Building the Bridge: Engaging Gen Z for Long-Term Success

In today’s multi-generational camps, Gen Z counselors bring incredible energy and creativity — but also different expectations about work, recognition, and purpose. Building on her work with organizations across industries, Danielle Farage (dubbed the "Therapist for Gen Z and people who hire them") will share practical strategies for motivating, engaging, and retaining Gen Z staff. This interactive keynote will help camp leaders connect with young counselors, set clear expectations to drive buy-in, and translate the summer experience into long-term growth for both staff and the camp community.

‍Owning the Job: Setting Staff Up for Success

Drew Fidler

Working at camp isn’t just fun—it’s real work, often a first job, and it comes with the serious responsibility of caring for children. This interactive session will explore how to help staff embrace their roles, balance expectations with accountability, and develop the skills they need to thrive. You’ll leave with practical tools to prepare your team for success and create a culture where staff feel ownership, growth, and pride in their work.

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Embedding Practical Powerful Coaching Strategies into Leadership Roles: A Game Changer

Summer Camp Coaching

The corporate world invests over $5 billion annually in coaching employees. The summer camp industry has barely begun to tap the potential of this potent tool. This session will introduce the distinctions that differentiate using coaching with your staff from the more common and traditional approach of managing, counseling, and problem-solving. It will introduce the GROW Model and demonstrate how applying this methodology with staff builds their skills, confidence, and independence. The most effective intervention with an employee is the one that equips them so the problem they came to you about never happens again. Coaching them using this model will make a substantial difference.

Lessons Learned from 2025

Rachel Satinsky

This interactive session will dive into real-world case studies to provoke discussion on how camp professionals can proactively address some of the most challenging HR issues faced in the industry today. Through detailed case examples, participants will explore best practices and strategies for affirmative planning to prevent problems before they arise. 

‍International Exchanges in 2025: The View from Washington

Adrienne Jacobs

This year has marked a shift for Department of State international exchange programs, from a new political dynamic in Washington to new approaches to immigration enforcement. This session will look at the current issues facing the Camp Counselor category and broadly the issues most impacting the international exchanges community. From highlighting local impact, to building allyship on Capitol Hill and beyond, hear how the Alliance for International Exchange has shifted its strategy throughout the year to amplify the importance of international exchange programs with Washington power players.

Coaching with Care: Supporting Staff Who Struggle with Feedback

Dave Brown

Some staff members shut down, get defensive, or even disengage when faced with constructive feedback. How can camp leaders turn those moments into growth opportunities instead of conflicts? Drawing on insights from 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People by David Yeager, Ph.D., this session adapts evidence-based strategies to the camp environment. Participants will learn practical tools for coaching staff who may be fragile or resistant to feedback, helping them build resilience, strengthen relationships, and ultimately succeed in working with campers. 

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Friendtorship: Building Bridges Across Generations

Danielle Farage

What happens when friendship meets mentorship? In this collaborative chat, we’ll dive into Friendtorship — a fun, fresh way to bridge generational gaps at camp. Together we’ll share what we want to learn, the lessons we can leave behind, and the unique strengths we can leverage. Come ready to swap stories, spark ideas, and leave with new ways to connect across ages and experiences.

Camp Leaders Platform: What's new, what's next

Join us for a deep dive into the progress we’ve made on the Camp Leaders platform over the past year. We’ll walk through the latest developments, share upcoming features on the roadmap, and close with a look ahead at what’s coming next.

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Camp as a Launchpad: Building Well-Being at Camp

Camp is more than cabins and campfires; it’s one of the most powerful laboratories for human growth and connection. In this keynote, Clare Davenport weaves together cutting-edge science and practical camp wisdom to show how well-being frameworks can transform the camp experience for staff, campers, owners and families alike. With humour, stories, and research-backed insights, she demonstrates how small shifts can help create a culture where everyone thrives.

Tech Deep Dive: Feedback, Ideas, and Q&A

Adam Maddocks

This interactive breakout is all about collaboration. We’ll dive into what’s working well, where challenges remain, and what you’d like to see next from the Camp Leaders platform. Through open discussion, Q&A, and feedback, you’ll have the chance to share your perspective and help influence the roadmap for the year ahead. Your insights will directly shape how we continue to build tools that support your camp and your staff.

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PERMA-V in Action: Practical Tools to Strengthen Camp Well-being

Clare Davenport

This interactive workshop takes the keynote insights and puts them directly into practice. Participants will explore concrete strategies that bring PERMA-V (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, Vitality) alive in everyday camp life. Through hands-on activities and peer sharing, attendees will leave with a toolkit of daily practices and design ideas tailored for their camp.

Erica Hruby (Summer Camp Coaching)

Jeff Leiken (Summer Camp Coaching)

Rachel Satinsky

Danielle Farage

Clare Davenport

Sam and Parker

Esther and Aaron from Camphire

Dave Brown

Jenna Sommer

Mobilizing the Camp Community for Disaster Response

Description: When disasters strike, children need safe spaces to heal and parents need support to rebuild. Camp communities have the skills to provide both. Counselors, staff, alumni, and extended camp networks possess the superpowers people desperately need in the wake of disasters. Camp communities have the ability to create healing environments where kids can be kids during their most vulnerable moments. This session will show how to transform your existing camp community into a rapid response team, providing the tools and framework to deploy when disasters hit. Discover how camps are inherently therapeutic spaces that help children process these extreme events, and learn exactly how to plug into Project:Camp to organize these life-changing responses. Together, we'll explore how your camp can become a beacon of hope when communities need it most.

Celebrating Neurodiversity: Unlocking the Strengths of Your Staff

A truly inclusive camp culture doesn’t just make space for neurodiverse staff—it thrives because of them. This session will help you move beyond awareness into action, equipping you with practical tools to recognize strengths, support challenges, and create a workplace where every staff member feels safe, valued, and seen. Through interactive activities and real-world strategies, you’ll explore ways to strengthen your hiring, training, and problem-solving practices year-round, ensuring that your neurodiverse team can shine—and elevate your camp community in the process.

5:00pm-5:30pm and 5:35pm-6:05pm

In these 30-minute small group coaching sessions, camp professionals will experience the G.R.O.W. model of coaching (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward) to help them reflect on challenges, clarify goals, and identify actionable next steps. With the guidance of coaches Erica Hruby and Jeff Leiken, and support from peers, participants will leave with greater clarity, new ideas, and practical strategies they can immediately apply in their camp work. This is an opt-in offering open to a maximum 6 participants in each of the two groups per session (24 spots total). 

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Beyond the Campfire: Inspiring Staff, Empowering Youth

Working at camp is more than a summer job—it’s an opportunity to change lives. In this keynote, youth development specialist Donovan Hall shares stories and insights from twelve years of experience in camps and youth development programs to remind attendees why their work matters and how to inspire their staff to stay committed year after year. Attendees will explore what keeps people coming back to camp, learn a practical skill to help staff recognize and articulate the impact they’re having, and leave with fresh inspiration to strengthen their community. This keynote blends storytelling, skill-building, and heart—sparking new energy for the life-changing work camp leaders do every day.