Camp Echo

McGaw YMCA

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Camp Echo Home / About Echo / Diversity & Inclusion at Camp Echo

Diversity & Inclusion at Camp Echo

Every camper at Camp Echo should feel a sense of belonging at camp, where they can be proud of who they are.

As a part of the McGaw YMCA, Camp Echo shares in the mission to strengthen community for all. The Y’s efforts to advance diversity, inclusion, and global engagement (DIG) in our programs and services is central to achieving this mission and supporting all young people in achieving Camp Echo’s goals of safety, community, personal growth, and FUN! Our expectation is that all members of the Camp Echo community will join us in our DIG efforts.

INCLUSION AT CAMP ECHO

We often use the analogy at Camp Echo that “diversity is being invited to the dance and inclusion is being asked to dance.” We also want those asked to dance to help plan the dance! More directly, inclusion is the full engagement of all Camp Echo community members (campers, parents, alumni, staff, volunteers, etc.).

We are fortunate to have a rich history of being a welcoming community centered on our core values. However, we also know that many families have not always had access to camp or felt included once they experience camp. Our priority is to increase access to Camp Echo for historically underrepresented groups at camp and to ensure that all young people feel a sense of belonging at camp.

Below are a few of the strategies Camp Echo has in place to strengthen our culture of inclusion.

Staff Selection and Training
Full-time and seasonal staff are all led through diversity and inclusion trainings, which evolve every summer to address the most pressing topics, build upon passed training for returning staff, and to incorporate learnings from the previous summer.

We believe that inclusion work starts with self-reflection. Starting with our interview process to work at Camp Echo, all applicants are asked questions regarding inclusion and how they will help us make camp more inclusive. During staff training, topics such as implicit bias, privilege, and conflict resolution are explored broadly and then applied to real-life camp scenarios.

Full-time Camp Echo staff participate in regular training led by YMCA of the USA trainers and also community learning opportunities in Evanston such as Courageous Conversations and the YWCA Equity Summit.

Pre-Camp Communication: Co-Create A Plan
Campers who may be challenged in the camp setting for any number of reasons are best supported at camp if we are able to anticipate the challenges before camp and can develop an action plan with parents, guardians, or professionals (doctors, counselors, etc.). Though camp is a fun and immersive environment, it can also be a stressful space for many campers as they have to navigate a new environment that may be vastly different from their home routine for any number of reasons.

If parents or guardians have any questions about creating an action plan for success, please contact our team at echoinfo@mcgawymca.org.

Age-Appropriate Intentional Programming
Many elements of Camp Echo programming are intentionally designed to create a more inclusive environment. From the icebreaker games to the song instruction, staff are trained to ensure all campers in their group can fully engage in camp from the moment they arrive. However, there are also some camp programs worth noting that are specifically focused on strengthening our culture of inclusion.

Community Circles: At camp, we like to make circles. Several times a day, groups of campers make circle-up with their counselors. These circles are opportunities to check-in as a group in a way that honors every voice in the group and creates space for honest sharing. Groups may use a circle to de-brief a team building activity or facilitate end of day reflection (Taps Talk).

By building the habit and skills to circle up together, groups are also able to effectively utilize a circle to resolve conflict that arises within the group. In this way, camper conflicts can be resolved by sharing openly, acknowledging what caused the conflict, taking accountability, and creating a restorative action plan.

DIG Days: During each of our two-week sessions (2, 3, 4, & 5), the second Tuesday of the session is DIG Day. Each DIG Day is focused on a different topic that gives campers and staff the opportunity to share parts of who they are in a way that creates greater understanding and respect throughout our community.

Past DIG Day themes have included Pride Day, Echo Around the World, Peace Day, and Self-Care Day. DIG Days usually follow a normal camp schedule, while incorporating the theme into Morning Reflections, Morning Music at breakfast, Cabin Groups, an all-camp cookout for dinner, Evening Program, and Taps Talk. DIG Days are often a highlight of the session for campers and staff.

How We Measure Inclusion
Inclusion is not as tangible as diversity and is thus more difficult to measure in the camp setting. However, Camp Echo is committed to exploring quantitative and qualitative methods to track inclusion. In post-camp surveys for Summer 2019, 97% of campers agreed that they felt included while at camp and 96% of parents agreed that their camper was included while at camp. For first-time campers, 95% of parents agreed that their camper was included while at camp.

Please click here to read more about Gender Inclusion at Camp Echo.

DIVERSITY AT CAMP ECHO

Diversity is the presence of differences that make each person unique and that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another.

Families and campers often want to know who Camp Echo serves. In addition to which of their friends will be coming to camp (which we don’t share – check with them directly!), families want to know the extent to which campers will be similar and/or different from them. Are there campers from the same school? How many campers are from outside Evanston? Will there be campers that look like me? How many campers my age will be there? And so on.

There are infinite elements of identity and we recognize campers however they identify themselves. The data below is collected by Camp Echo during the registration process, which allows us to accurately report who comes to camp and to track how our population evolves over time. Our goal is for the Camp Echo community to reflect the Evanston community, as our primary service area.

BLM AT CAMP ECHO

Camp Echo stands with camps all over the country in affirming that Black Lives Matter. We are committed to the on-going work of eliminating structural racism within camping and Camp Echo. We commit to advancing on this journey through action. We welcome and need the help of our community in our journey. Below are a few steps we are currently taking to do better as we prepare for Summer 2021.

  • Segmenting survey data to better understand how Black families, campers, and staff experience camp.
  • Continuous review of traditions and rituals at camp, adjusting programs and operations to create a more racially-aware culture.
  • Staff and alumni collaboration to develop and implement strategies that more strongly support Camp Echo campers, families, and staff of color for Summer 2021.

BLM AND CAMPING RESOURCES
The Y’s Commitment to America is developing new generations of changemakers who will create communities we all want to live in—young people who grow into thriving adults and transform communities by influencing systems of change, bridging social divides and giving back. Anti-racism work can begin at any age and we are often asked for resources and support for our youth and families to talk about race, whether at the Y or at home, here is a place to start:
National Museum of African American History & Culture Talking About Race
Raising Race Conscious Children
Anti-Racism for Kids 101: Starting to Talk About Race
Anti-Racism 102: Why Not All Racial Discrimination is “Racism”
Talking about Race and Anti-Racism with Children
Talking About Racism and Justice Oakland Library
Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners: books for children and young adults
31 Children’s books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
PBS’s Teaching Your Child About Black History Month
Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup from Pretty Good
Teaching Tolerance: Teaching About Race, Racism, and Police Violence

The following are some additional resources that might prove helpful on the journey of learning about the intersection of camp, the outdoors, and the BLM movement.
Thoughts on Being Black at Camp
CampWire Episode 29 Panel
Outside Voices Podcast
Out There, Nobody Can Hear You Scream
Why Every Environmentalist Should Be Antiracist
4 Tips for Confronting Internalized Racism in the Outdoors
Guide To Outdoor Allyship
Recolor the Outdoors TedTalk
Here We Stand-Film

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