest effectively
• Working with campers who are struggling at camp (de-escalation, communication, and problem-solving techniques)
• Mental Health Awareness

Any volunteers that have been asked to be onsite for this event have been at Evergreen this past summer and have supplied us with up to date criminal record checks.