camp connections:

BUILDING BRIDGES TO RESILIENCE & REGULATION

A daylong workshop-retreat for camp leaders to explore actionable approaches to better support seasonal staff and campers through an understanding of the neurobiology of stress and resilience

May 21st, 2024

9am-4pm

dance with Joy studios

portland, or (Sellwood)


The needs of young people (campers and staff alike) are shifting in a post-COVID world and with generational differences. Many youth struggle with mental health and a lower tolerance for engaging with challenge and difficulty, and many of us are observing higher rates of dysregulated reactive or withdrawing behaviors among campers. This workshop will offer the opportunity to explore the question:

As camp leaders, how can we better understand staff and campers’ experiences and support them effectively while creating the conditions for encouraging growth?

Summer camps and outdoor education programs are well-positioned to help young people develop resilience and foster mental and emotional health. Integrating an understanding of stress, trauma, and the nervous system can help camp leaders to be even more intentional about creating experiences and support systems that promote resilience and well-being.

more information

  • During our time together, we will:

    • Discuss the neurobiology of stress, trauma, and resilience and directly apply this to our lived experiences with staff and campers

    • Learn the factors influencing nervous system regulation and types of stress that lead to resilience or sensitization

    • Explore various ways to intentlonally integrate resiliency-building approaches into organizational and staff culture

    • Recognize the impact of COVID on leader overwhelm, the importance of our own regulation and resilience, and connect to research-based strategies for preventing and mitigating burnout

  • This will be an engaging, interactive, and conversational workshop. Please wear comfortable clothes that you can move around in, and be prepared to play and participate! Chairs will be available, and a variety of options for ways to participate will be offered. All bodies and ability levels are welcome!

    Our maximum number of participants for this training will be 20 people.

    Please arrive a few minutes before 9:00 to settle in and land before we begin our day! We will take frequent breaks throughout the day and will have 45 minutes for lunch around noon.

    Please bring a lunch, snacks, something to take notes with (if you’re a note-taker!), and anything else you need to be comfy, cozy, and connected for the day.

  • We are hoping to offer 6 Continuing Education Credits through ACA (American Camp Association). Please let us know if this is something you are interested in!

  • You are in an ongoing or year-round leadership role where you supervise and/or support young adults in camp counselor or instructor roles

  • Your organization provides outdoor summer camp, day camp, or outdoor education experiences for children and youth

  • You actively support (or desire to support) the growth and development of your staff and see the value and role of social-emotional skills in educational and workplace settings

  • You are willing and able to participate in interactive activities and group discussions

  • You are able to commit to being fully present (in body and mind) for the full day of training

This training is for you if…

  • Are in a seasonal or temporary leadership position

  • You are unable to be present for the full day workshop

  • You are uncomfortable or unwilling to discuss mental health related topics like anxiety, depression, trauma, etc.

  • You believe that young people are lazy, entitled, or any number of other judgments that limit our capacity to empathize and understand peoples’ lived experiences, OR are unwilling to question and push back against these judgments, if you have them!

This training is not for you if…

Training cost

$225 for Individual Registration

Save 10% by registering with a colleague from the same organization ($205 per person)

Save 20% by registering with 2+ colleagues ($180 per person)

Questions? Reach Out!

Join us!

Workshop Facilitators

Josephine linden, MS

Jo has been facilitating experiential social-emotional learning (in classroom and out-of-school settings) with high-school aged youth for over a decade and now works to support youth-serving professionals to create human-centered cultures that foster the well-being and resilience of their people. She has a Masters of Science in Teaching, is a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and has studied impacts and responses to developmental trauma with Dr. Bruce Perry and Interpersonal Neurobiology with Dr. Dan Siegel. Jo is a seeker of delight, curiosity, and depth, and finds joy in connecting with the natural world, reading young adult fantasy fiction, and playing with her mini aussie, Rosie.

DEANNA PICKETT, LPC

DeAnna has been a child and family therapist for 15+ years and has been facilitating experiential activities and adventure learning for over 25 years. She held the Association for Challenge Course Technology Trainer’s Certification for 5 years before returning to a clinical practice. In additional to experiential practices, she also uses EMDR, neurofeedback, sandtray, DBT, brain spotting and ‘tapping’ (EFT) in her current practice. DeAnna lives with her husband and two daughters in Lake Oswego, Oregon.