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SUMMER CAMP DAILY BRIEF
The Summer Camp Daily Brief is published every morning, bringing fresh ideas and inspiration to camp professionals all week long. Mondays explore Leadership & Staffing, while Tuesdays dive into Operations & Systems for smoother, smarter camp management. On Wednesdays, our Professional Development series draws lessons from The Summer Camp MBA. Thursdays celebrate Camper Experience & Program Design, and Fridays look ahead with Industry Trends & Forward Look. Each weekend, we shift gears: Saturdays feature AI in Action, highlighting real-world tools transforming camps today, and Sundays offer the AI & Camp Weekly Summary, a thoughtful reflection on how the week’s AI news connects to the future of camp life.
Summer Camp Daily Brief
Tuesday Daily Brief: Building Resilient Camp Operations Amid Rising Cloud Outages
A new report from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration just dropped some eye-opening data about cloud reliability. Cloud outages jumped 24 percent this year, with authentication failures, routing errors, and stressed content delivery networks causing major headaches for schools, hospitals, retailers, and city agencies. If your camp relies on cloud tools for medical forms, transportation planning, parent communication, or staff scheduling, you're faci
Matthew Kaufman
1 day ago
Monday Daily Brief: New Labor Data Offers a Path for Camps to Strengthen Staff
A new labor report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows two clear shifts. Teen employment rose for the fourth straight year, and short-term seasonal roles outperformed long-term part-time roles in applicant interest. This shift matters for you. It signals stronger supply for counselor hiring and stronger interest in seasonal work with purpose. You face a tough labor market each spring. Any data that helps you plan earlier and smarter gives you an advantage. Today's brief
Matthew Kaufman
2 days ago
Summer Camp Daily Brief: 2026 Youth Program Trends and Steps for Camp Leaders (Friday, December 5, 2025)
This week brought clear signals about where youth programs need to focus in 2026. Tech leaders pushed new rules for safety in online spaces. Researchers published new data on loneliness and screen fatigue in teenagers. State governments continued to expand funding for workforce development. Each of these headlines points to shifts that will shape how you plan programs, train staff, and support families. Trend 1: Federal Pressure on Social Platforms The White House, along wi
Matthew Kaufman
5 days ago
Summer Camp Daily Brief: Camp as the Ultimate Training Ground (Wednesday, December 3, 2025)
News this week is highlighting a clear message: there's a growing gap between what young workers learn in school and what employers desperately need from them. You see this gap every summer when new staff arrive at your camp. They're smart, eager, and well-educated, but they struggle with real-time problem solving, leading groups under pressure, and managing stress when things don't go according to plan. Here's what makes this interesting for you as a camp leader. While unive
Matthew Kaufman
Dec 3
Summer Camp Daily Brief: Strong Systems, Calm Days: Lessons from This Week's Operations Headlines (Tuesday, December 2, 2025)
New stories this week highlight a clear shift in operations across schools, transportation, and youth-serving programs. Leaders face stronger expectations for accuracy, speed, and transparency. You face the same pressures each summer. Families expect smooth systems. Staff expect structure. You need tools and habits that keep information flowing fast and clean. Three current events point directly to the operations issues you should focus on before next season. School District
Matthew Kaufman
Dec 2
Summer Camp Daily Brief: Leaders Face Rising Pressure to Support Stretched Staff: Here's Your Game Plan (Monday, December 1, 2025)
Today's biggest headlines point to one clear theme: leaders everywhere face mounting pressure to support workers who feel stretched, distracted, and uncertain about their next steps. Sound familiar? You're seeing the same dynamic at camp. Your staff want clarity. They want mentorship. They want opportunities to grow. Your job is building those conditions long before opening day arrives. Three stories from this weekend help explain where your staff stand right now and what you
Matthew Kaufman
Dec 1
Summer Camp Daily Brief: Responding to Changing Expectations (November 28, 2025)
This week brought a handful of headlines that should catch your attention as a camp professional. New reports show a widening gap between what kids need and what most youth programs deliver. Meanwhile, families are raising the bar for structured social experiences, outdoor time, and stress management support. These trends aren't just interesting data points: they're shaping parent expectations and influencing how campers show up to your program. When you understand these sign
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 28
Summer Camp Daily Brief: Designing for Movement, Autonomy, and Connection (November 27, 2025)
Today's headlines point to something you already know. Families want programs that get kids moving, give them choices, and help them connect with peers. Two major stories caught my attention this week: a national survey showing rising parent interest in structured outdoor time, and reports from youth programs seeing attendance jumps when they redesign around movement, autonomy, and social challenge. Sound familiar? That's exactly what you build at camp every day. This isn't j
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 27
Summer Camp Daily Brief: Building Workplace Skills with The Summer Camp MBA (November 26, 2025)
This week brought several news stories about early-career skill gaps, supervisor training, youth employment expectations, and workplace readiness. These stories align perfectly with core lessons from The Summer Camp MBA. Your weekly Wednesday series uses those lessons to show why camp prepares young adults for success across college, early employment, and leadership roles. Today's brief connects this week's headlines with key skills from The Summer Camp MBA. Each skill grows
