Summer 2019 is nearly here, and we’re so excited to welcome our First Session campers on Monday. Our staff members have been preparing for their arrival for the past two weeks. Over 90 staff have traveled to Johns Island, some from nearby places and some from very distant – many international – locales. All of them are eagerly awaiting our campers’ arrival in just a few short days.
Over 90 staff from more than 10 countries congregated on Johns Island for Nor’wester staff training.
In the meantime, staff training has been in full swing. Staff members have been busy pitching tipis, setting up program areas, learning and practicing outdoor skills, completing their wilderness first aid and lifeguard certifications, and building community. Staff training is an incredibly busy time on Johns Island, and for good reason!
Staff members participated in many training sessions with camp directors Sheila and Jill and with several guest presenters.
More extensive than many other programs’ training modules, our staff training is an intensive time of group education, practical instruction, team building, and personal and interpersonal growth. Training sessions include safety and risk management role-playing scenarios, child development seminars, workshops on how to give and receive feedback, and experiential opportunities to practice camping and outdoor skills. In addition, our staff have been working tirelessly to set up their department areas, pitch tipis and distribute bedframes and mattresses, plan activities for their campers, and ensure that our facilities and grounds are safe and clean.
Big smiles and new friendships abounded during staff training at Nor’wester!
Even amidst all the activity, our anticipation has been growing as the countdown to the start of First Session continues. We can’t wait to put all of the things we’ve been learning and practicing into use when our campers get to Johns on Monday. Stay tuned for many more updates as camp opens and Summer 2019 officially kicks off!
A note about our Summer Blog: We’ll be updating our Summer Blog a few times a week as the summer season kicks off. Expect to see a photo or two of camp life, read about session highlights, and join us in spirit as we celebrate another wonderful, surprising, challenging, and life-shaping summer at camp.
We continue to uphold our commitment to providing an independent experience for our campers, and so our blog is meant to offer a short and sweet snapshot of what you can expect to hear about much more fully from your campers when they return home. It is their story to tell – and we encourage you to ask them to tell it! For now, we remain committed to giving each camper a special place and time in which to experience, process, and write their own stories.
We look forward to sharing these glimpses into the summer with you – and extending a bit of the Nor’wester magic to you in the process!