At GFC, we pride ourselves on planning and facilitating programs to help our community learn and grow. But in order for us to be the best that we can be for our camp, our campers and teens, and our year-round programs, we as directors also must take the time to learn and grow.
After our family retreat this weekend, the Greene team has an exciting week of conferences and learning across the country.
First, Loui Dobin, along with a f>ew members of our camp committee, will be attending the NAC retreat, a meeting where lay leadership of URJ camps come together to learn, discuss policies and procedures, and schmooze.
Then, Loui, Larry, Jessica, Michele and I will be heading to East Brunswick, NJ for the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Leaders Assembly. This conference, which happens once every other year, is a huge meeting of camp professionals from all across North America and the world. We will participate in sessions, share ideas with other Jewish camp professionals, learn about programs to bring to camp and listen to keynotes from various dignitaries.
Jessica and Michele will remain in East Brunswick for the annual Assistant Directors retreat, where various URJ assistant directors gather to share ideas, learn from education professionals, and build skills that they will bring back to camp with them.
We will all reconvene in Atlantic City, NJ for the American Camp Association’s Tri-state Conference. This conference is for all sorts of camps, including day camps, teen trips – it’s not just for Jewish overnight camps. Here we will attend more sessions, spend more time networking and learning from each other, and bring back more new skills and knowledge to Greene in the company of a large variety of camp professionals.
Finally, we will return home, go over our notes, and hold meetings of our own to discuss how to translate what we’ve learned from these conferences into actionable goals, programs, strategies and changes.
I know – we’re tired just thinking about it, too, but we’re also very excited for the week ahead.
But first, Family Retreat!
Shabbat Shalom,
Stefani