Improve Your Camp Program with Better Communication

​Lack of communication is the #1 reason a camp parent will complain. With so many moving parts at camp it can be very difficult to make sure all parents get all the important information they will need to be a part of your program.

We all try our best to email out information prior to camp, place information in our parent handbooks, post on our website or social media, and even give information in person at registration or at the camp check out desk. There are still always parents who will tell you “I never received it” or “I didn’t know” and then complain that it was our fault. Here are some guidelines to improve your communication at camp:

  1. Use Multiple Platforms to Communicate: Email, social media, apps, websites, phone calls, text, and face to face meetings are all examples of ways to communicate to your participants and those interested in your program. If you are using multiple communication channels both internally and externally, and your participants know where to find the information, there should be no reason a participant tells you “they didn’t know” when something comes up.
  2. Communicate Before and After your Camp Season: Once you release your initial dates, make sure to remind people as you get closer to registration. Don’t just assume they will remember! Once camp ends, let your participants know the next start dates before they finish. Once you have them in the door, keep them in by always letting them know when the next program takes place.
  3. Communicate During Registration: Whether your participants register online or in person it is important that they have all the needed information for the upcoming camp. Make sure your participants are ready and prepared for their fist day. If you have a registration window, make sure you are sending reminders leading up to your first date.
  4. Send Weekly Communications During Camp: At a minimum you should send your parents an email at least once a week. In the email recap the week and give any updates or important information for the coming weeks. If there is nothing to report on, it can be as simple as letting them know it was a great week and you look forward to the next week while outlining upcoming activities. You can turn this into a program newsletter, add pictures or multi-media, and showcase all those special moments you had that week at camp.
  5. Set Up a Line of Communication with Staff and Volunteers: Make sure everyone involved in the daily operation of your camp is in the loop on your operation on a daily basis. Sometimes, the most frustrating thing for a staff member or volunteer is being left out and having to figure out what they are supposed to be doing. Review the days schedule and activities every morning and check in with your staff when time permits throughout the day.
  6. Be Responsive: If you get a question or concern that comes in person, email, or over the phone make sure you respond to the inquiry as soon as you can. At the very least, acknowledge you received the message within 24 hours even if you need time to research the situation. This will go a long way in keeping your participants happy and trusting you will address their needs.

    What if you had a way to have all your camp information on one place at the tip of your parents fingers and can notify them in real time with the click of a button?

The Camp Source App is your passport for a camp season of fun and adventure. Our streamlined and easy to use platform will always keep your parents informed in real time and give them an inside look at all of your camp adventures. Send updates and reminders, share documents, schedules, pictures and much more to give your parents easy access to the important information they need all camp long. Learn more at www.campsourceapp.com

The Summer Camp Source as seen on