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 26
Summer Camp Daily Brief: Security, Bus Delays, and Burnout Solutions (November 25, 2025)
Today's headlines center on three areas that matter for your camp operations. Google pushed a major security update for Workspace accounts, several states reported longer school bus delays due to driver shortages and winter weather, and new research on workplace burnout highlights how small process changes can reduce operational friction. You run a seasonal business with complex year-round tasks. You balance enrollment, staff hiring, transportation, medical compliance, vendor
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 25
Summer Camp Daily Brief: Leadership Trends and Action Steps for Camps (November 24, 2025)
Good morning camp leaders! This week brought encouraging news about youth employment, fresh research on what keeps young staff engaged, and growing momentum around structured coaching in frontline roles. Each development connects directly to your summer operations because your staff teams mirror the broader youth workforce: high energy, big responsibility, and incredible potential when properly supported. Let's dive into what these trends mean for your program and what you ca
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 24
Summer Camp Daily Brief – November 21, 2025: Headlines and Action Steps for Camps
Today's post tracks several news items from the past week and connects them to the long-term direction of the summer camp industry. The goal is to help you think about next steps for your program, your staff, your systems, and your families. A few stories in education, youth mental health, and workforce technology point to clear shifts you should prepare for. Youth Mental Health Trends A new CDC report released this week shows a small but steady rise in anxiety among childr
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 21
Summer Camp Daily Brief – November 20, 2025: New Trends in Youth Activity, Belonging, and Program Design
A fresh wave of research on youth behavior, outdoor activity, and social connection hit the headlines this week, offering camp directors clear guidance for next summer's program planning. Three major themes emerged across multiple studies: youth activity levels are climbing after several sluggish years, parents show stronger interest in structured outdoor programs, and social belonging remains the top priority for families choosing summer experiences. These findings align per
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 20
Summer Camp Daily Brief – November 19, 2025: Professional Development and Initiative
Today brings a perfect convergence of professional development awareness and practical camp leadership insights. As we observe North Carolina Career Development Coordinator Day: part of National Career Development Month: camp leaders across the country are recognizing something important: the initiative your staff develops each summer directly shapes their future career success. Today's Professional Development Landscape Yesterday's American Camp Association virtual network
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 19
Summer Camp Daily Brief – November 18, 2025: Operations, Safety, and Workflow Update
Good morning, camp leaders. Today's brief covers seven key developments that directly impact your daily operations, safety protocols, and staff workflows. From food safety alerts to transportation challenges, these stories shape how you prepare for next summer and strengthen your systems now. FDA Updates Food Safety Alert Procedures The FDA released updated recommendations for food service operators this week, emphasizing faster reporting cycles for contamination alerts. Se
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 18
Summer Camp Daily Brief – November 17, 2025: Staffing Insights for a Changing Workforce
Monday morning briefing time. Let's dive into the week's biggest workforce shifts that are reshaping how you recruit, train, and keep great staff for your camp programs. College Numbers Paint a Brighter Picture The National Student Clearinghouse just dropped their fall enrollment data, and there's actually some good news here. Undergraduate enrollment ticked up about one percent nationwide compared to last year. Community colleges saw the biggest gains, while four-year scho
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 17
AI and Camp Weekly Summary: Sunday, November 16 – Week in Review
This week's AI stories all pointed in one direction: the world is moving faster. Tools are getting smarter. Risks are growing. Leaders everywhere are trying to make sense of what this pace means for their work and communities. Camps feel these shifts even when they seem far away. When the outside world speeds up, camp leaders need to respond with steady hands. You work with children, families, and young staff who live in the center of this technological change. You guide them
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 15
AI in Action: How Perplexity and Suno Support Faster, Smarter Camp Workflows
Picture this: It's 9 PM on a Tuesday in March, and you're still at your desk, scrolling through endless Google results trying to find reliable information about new state regulations for summer camps. Sound familiar? Or maybe you're that director who's been searching for the perfect background music for your welcome video for three hours, and nothing feels quite right. Today's AI in Action feature tackles exactly these scenarios with two tools that can transform how you handl
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 15
Summer Camp Daily Brief : November 14, 2025: Headlines, Trends & The Road Ahead
Good morning, camp professionals! As we move deeper into November's planning season, let's dive into what's shaping our industry today and where we're headed next. Today's Headlines Making Waves Market Growth Hits 7.5% Annual Rate The numbers don't lie: our industry is booming. With a global market size reaching $26.5 billion in 2025, summer camps are no longer just a "nice-to-have" for families. We've become essential infrastructure for working parents and child developmen
Matthew Kaufman
Nov 14
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