All Available Sessions

Great Rivers Fall Conference-Wednesday

-11/17/2021

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Great Rivers Fall Conference-Wednesday

11/17/2021 9:25 AM
Sponsor Gallery

-11/17/2021

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Sponsor Gallery

11/17/2021 9:26 AM
Welcome Bag

-11/17/2021

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Welcome Bag

11/17/2021 9:27 AM
Welcome and Opening Keynote - Outwit Your Mental Clutter: You CAN Do 2022

-11/17/2021

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Welcome and Opening Keynote-Outwit Your Mental Clutter: You CAN Do 2022

11/17/2021 9:30 AM
“This one was rough” or “well, we got through it” kind of sums up the most positive things we’ve expressed about the summer of 2021, and let’s be honest – many of us were out of gas before we ever got to day 1. So how do we think forward into next year? Where do we summon the energy and strength to create new programs, build up our staff teams, re-engage our campers and families, raise more money, and on, and on, and on? Mind traps – or cognitive distortions if you want to use the fancy term – keep us anchored in self-doubt and limit our ability to dream big and take the next steps. Clearing the mental clutter is key to identifying the positive take-aways from what has been one of the toughest times we can remember for professionals in our industry, and then using those take-aways to build a plan for an even better 2022. Join Emily for a fascinating tour of your strategic needs (staff and camper MESH supports, staff hiring and retention, etc.) through the lens of cognitive distortion. You’ll come away re-enthused about your job and with the confidence that comes from knowing you are not outmatched by the challenges currently on your plate.

Emily's photo

Emily Golinsky, Bright Moose Training, Consulting, and Advocacy

Emily’s sessions get described many ways, but her favorites are “tremendously helpful,” “definitely not the same-old-same-old,” “fun and informative” and “not to be missed – a reason to come to the conference!” After 14 years as the Executive Director of Camp Starfish (a non-profit for youth with emotional, behavioral, social, and learning difficulties), Emily now works with camps, educators, mental health professionals and families nationwide helping design group and individualized participation strategies that enable staff and camper success and manage a spectrum of behaviors from "challenging" to "crisis." Her undergrad work was in Pharmacy and Health Psychology followed by a Master of Science in Camp Administration and Leadership.  She sits on the New Hampshire Camps Board of Directors and volunteers with ACA New England on the Conference and Fund Development committees, as a Standards Visitor, and as faculty for the New Camp Directors’ Workshop. She is an avid collector of terribly awesome puns.

Break

-11/17/2021

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Break

11/17/2021 10:45 AM
Conversation Starters—Interactive DEI Training Activities

-11/17/2021

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Conversation Starters—Interactive DEI Training Activities

11/17/2021 11:00 AM
We all know we have to do it…the often-uncomfortable staff training session on diversity. Roberto will share some of the tried and tested DEI training activities he has used over the last 10 years—all designed with one thing in common—to start the conversation. Let’s be honest, we are not going to stop or prevent the world’s isms in one session, in one day, but we can begin to lay the foundation for great conversations.

Roberto's photo

Roberto Gil, Fresh Air Fund

Roberto is The Fresh Air Fund’s Deputy Director of Camping.  Prior, Roberto served as the Director of Programs for Princeton-Blairstown Center, where he was responsible for all aspects of their adventure-based, experiential education program.  Roberto has also worked for Building Educated Leaders for Life, Madison Square Boys & Girls Club, and the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services.  He holds a BA from The University of Texas in Austin and a JD from New York Law School.

Restorative Justice is the New Conflict Management

-11/17/2021

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Restorative Justice is the New Conflict Management

11/17/2021 11:00 AM
Simply considering conflict to be a discipline or behavior issue doesn’t do justice to the importance that the individuals involved place on what has happened. That means shaking hands and apologizing may create a cease-fire, but it’s not going to provide the kind of solution that creates a lasting likelihood for improved interactions. Yet, that is still how many of us teach our staff to help resolve conflict. Using the concepts of restorative resolution, however, it’s actually possible to help individuals heal hurts and move forward positively. Join Emily to look at fixing the fighting from a different perspective – one that asks staff and campers to circle up, find common ground and collaboratively agree on a way out of conflict.

Emily's photo

Emily Golinsky, Bright Moose Training, Consulting, and Advocacy

Emily’s sessions get described many ways, but her favorites are “tremendously helpful,” “definitely not the same-old-same-old,” “fun and informative” and “not to be missed – a reason to come to the conference!” After 14 years as the Executive Director of Camp Starfish (a non-profit for youth with emotional, behavioral, social, and learning difficulties), Emily now works with camps, educators, mental health professionals and families nationwide helping design group and individualized participation strategies that enable staff and camper success and manage a spectrum of behaviors from "challenging" to "crisis." Her undergrad work was in Pharmacy and Health Psychology followed by a Master of Science in Camp Administration and Leadership.  She sits on the New Hampshire Camps Board of Directors and volunteers with ACA New England on the Conference and Fund Development committees, as a Standards Visitor, and as faculty for the New Camp Directors’ Workshop. She is an avid collector of terribly awesome puns.

Break

-11/17/2021

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Break

11/17/2021 12:00 PM
Lunch and Learn Roundtable Discussions

-11/17/2021

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Lunch and Learn Roundtable Discussions

11/17/2021 12:15 PM
Great Rivers Fall Conference-Thursday

-11/18/2021

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Great Rivers Fall Conference-Thursday

11/18/2021 9:25 AM
Sponsor Gallery

-11/18/2021

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Sponsor Gallery

11/18/2021 9:26 AM
Welcome Bag

-11/18/2021

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Welcome Bag

11/18/2021 9:27 AM
Building on What You Have: Strategies to expand, enhance, and enrich the experiences at camp

-11/18/2021

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Building on What You Have: Strategies to expand, enhance, and enrich the experiences at camp

11/18/2021 9:30 AM
Join Sue and Tom for an open discussion of ideas to expand and enhance current experiences at camp to get the most out of the natural resources, site, and facilities. They’ll share their experiences with retreat programming, successes, and challenges, and will talk about unique program opportunities they’ve encountered in their 40+ years of experience in the field. To activate the discussion, participants will be invited to share their own examples of issues, challenges, and successes from their camps and centers. The intent is to utilize this virtual meeting to the fullest to engage in a meaningful conversation about current, demonstrated needs at your camp and to share ideas, suggestions, and strategies to address these concerns.

