Camp counselors learning the shark dress-up activity.It all starts tomorrow.... I've been waiting for this since August of last year. Next week, I meet with the day camp management team covering leadership techniques and management styles. Together, we will design the bulk of what Small Wonders, Ocean Quest and Let's Get Wet will be for the summer of 2009. We'll come up with the activities, projects and games and fit them into a schedule full of animal exhibits, SeaWorld shows and amazing rides.
Then once all is prepared, the staff comes. Monday May 25 starts the transformation of normal people, mainly college students studying education or science, into the heroes that are camp counselors. I've found over the years that it's much easier to teach people about the animals of SeaWorld than to teach them to work with children. A love for working with kids is what brings the staff together. I just get to teach everyone ways to bring the amazing animals of SeaWorld to our campers. It's a jam packed two weeks to prepare the staff to take care of children just like yours.
I tried to break down what the two weeks of staff training entailed and this is the best I can come up with. Though it doesn't include the countless hours the staff spends studying everything I give them. And yes, we take it very seriously, there's even a test they have to pass before camp starts. Here's the breakdown:
- 4 hours of policies and procedures
- 1 hour of ice breakers
- 6 hours of animal information
- 6 hours of learning how to present animal information to children of different ages
- 8 hours of team building exercises and a state-required course in recognizing child abuse and neglect at the Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville, TX
- 8 hours with a nationally recognized camp speaker, specializing in behavior management and leadership techniques
- 7 hours of camp curriculum and activity training
- 3 hours of team building and co-counselor skills training
- 12 hours of elective counselor support information (classes specializing in everything from bullying, social media, group control, working with parents and preventing burnout)
- 2 hours of breaks
- 11 hours of experiential training in the park at stadiums, rides and Happy Harbor.
- 2 hours of designated safety training (covering proper lifting techniques, heat illnesses, etc)
- 10 hours of lunch
So whether your kids come to SeaWorld Adventure Camps this year or you just see the masses of orange camp shirts and hear us singing great camp songs. Know that a lot of work goes into creating the camp experience at SeaWorld San Antonio and it all starts tomorrow.
