Camp Mini-Yo-We hires ex-Disney exec to train staff

PORT SYDNEY — With summer campers just days away from arriving, Camp Mini-Yo-We is turning to staff to prepare them for the excited kids.

Staff training takes place next week, a week before summer campers arrive.

They are hosting a new, premier summer leadership conference, exclusive for their summer staff made up of high school and college aged students.

They say in a release this week that typically, in Ontario, staff training for summer camps takes place within the last four to five days of June, before the first campers arrive the first week of July.

Typically Mini-Yo-We programming begins a week later than the average camp. It does so because isn’t an ordinary camp that only teaches the typical skills that summer camp staff require. Instead, it goes beyond and places a premium specifically on providing thorough leadership coaching that is relevant for every single staff member.

It’s not the first summer that Mini-Yo-We has done this. What is new is that Mini-Yo-We is “raising the stakes” and has developed a new, comprehensive leadership conference that is specifically geared to the life stage of their staff and would otherwise cost each attendee over $1,000.

“At the core of Camp Mini-Yo-We, is the belief that we are developing tomorrow’s leaders, today, through life-changing adventures,” says Rich Birch, executive director,

Camp Mini-Yo-We. “By using the first week in July to extend our training and provide a

unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience, we are doing everything we can to ensure that our summer counsellors and supporting staff are physically, emotionally and spiritually ready for all that they will encounter. It’s a win-win for campers, their leaders, families and for the communities that they will return to in the fall.”

What some might see as losing out on revenue by not running a program the first week of July, Mini-Yo-We sees as a gain as it utilizes the time to invest in adolescents and young adults from all over the world.

This year’s Leadership Conference taking place from July 3 to July 7 includes the following keynote speakers:

  • Lee Cockerell: former executive vice president of operations for the Walt Disney

World Resort. As the senior operating executive for 10 years, he led a team

of 40,000 cast members and oversaw the operations of 20 resort hotels, four theme

parks, two water parks, a shopping and entertainment village, and the ESPN sports and

recreation complex, in addition to the ancillary operations that supported the number one

vacation destination in the world. One of Cockerell’s major and lasting legacies was the

creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies, which was used to train and develop 7000

leaders at Walt Disney World.

  • Jenni Catron : the founder of The 4Sight Group, a consulting group focused on

developing healthy leaders and thriving organizations through coaching, consulting and

culture workshops. She is the author of several books including Clout: Discover and

Unleash Your God-Given Influence and The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership.

Outreach Magazine has recognized Catron as one of the 30 emerging influencers reshaping church leadership.

In addition to hearing from the speakers and being involved in team-engaging activities every evening, staff will work with Eagle’s Flight, an industry leader in the development and delivery of practical training programs with a focus on results, or in this case,

camping community, through lasting behaviour changes.

“The skills acquired when young people are cultivated to be leaders at camp, extends far beyond their summer experience,” says John Wright, President of Leadership Development at Eagle’s Flight.

“We love the opportunity to support Mini-Yo-We as they develop young leaders because

you can’t put a price on the value of helping youth see their potential.”

About Camp Mini-Yo-We:

It is a Christian summer camp and year-round retreat centre committed to one big idea – developing tomorrow’s leaders. Our combination of our innovative programs, fantastic facilities and experienced staff have been bringing campers back year after year since 1946.

For more info, contact Rebecca Holohan, (647) 466-1732 or [email protected]