KEVIN GORDON, CAMP KUPUGANI

Embracing the Larger Culture

People of Color in Camping

Underrepresented in ownership, directorship, staffing

Overwhelming majority of camp directors and campers is Caucasian

Inhibits the broader camping field from providing universal access to quality experiences

The Bottom Line is…

Any business model must respond to theneeds of a large client pool, or willsoon be out of business or competing for a shrinking share of a small pie.

My Story

Tennis pro in a Jewish girls summer campAs time went on, I saw homogeneity- with very

few camps intentionally attracting, supporting, and maintaining a diverse camper base.

A Harvard graduate in psychology, Berkeley Law alumnus, and former attorney at a prestigious law firm, Kevin Gordon directs Camp Kupugani at Camp White Eagle, a multicultural program for girls and the only black-owned private, residential camp in the U.S.

What Camp Kupugani has to Offer

Camp Kupugani is a unique program that

promotes diversity and empowerment of young women. “Kupugani” is a Zulu concept meaning “to

raise oneself up.” The fundamental tenet of Camp Kupugani is to expose girls of varied backgrounds and ethnicities to each other.

20/20 Vision

Our Camp Kupugani mission corresponds with the ACA’s 20/20 vision: we can expand how camps

contribute to positive child and youth development in an expanding national

and global community.

What Camp Kupugani has to Offer

Valuable Life Experience:Community and Self-

EmpowermentSocial intelligence

skillsExploration of cross-

cultural issuesCultivate friendshipPractice teamwork

Fun activities:Rock climbingGa-gaRiver walkingCanoeing and playing under

waterfallsNight hikes under the starsCarefully designed group

activities and games so that fun and personal growth coincide!

No magic...just hard work

No magic tool that is going to automatically recruit any camper, regardless of culture, background, or ethnicity

Camp families—whether “traditional” or not- weigh the prospective costs and benefits when contemplating sending a child to camp

Safety- Physical and Emotional

Physical safeguards:Hiring (background and reference checks, in-person interviews of

new employees)Against physical intrusion by strangersSystemic protections against camper-camper problems

Emotional safeguards:Minimization of homesickness and bullyingEnsuring camper emotional development

Demonstrate Cultural Relevance

Genuine understanding of the values, lifestyles, and behaviors that parents are trying to promote.

Cultural relevancy requires an individuated approach: assess the driving motivator to go to camp.

Emphasize how your camp can help.

Staff Members

Hire Staff of Color

If you don’t have or can’t find diverse staff, institute systems to recruit and develop them.

Developing relevant support systems is vital, so that non-traditional campers don’t feel alone and unsupported.

Staff Members

Strategies for Diverse Staffing

Commit to Diversity from the Top Down.

Diversify Search Committee.

Broaden Your Candidate Pool.

Reach Students of Color.

Impress Candidates of Color.

Strategies for Diverse Staffing

Emphasize Skills.

Watch for “Fit”.

Be Self-critical.

Use Varied Learning Styles

Encourage a camp culture respecting difference.

Programming

Ensure that your camp programming promotes and supports diversity.

Be intentional in addressing issues of difference.

Strive for emotional safety

Learn and practice conflict

resolution techniques

Lines of Communication

Be creative with your message!“Give your child an opportunity for the human

connections, awareness of the natural world, independence, and character development that only a quality camp experience can provide.”

Where do you start with a camper base of zero?Foster relationships with specific communitiesEstablish positive word-of-mouth stemmed from affirmative

experiences

Camp Communications

Many camps have longstanding policies prohibiting direct parent-child communication.

You can establish a level of confidence in your judgment and experience so that they will trust that such parent-child communication may inhibit their child’s growth.

Possible Solutions:Written lettersParent to camper

emailsPackagesPosting pictures daily

Or…Allowing calls during

mealsCamper to parent

emailsOpen camp policy: first-

time camp parents can drop in and see for themselves that their child is okay.

Pre-Camp Communications- Promotion

People who are ready to listen:

Utilize bilingual promotional materials like website pages, brochures, and DVDs. You can also use targeted radio or print ads.

People who have not been exposed to camping:

Collaborate with community partners with established relationships with people of color- schools, parent associations and parent volunteers.

Offer family weekends.

Offer scholarships or contests, and organize camp presentations.

Director to Parent Communication

Non- traditional parent comfort is based largely on extensive director- parent communication.

Non-traditional parent comfort = simplified camper transition into camp, a better camp experience, and leads to that all important positive word-of-mouth

This communication exposes the benefits of camp to people who would otherwise be reluctant to help evolve the camp culture.

Post-Camp Communications

Post camp communications provide a great opportunity to continue building on a good camp experience and really build positive word-of-mouth.

The director who calls just to say hi and see how a child is doing shows how the camp family can be integrated with the home family.

Counselor-parent communication

Counselor-camper communication

Alternatives to Communication Barriers

Bilingual staff Online translation programs Cultural awareness

should also serve as a motivator to speak to each parent as an individual

It’s Worth It!

Opening up the camp experience so that all children have the

opportunity to go to camp and feel supported is a momentous reward

of intentionality.

To get to 20/20, we must act now.

More Questions?

Please feel free to contact me!

Visit camp online at www.campkupugani.comEmail me at Kevin@campkupugani.com