Photo Credit: Mathew Eberius, CPRP, Palm Harbor Community Services
One of the highlights for parks and recreation departments across the country is summer camp. For many, it’s a time of brainstorming, hiring staff members, setting policies, and hunkering down for 8 to 10 weeks of constant programming. I’ve grown up within the industry, starting at age 4 in a pre-kindergarten camp, and have developed a unique perspective into trends and what makes a camp program tick. At age 18, I became a full-time employee in the industry.
Two years ago, I received a job opportunity from a community-services district in the northern part of Pinellas County, Fla. During the interview, I learned the employer was looking for someone to “take camps to a new level.” Experiencing camps for so many years as a child, I immediately started thinking of ways to build a program. Little did I realize that starting from the ground up would give me—and the community—an amazing opportunity.
With two years of summer under my belt as a camp director and the chance to “start from scratch,” I knew my knowledge and experience could help other communities nurture their programs and become a top destination for any of their children.