A great summer camp comes into existence the week or two before campers arrive… right? WRONG! Exceptional summer camps are 12-month operations, and Centauri Arts Camp is no exception. What we do to make camp the best it can be is pretty obvious during the summer months… walk on to camp at any time in the eight weeks we are there and you will find both of us actively engaged with the campers, and everything they do.
But what do we do the rest of the year?

After our last campers leave, we orchestrate an enormous and exhausting clean-up, packing-up camp in a cloud of general euphoria and working against the clock to transform an arts camp back to a school. Then, we drive an enormous truck full of supplies back to Toronto and unload all the gear. For several days, we work to get the Toronto office back up and running again. And, briefly, we relax. But camp directors are on call all the time. Our basement is full of lost property… and people want their stuff back in time for school! There are queries about the next summer’s International Tour, the new Arts Academy, dates and fees for the following season, and other such stuff. And the rest of the year? Here’s a brief low-down on our ‘to do’ list for the months between one camp season, and the next…

September:
– meet with all program directors to discuss programs for the next year. Figure out the general program line-up.
– sort lost property
– write/design the first ads for the next summer
– create newsletters for campers and staff
– sort out annual charity donations, and arts organisation memberships
– go through camper evaluations. Enter new email addresses
– finalise all plans for the next international tour, and create the final handout
– finish taking registrations for the Arts Academy, and begin the Fall semester!

October:
– finalise all programs for next summer
– re-do the website. Edit all program descriptions as well as web and brochure copy.
Design brochures and fliers
– interview assistant counsellors
– send out job offers to staff; hire senior staff for next year
– sort through photos and videos, and upload them
– hold an Information Session for parents eager to learn about next summer
– take bookings for the International Tour
– interview and hire all entry-level camp counsellors

November:
REGISTRATION MONTH!!! Need I say more? Crazy busy. By the end of the month, we will have taken more than half our annual registrations.

December:
– hire all returning staff
– sending postings to universities and arts organisations for any new staff required
– plan and host the Winter Gathering for all Centauri staff
– design dozens of print and web ads, advertorials, etc.
– book all our camp fairs for the New Year
– meet with the families of new campers, as required
– continue taking large numbers of registrations
– begin buying major supplies for the next summer season
– meet with agents about booking international campers onto Centauri

January-March:
– Continue taking registrations
– attend Camp Fairs and Exhibitions all over North America
– visit new families in person and by Skype, as requested
– organise a second Information Session
– publish a paper newsletter, which goes out to all staff, campers and alumni
– hire any new program directors required for the summer
– continue with web, newspaper and schools advertising
– attend training conferences related to the arts, camp and education
– speak at conferences, and offer our expertise to new educators
– secure work visas for international staff
– edit and post the Camp Manual
– research new merchandise options, and post the online store

April-June
– finalise staffing, and hold pre-camp training and planning events for staff
– secure police records checks for all staff
– buy all supplies required for the summer
– create the summer schedule, complete with festivals, workshops and all events
– take the final few bookings, and organise dorm allocations
– send out medical forms, review all incoming data
– plan all staff training workshops for the summer
– send out our final communication to parents
– get ready for the summer!

Late June-August:
– run Centauri Arts Camp! Ensure, through our attention to detail, absolute passion and belief in everything we do, that Centauri is the very best overnight arts camp it can possibly be.

Then it all starts over again…

Julie Hartley
Director
Centauri Summer Arts Camp