Tom Neppl,  Neppl Landscape Architecture and Planning, LLC and Sue Tew-Warming, M.Ed, 2 Consulting, Inc., Heartland Wellbeing Institute

Tom's photo

Tom Neppl is a practicing Landscape Architect and faculty member in Iowa State University’s Landscape Architecture program. In 23+ years of professional practice, he’s worked with camps, parks, and outdoor and environmental education centers throughout the U.S. on projects ranging from small, intimate gardens to large-scale site master planning. He believes in place-based, ecological design through an engaged design and planning process that reveals significant qualities, characteristics, and experiences about the place. He teaches courses in ecological design, landscape systems, and a sustainability-themed course providing students with hands-on field experiences related to Monarch butterfly conservation and native landscape systems. Personally, Tom loves visiting new places, especially with his family - Tricia, Ashlyn, and Michael. When he’s not working at his drawing table or on campus, you can probably find him tending to his woodland garden.

Sue's photo

Sue Tew-Warming, M.Ed. is president and owner of 2 Consulting, Inc. and Heartland Wellbeing Institute.  For the last 15 years, her organization has focused on connecting, educating, and creating opportunities and experiences for adults and youth through project management consulting.  She specializes in offering practical and relevant strategies, tips and resources that support people in both work and home.  This includes project design, development, and management as well as training, facilitation and coaching.  Sue’s focus is on work-life balance, self-care and wellbeing, nature-based  experiences and authentic youth engagement.  She has 20 years working with youth and the agencies that serve youth plus 15 years in business management including human resources and community engagement.  Sue has her Master’s in Education specializing in curriculum design and instruction and has been designing and facilitating trainings, workshops and retreats for the last 15 years.  She is a licensed intrinsic coach and brings this aspect to the work by helping to identify where an individual/organization is, where they want to be and what steps they need to take to accomplish their goals.

 

Considerations for Implementing Mental Health & Behavioral Supports

-11/18/2021

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Considerations for Implementing Mental Health & Behavioral Supports

11/18/2021 9:30 AM
Considering adding Inclusion/Intervention/Behavioral staff to your team? Don’t know what, exactly, you need, but you DO know that something needs to change? Where do you begin? Each camp has vastly different needs in this emerging, complex area. This session will help you determine the logistical, ethical, financial and other concerns involved as you evaluate the best way to address the rising needs amongst your campers and staff for behavioral, mental and emotional health supports. We’ll talk about identifying/addressing your camp’s needs, determination of internal strengths and evaluation of complicating factors, plus logistics such as titles, job descriptions, costs, structure, and intended outcomes. Most importantly, we’ll answer the question “where do I start?”

Emily's photo

Emily Golinsky, Bright Moose Training, Consulting, and Advocacy

Emily’s sessions get described many ways, but her favorites are “tremendously helpful,” “definitely not the same-old-same-old,” “fun and informative” and “not to be missed – a reason to come to the conference!” After 14 years as the Executive Director of Camp Starfish (a non-profit for youth with emotional, behavioral, social, and learning difficulties), Emily now works with camps, educators, mental health professionals and families nationwide helping design group and individualized participation strategies that enable staff and camper success and manage a spectrum of behaviors from "challenging" to "crisis." Her undergrad work was in Pharmacy and Health Psychology followed by a Master of Science in Camp Administration and Leadership.  She sits on the New Hampshire Camps Board of Directors and volunteers with ACA New England on the Conference and Fund Development committees, as a Standards Visitor, and as faculty for the New Camp Directors’ Workshop. She is an avid collector of terribly awesome puns.

Break

-11/18/2021

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Break

11/18/2021 10:30 AM
Closing Keynote - MissionMonday: Take the Random Out of Random Acts of Kindness

-11/18/2021

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Closing Keynote-MissionMonday: Take the Random Out of Random Acts of Kindness

11/18/2021 10:45 AM
MissionMonday is a plan to impact your community and make it a better place one week at a time. Learn how to use intentional interventions to impact the climate, culture, and individual relationships. Sam will help you take the Random out of Random Acts of Kindness. You will leave with a plan to engage stakeholders and empower them with consistent interventions to foster the assets everyone needs to be authentically successful, socially responsible, and emotionally sound.

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Sam Stecher, Mission Monday

Sam has been changing school culture from the inside since 1997, serving in roles ranging from Paraprofessional to Superintendent of Schools. Sam got his start in education as a teacher at Horizon Middle School where he taught History and coached wrestling for 11 years. He is also co-founder, with his good friend Mark, of an educational consulting firm known as MissionMonday.com which specializes in providing leaders, educators, schools, and communities with interventions to foster a positive school culture. He also co-authored It Happens in the Hallway, a dynamic account of experiences in the classroom.

Sam has provided instruction, training, and leadership at every level from elementary school to university institutions. Through MissionMonday.com as well as the opportunity to speak at conferences and schools, Sam and Mark have been able to connect with thousands of leaders and educators nationwide. This endeavor began years ago in a little coffee shop where two good friends would get together to talk about their successes and failures as teachers. Logically it grew beyond the classroom to changing the world. And that conversation never really stopped. Consider this your invitation to join them.