“The staff is totally aware and supportive of each camper in her daily life at camp, giving her love and confidence and success.”
Nancy, Alumna, Camp Parent & Camp Grandparent
Interested in learning more? Fill out this 2 minute form or email office@campwawenock.com!
It is the quality of the people who choose to work at any camp that ultimately determines the success of the camper experience and Wawenock’s staff members are truly invested in the camp community and each camper’s success.
Who are the staff?
The Wawenock Staff is comprised primarily of former campers, although we love welcoming ‘first timers’ to the Camp Family, too! Most staff members are college aged, though we are privileged to have many people who have already graduated from college, too, each season! The Wawenock Staff includes a significant number of teachers, parents and grandparents. These mature, experienced, nurturing people often lead program areas and are also each ‘connected’ to a particular living unit – where they are able to provide wonderful support to our cabin counselors and unit heads, as well as providing a mature, ‘parental’ presence for the campers.
Staff as role models and mentors:
Many campers aspire to become staff members when they are old enough because of the incredible impact their counselors have had on their Camp experiences over the years. Whether saying an ‘individual goodnight’ (having a conversation about what’s been happening during the day), setting goals with a girl to help her develop her social or activity skills, or encouraging her to stay behind for extra help after class has ended, Wawenock staff members are able to form deep personal relationships with campers they interact with and care for. This is made possible by assigning the same staff members to work with the same camper groups all summer long – in both the cabins and activities. In every program area, staff members can plan specifically for each child and her learning needs, as well as ensuring that a solidly-presented, consistent curriculum is followed with each class group over the course of the seven week season.
Camper to Staff Transition:
It is wonderful that so many of our first year staff have grown up in Camp and enjoyed the experiences of our Leadership Training and Counselor-in-Training Programs. As we have seen them live with others and develop their passions for specific activities – along with many of their leadership and teaching skills – we can place them in the activity and cabin groups where they will be most successful, benefitting them and their campers.
Supporting the staff:
One of the most important daily functions of each camp director and senior staff member is the meeting with and supporting of other staff members. We have found that investing this time and energy in developing each staff member, at every level in Camp, provides Wawenock with strong, capable, self-assured role models for the campers (and other staff) to look up to. The expectation bar is held high, in terms of how staff members are expected to approach their teaching, personal conduct and their relationships with campers, and they take great pride in rising to these expectations – having seen their peers and predecessors do so for many years. It has been our experience that staff members who experience support and nurturing in their work and life – both in and out of Camp – will, in turn, support and nurture their campers. When you meet the staff, you’ll realize the level of their investment in facilitating an incredible Wawenock experience – for everyone here – and what a special group of people this is!