20 March 2023 - 20 May 2023
    March 23, 2023
  • COCA Medical Townhall: COVID-19 Variant Update & Camps Discuss 2023 COVID Protocol Plans 

    Thursday, March 23, 2023 03:00pm - 04:00pm
    (All times in Eastern Time)

    Dr. Raphael Landovitz, UCLA Infectious Disease Clinician, will provide a brief update on COVID variants and COCA members will be able to share their COVID Protocol Plan for this year, ask questions and get ideas from one another. COCA President, Dr. Brandon Briery with Camp CAMP, will host and moderate this discussion.

    Register in advance for this meeting:
    https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rdO6orz4rGtTpIlN94Vcw0inttkLsDmqW 

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

      

  • April 25, 2023
  • Session 1-COCA Staff Training Summit: So Little Time, So Much to Teach! Offering a Condensed, High Quality Staff Training 

    Tuesday, April 25, 2023 05:00pm - 06:15pm
    (All times in Eastern Time)

    Come learn from the Best! David “Professor Dave” Malter, MA, is the Director of the Gratz College Masters in Camp Administration and Leadership and a frequent speaker at camp conferences around the United States. He earned his BA in Communication from James Madison University and his MA in English from Montclair State University. Dave has been involved with camps and youth development for over thirty years as a camper, counselor, administrator, teacher and consultant.

    This interactive, collaborative hour will discuss the key elements of a staff training that’s limited in time, and must be grand in scope.  What (and how much) can we do beforehand, what can hit the cutting room floor and what is critical to keep? Come prepared to re-think your traditional staff training format and share with others about your best ideas and some that haven’t quite worked the way you hoped.

    Please register in advance for this meeting:
    https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvcu2sqDgiE9X9UUFev-Lhx3nDxbHn2zHM 

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

  • April 26, 2023
  • Session 2-COCA Staff Training Summit: We Didn’t Start the Fire 

    Wednesday, April 26, 2023 06:00pm - 07:15pm
    (All times in Eastern Time)

    Come learn from the Best! David “Professor Dave” Malter, MA, is the Director of the Gratz College Masters in Camp Administration and Leadership and a frequent speaker at camp conferences around the United States. He earned his BA in Communication from James Madison University and his MA in English from Montclair State University. Dave has been involved with camps and youth development for over thirty years as a camper, counselor, administrator, teacher and consultant.

    Using Bruce Tulgan’s work as inspiration, we will discuss the difficult task of being the boss and how we can put ourselves in the best position to avoid fires before they start. A proactive leadership approach focused on clear expectations for staff will positively shift the culture of your camp. Please read https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/navigating-the-new-workplace/202106/3-things-everyone-needs-their-boss as we will be discussing in terms of your camp.

    Please register in advance for this meeting:
    https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMuf-mhrDMtGtC2Lrw_gbQK89cEwbs6fkLa 

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

  • April 27, 2023
  • Session 3-COCA Staff Training Summit: Now, More Than Ever, Addressing MESH with Staff Before Camp Starts 

    Thursday, April 27, 2023 08:00pm - 09:15pm
    (All times in Eastern Time)

    Come learn from the Best! David “Professor Dave” Malter, MA, is the Director of the Gratz College Masters in Camp Administration and Leadership and a frequent speaker at camp conferences around the United States. He earned his BA in Communication from James Madison University and his MA in English from Montclair State University. Dave has been involved with camps and youth development for over thirty years as a camper, counselor, administrator, teacher and consultant.

    Do you think your staff can find one hour to get together virtually before camp starts? We will discuss the critical need to address the Mental Health of your staff before they arrive at camp. While we might not all be therapists, there are tools we can share that will help them recognize what stresses them out, how they react and how to cope differently. This session is not a substitute for staff finding a mental health professional to speak to and is meant merely as a means to share coping strategies they will find useful at camp.

    Please register in advance for this meeting:
    https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtfuivqTwqH90bf3W3S69Ur1N4HTKX-9w2 

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

  • May 10, 2023
  • Camper (and Staff) Behavior is Influenced by a Lot More than Cancer 

    Wednesday, May 10, 2023 05:00pm - 06:00pm
    (All times in Eastern Time)

    Working with children who have cancer leads many of our programs and people to become content experts on the childhood cancer experience and how that plays out at camp (or in other settings). There are, of course, many other influences on behavior that transcend a cancer diagnosis:  other health, developmental, and mental health diagnoses, ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), life experiences like pandemics, and so much more. All of this “baggage” our campers bring to camp is often a whole lot more to unpack than what is in their suitcase! And guess what… the behavior of our staff and volunteers is also influenced by their own baggage. This webinar will help identify some of the additional challenges many of our camper and staff may bring with them to our programs, but more importantly, will offer some tricks, tips, and tools on how to prevent (whenever possible) or manage (whenever necessary) behavioral challenges that may result.

    Join Brandon G. Briery, PhD, COCA President and Chief Program Officer/Executive Camp Director at Camp C.A.M.P. (Children's Association for Maximum Potential) in San Antonio, TX as he takes us through this discussion around camper and staff behavior. 

    Please register in advance for this meeting:
    https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tcu2uqj4iGNI2nRjoUfDuY6BhwYlGSXQ5 

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.