3000 Staff Applicants Season 2023: What Works and Why
Camp Sequoia has had tremendous success in staff recruitment and retention. Last year we got applications from 3,000 staff. We developed systems to help with timely screening, interviewing, onboarding and retention of US based counselors. This session will detail some of these strategies as well as cross camp collaboration for staffing with day and resident programs. These models can be duplicated and allow camp communities to get the staff they need and help others fill their gaps in a collaborative and constructive way.
This session is led by Brian Lux & Reema Dixon.
Brian Lux: Brian is an Eagle Scout, National Camping School Graduate and Certified Master Naturalist who has over two decades of camp leadership experience working with exceptional populations focusing on social and life skills curriculum. Brian holds a Master’s degree in inquiry-based education. He is currently licensed in K-12 Gifted Education and grades 4-8 general education with endorsements in Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. He holds credentials in Mental Health First Aid, Wilderness First Aid and as a 12 year certified Crisis Prevention Instructor building upon a background in advanced life support Emergency Medicine. Brian has presented papers at two World Gifted Conferences, the International Conference on ADHD, and at the Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities as well as numerous local and regional events. He has also led several sessions relating to best practices on exceptional populations for the American Camping Association Tri-State conference and spoken as an invited guest at the Oxford Forum. He serves as a reviewer for manuscripts submitted to The Teacher Educators’ Journal. His articles on giftedness, frustration tolerance, and the twice exceptional (2e) mind have been seen in a variety of print and online venues including Planet Neurodivergent, Additude Magazine, Attention Magazine and MetroKids et. Al. Brian additionally serves as a long standing CASA (court appointed special advocate for children), advocating for youth in difficult home environments. He serves as President of a volunteer Master Naturalist board and served as the Founding Director of the National Park Educational Institute for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as well as a Medicaid Waiver Service Supervisor on the Big Island of Hawaii. He currently sits on the IACUC committee for his alma mater and is a field supervisor for pre-service student teachers. Brian enjoys making profound and meaningful differences with exceptional populations, especially in a camp setting. He believes in the transformative experience that Camp Sequoia can provide for all children and especially for children in need of social skill development. In his free time, he enjoys travel and time spent connecting kids with nature domestically and internationally.
Reema Dixon: She received her Gold Award in Girl Scouts for creating programs that encouraged turning artistic hobbies into careers for her local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club. Reema has many friends who struggled with high functioning Autism or ADHD growing up, and she became an advocate for them in school in an effort to help them make connections. Her personal interest in social development led her to take sociology and psychology courses in college focused on a deeper understanding of the non-neurotypical mind. Reema coordinates allergen awareness between our medical team and dining hall staff and holds ServSafe Allergens credentials. Reema has completed training on implementing SEL (social and emotional learning); additionally, Reema is certified in Crisis Prevention and Mental Health First Aid and serves as our office manager during the summer and our year round associate director. Reema has presented at the American Camping Association Conference on keeping campers socially connected outside of camp. During the year, Reema is our Parent Liason and assists new camper families with enrollment, and coordinates our Weekend Trips for our campers to have year-round support from our community.