We know how much of a commitment it is to sign your son or daughter up to join one of our two-week computer camps each summer. With that in mind, we do everything possible to make the experience as good as it can possibly be – from the process it takes to actually register all the way to checking out on the final day of camp.
What exactly makes a successful computer camp, though? How is that measured? Obviously, the best way to measure whether a camp has been successful is to listen to the campers who just went through it. If they felt like they learned a lot while also having a lot of fun, then our job is complete! We’ve been proud to do exactly that as a family-owned business for the last 30-plus years.
In order to watch campers head home with a smile on their faces at the end of camp, there are five specific areas that we pay attention to that’s helped us conduct successful camps for so long.
Passionate Staff It’s no fun to learn something that you’re really passionate about from someone who doesn’t really care for the subject. We spend a lot of time making sure the right staff is put in place to help our campers have the best experience possible. There are two specific requirements all of our counselors must have to work with Emagination Camps each summer: a passion for computers and digital technologies and a love for working with kids. Our counselors are also either recent college graduates or current college students who are studying computer science, digital art, information technologies, game design, or some other related field.
No Online Instruction The whole point of attending a summer computer camp is to get an experience, and it’s really hard to get the true experience of working with someone who is passionate in the field if you’re taking an online course. We have professionally developed curriculums in place for counselors to teach because it’s the most effective way to make connections with campers and really help them take their learning to the next level.
Holding High Standards Our process for selecting counselors is actually more involved than many people might realize. It’s important to us because, well, counselors are the ones making the most contact with campers and impacting their experience on a daily basis. We don’t just accept any application that comes our way. We actually recruit from different higher education institutions and eventually choose a team that meets our standards after a series of interviews with management team members.
The goal is to find people who are strong in technology and have had experience working with children, and everyone must have a background check done while also providing references.
Pre-Camp Training All Emagination Camp counselors arrive at camp before the campers do for on-site training and orientation that we’ve perfected over the past three decades. We spend time teaching counselors how to handle certain situations, like when a camper is home sick, any particular emergency situations, and common camper behavioral issues.
Low Staff-to-Camper Ratio It’s hard to make an impact on campers without an opportunity for individual attention, which is why we’re proud of our 1:7 staff-to-camper ratio. Our workshops range from 5-10 campers, allowing counselors to nurture the growth and development of campers one at a time.