CLASS DESCRIPTION
Class duration: 53 minutes, 51 seconds (≈ 0.90 contact hours)
Green teams can turn sustainability from a “nice idea” into a shared camp culture—one that engages staff, campers, families, and community partners while driving measurable operational improvements. In this virtual session, Danny Sudman (Green Camps) reframes sustainability through a team-building lens and explains how green teams build buy-in, develop leaders, and create lasting behavior change. Participants will learn practical structures for a sustainability “champion” role (including the importance of protected time), how to bring key stakeholders to the table, and how to start with real data by establishing baselines for areas like waste, water, and energy. The session emphasizes choosing achievable priorities, using proposals and planning to turn ideas into action, and celebrating results through measurable outcomes.
Estimated CEU value (typical standard):
- 0.09 CEUs (using the common conversion 1.0 CEU = 10 contact hours)
- Calculation: 53:51 = 3,231 seconds = 0.8975 hours → 0.08975 CEUs → 0.09 CEUs (rounded)
Five learning objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Define what “sustainability” means for their camp organization and articulate how it connects to culture and operations.
- Differentiate between a solo “sustainability champion” approach and a team-based model, and describe why structure and continuity matter.
- Identify key internal and external stakeholders to include in a green team (e.g., staff, campers, parents, board, community partners) and explain how involvement supports engagement and buy-in.
- Apply a data-first approach by establishing baselines (e.g., water, energy, waste) and using measurement to set goals and evaluate progress.
- Select and plan a realistic starting initiative (such as waste reduction/composting, water conservation, or energy tracking) and outline steps to implement and sustain it through leadership development and team processes.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Danny Sudman is a long-time camp professional, team builder, and sustainability educator with more than two decades of experience in youth camping, challenge course facilitation, and organizational development. His background includes leading ropes course programs and training staff across the country, consulting with camps on experiential learning, and designing high-impact team-building programs for both youth and corporate groups.
Danny is the Founder and Executive Director of Green Camps, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping camps model sustainability through education, data-driven planning, and culture-building. He created the Green Needs Assessment and Green Camps Certification framework and has supported camps nationwide in launching Green Teams, integrating sustainability practices, and engaging staff and campers in meaningful environmental action.
Danny is also the creator of Compost Heroes, an educational card game that uses transformative play to teach composting and inspire behavior change. His work blends environmental education, experiential facilitation, and practical operations insight, making sustainability accessible and achievable for camps of all sizes.