First Class Counselors
Camp counselors have the most important job at summer camp. Period. A great camp staff will have kids wanting to come back to camp year after year. First Class Counsellors is here to make great camp staff. Each week, we’ll cover practical and accessible tips that will level up your camp counselor skills. Our two hosts, Oliver Gregan, Summer and Families Camp Director at YMCA Camp Jewell and Matt Honsberger from Go Camp Pro are excited to be able to provide this resource to camp counselors.
Episodes
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/ten-top-tips-for-summer-2026
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Preparing for a Successful 2026 Summer Camp Season
Join Oliver and Matt for the season finale of First Class Counselors as they count down ten essential tips for the upcoming 2026 summer. This episode provides a quick reference guide for frontline staff focusing on eve...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/connecting-with-modern-camper-culture
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How Digital Media Shapes Modern Camper Expectations
This episode explores the intersection of modern pop culture and the summer camp experience. The team discusses the transition from traditional play to the watching culture of YouTube and streaming services, ...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/so-you-want-to-be-on-leadership
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Understanding the Responsibility and Reality of Summer Camp Leadership Roles
This episode explores the transition from being a frontline counselor to joining the seasonal leadership team. This episode dismantles the myth that leadership is about status or power, ins...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/be-better-at-giving-consequences
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Teaching Through Consequences Instead of Punishment
Join Matt and Dane as they dive into part two of their masterclass on summer camp discipline. This episode shifts the focus from general headspace to the practical application of consequences and the art of camper...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/are-we-disciplining-kids-enough
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Reframing Discipline as a Teaching Tool for Every Counselor
Join Matt and Dane as they redefine what it means to lead through discipline in a summer camp setting. Dane shares his twenty-one years of experience working with diverse populations to explain why discipli...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/using-stats-to-master-counseling
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How You Can Become A Data-Driven Leader
This episode dives into the numbers behind great counseling, from safety ratios to camper retention. By treating camp as a measurable social business, staff can identify their strengths, improve their safety efficiency, and t...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/should-we-send-them-home
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Finding Connection When You Are Frustrated
We’ve all been there. It’s week four, the coffee machine is broken, you are trying to get the cabin to the flagpole on time, and that camper is dragging their feet, making fart noises, and holding the broom upside down during clea...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/meaningful-and-masterful-facilitation
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Stop Talking, Start Leading: The Counselor's Guide to Facilitation
Join Oliver and Matt as they delve into the art and science of facilitation—the core skill needed to run first-class activities, whether it's team building, archery, or a simple trans...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/building-a-culture-of-belonging
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The Counselor's Guide to Universal Design, Behavior as Communication, and True Inclusion
Join Oliver, Matt, and special guest Lisa Drennan as they dive deep into creating truly inclusive camp environments. Lisa emphasizes that belonging is the new inc...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/stopping-inappropriate-language
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Words Stick: How to Intervene When Camper Language Crosses the Line
This episode, Oliver and Matt move give counselors the tactical framework needed to intervene immediately and effectively when campers use inappropriate, insensitive, or hurtful language. From the s...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://gocamp.pro/first-class-counselors-pod/traditions
Steal These Amazing Camp Ideas!
Welcome to Season 8 of First Class Counsellors! Oliver and Matt are back with a brand-new season, starting things off by swapping some of the coolest camp traditions and programs they’ve seen across North America. From celebrating CITs to welcoming first-t...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/expectations
We need to be honest about how hard (and how great) it is to be a camp counselor!
Join Oliver Gregan and Matt Wilfrid as they delve into the crucial aspects of starting a career as a camp counselor in part two of their series. The discussion highlights vital tips and expectations ...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/got-the-job-now-what
Onboarding and Prioritization - What Sets Real First Class Counselors Apart!
This episode of First Class Counselors is your guide to rocking the first step of your next summer at camp. Oliver and Matt break down essential skills for new and returning staff, covering everything ...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/staff-training-expect
Congratulations! You’re having a wild, wonderful bundle of CAMP!
Staff training season is upon us (that is, if you’re listening to this episode in May) and while camp staff around the world are finishing up the school year, camp directors are putting the final touches on staff...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/stories
Gather ‘round the campfire for these funny, impactful and straight-up bizarre stories!
Today is not a topic but a feel. A vibe if you will.
We’ve been in camping for some time now and that means we have collected a few stories to share. Not a campfire story but just personal storie...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/gen-a
Generation-A are our campers - how can we effectively work with them at camp?
Generation-A, or Gen-A are kids that are born between 2010 and 2024. Born the same year as the release of the iPad, most socially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the generation that is currently almost 100% of...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/water-safety
Water safety (and fun!) starts with Camp Counselors
Many camps sport a waterfront, a pool or even host a wet and wild Wednesday! Today we want to talk about programming at these water-based activities to make sure campers are safe and having a blast.
You may be thinking “wait a minute,...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/terrible-staff
You may not like them, you may not counsel like them, but that doesn’t mean they suck.
It can happen to even the most First Class Counselor. For reasons that may seem perfectly valid and logical, a staff member gets it in their head that one of their co-workers is a terrible staff me...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/camp-is-a-cult
Summer camp is culty - but in a good way, we swear!
If you are new to summer camp and reading this, you may not get the whole “cult” angle.
It’s a common joke amongst experienced camp staff and directors that camp is essentially a cult. There are many reasons for this, but the main on...
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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/meet-your-camp-director-1
Part 1 - What we got wrong…
Just who is that person walking around with a clipboard all day?
To most Camp Counselors, the Camp Director is a strange and mythical creature. They’re like a teacher…but completely different. They’re like a boss…but definitely not in the traditi...
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