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Why You Should Work for A Camp

Why You Should Work for A Camp

It feels impossible, but summer camp is a mere four months away! We just opened registration, and we’ve started recruiting for summer staff, including counselors, cabin leaders, lifeguards, and more.

Laura, our Operations Director, and I will meet hundreds of college students this spring for recruitment. We’ll try to tell them why they should spend their summer at Wildwood.

But it’s hard to explain all of the “why’s” in a few minutes.

Most broadly, working at camp and, more specifically, Wildwood offers transferable skills, experience working with youth and practice leadership skills, and a chance to change KC-area kids’ lives.

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Trauma-Informed Care Matters at Camp–Here’s Why

campers goofing around with counselor

On a hot July day at camp this summer, I got to witness trauma-informed care in action. An eight-year-old camper sat on a bench outside the dining hall. He stared at his knees, head in his hands.

Seeing the sad camper, Robyn, Wildwood’s Executive Director, sat next to him.

“Hey, Mason. You look upset. Are you doing okay?”

Another camper ran up to the bench.

“No,” explained the camper, “Mason’s upset because there weren’t any apples left in the snack bowl today.”

“I didn’t get one yesterday either,” Mason chimed in.

“I can fix that!”

Mason didn’t think it would happen–there were only oranges in the snack bowl in the dining hall. But the walk-in refrigerator had plenty of apples.

When Robyn brought back an apple for Mason, his face lit up. He smiled wide and hugged her.

“Thank you!” Mason exclaimed.

“You’re welcome, buddy.”

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