Each summer the Camp Echo staff team is a combination of returning staff, campers transitioning to becoming staff, and staff who are brand new to our community. At the start of Summer 2018, I asked our staff to think about how they show up each day and discussed what it means to show up as a Camp Echo staff member.
How do staff show up when campers get off the bus at camp for the first time? How do we show up when facilitating a group of campers from different backgrounds that needs support to reach its full potential? How do staff show up when teaching campers a new skill?
Staff were given a bracelet during staff training to remind them of how we show up. This bracelet has five words inscribed upon it as a continuous reminder of Camp Echo’s culture and expectations:
WELCOMING: We are open to ALL. We are a place where you can be, belong and become.
NURTURING: We’re with you in your journey to develop your full potential.
GENUINE: We value who YOU are and encourage you to be true to yourself and others.
HOPEFUL: We believe in you and your ability to be a catalyst for good in the world.
DETERMINED: Above all else, we are on a relentless quest to make our community stronger beginning with YOU.
We use these five words to create a culture in support of Camp Echo’s goals of safety, community, and personal growth every day for every camper. In addition to creating a more supportive camp community, we are building leaders that will take these values and the Camp Echo spirit into all their future endeavors to make the world a better place.
SPIRIT – MIND – BODY
Bernard Rocca
Branch Executive Director, Camp Echo
bernardr@mcgawymca.org
