Before the First Canoe Hits the Water
Long before campers set foot on the Southern Illinois trails, something transformative unfolds in Ozark, Ill. Over the past six days in late May, more than 100 staff members arrived at Camp Ondessonk, not just as seasonal employees but as a group developing into a cohesive community. They brought nervous energy and high expectations but left as a unified team. Key to this process is the staff training experience, which deliberately fosters teamwork, confidence, and preparedness for the summer ahead.
The American Camp Association has long emphasized that a camp’s program rises and falls with the quality of its staff preparation. At Ondessonk, this philosophy is a daily practice, not just a talking point. The 2026 All-Staff Training exemplifies intentional programming.
A Week Designed with Purpose
Training began on Sunday, May 24th, with a warmly orchestrated check-in led by Lisa Bloodworth, Director of Finance. This was followed by a keynote welcome in LeCoeur from Nolan Hurst, Camping Services Director. The real work started quickly. Within the first hours, staff are not sitting in rows listening to lectures. They were playing, introduction games designed by Leadership Staff to set a tone that will echo all week: relationship first, information second.
This sequencing is deliberate. Research in experiential education consistently shows that learning retention improves dramatically when participants feel psychologically safe and connected to their peers. Ondessonk honors this reality by weaving community-building throughout the entire training arc, not just at the opening.
Jess Horvath, Program & Hospitality Director and Isabelle Linn, Program Coordinator led a session on creating brave spaces, inviting staff to name what they need from one another and to examine what might hold them back. It is an unusually honest conversation to have on day one. It is also exactly the right one.
The Breadth of What Staff Must Know
By the end of training week, a Camp Ondessonk Counselor is not the same person who arrived on Sunday. They have moved from uncertainty to confidence, from individual to community, from well-meaning young adults to something far more intentional. They can recognize the early signs of homesickness and know exactly how to respond. They understand the weight of mandated reporting and carry it seriously. They can run a campfire, de-escalate a camper conflict, cook a safe foil burger, and file an incident report. They are prepared to meet a child exactly where that child is, whether that means a camper navigating a learning difference, a first-time camper trembling with nerves, or a kid who simply needs someone steady. That breadth of readiness does not happen by accident. It is the direct result of outcomes that were developed with care and delivered with intention. The training addressed emergency procedures and health center protocols. It covered child protection policies, mandated reporting requirements, and the nuanced terrain of confidentiality. Staff learned food safety standards, equipment care procedures, and the ins and outs of weekend duties. They studied the Camp schedule in detail. They learned the expectations for every assigned duty and practiced running special programs.
Critically, staff dove deep into what it means to support a child. Sessions on homesickness, bullying, and camper behaviors were offered at three experience levels. This ensures that first-year staff and returning veterans receive content appropriate to their experience. The same tiered approach applies to working with campers who need additional resources. They practiced real scenarios in small groups.
Catholic Identity as a Living Practice
What sets Camp Ondessonk apart from many of its peers in the camping world is its grounding in Catholic mission and identity. This is not background noise; it is a core curriculum element. Nolan Hurst and Tristen Payne lead a dedicated session to help staff understand what it means to work and live at a Catholic Camp, how to nurture camper and staff spirituality, and why that dimension matters.
Mass at the Grotto punctuates the training week with a collective pause. The Opening Campfire and Unit Campfires create rituals and a sense of belonging. These are not add-ons; they form part of the rhythm, reminding everyone that Camp, at its best, is a spiritual as well as a logistical endeavor.
Learning That Looks Like Living
One of the most impressive features of the Ondessonk training model is its refusal to keep learning in a classroom. The round-robin format, deployed over multiple days, sends staff to different locations around Camp. These include the Grotto, the Original Dining Hall, and Handicrafts. The physical environment becomes part of the pedagogy.
On Wednesday, a Simulation Room session was led by Leadership Staff who brought everything together. Staff applied knowledge from the week inside realistic scenarios, then debriefed with precision. Key takeaways included building confidence in handling complex situations and learning effective debrief methods. This kind of practice-based learning is a hallmark of high-quality professional development. It is a feature that distinguishes Ondessonk’s model as following best practices as emphasized by the American Camp Association.
There was also area training in the program spaces including Moonlight Gold Rush, Swim assessments, and Lodge 101. The week builds toward Mock Friday including Marathon. This was a full rehearsal of real Camp activities that gives every staff member a chance to test their readiness before it truly counts.
More Than Ready
By the time Friday, May 29th arrived, and the first campers rolled through the gate on May 31st, the staff of Camp Ondessonk had completed more than thirty distinct training sessions. They have practiced emergency responses, rehearsed difficult conversations, debated evaluation criteria, explored their own capacity for conflict, and sat together around a Campfire.
The American Camp Association reminds us that camps help young people grow in competence, confidence, and character. At Camp Ondessonk, All-Staff Training serves as the foundation for delivering on this promise. It ensures a successful summer and supports campers’ growth.
