AI Tools for Camp Professionals: Shortwave and Trevor AI

Camp directors spend a surprising amount of time managing two things: email and their own schedule. Parent questions pile up. Staff requests multiply. And somewhere between the registration inquiries and the maintenance emergencies, your carefully planned day disappears.

This week I'm looking at two AI tools that tackle these challenges directly. One promises to transform how you handle email. The other wants to help you actually accomplish what you set out to do each day.

Shortwave: Your Inbox, Finally Under Control

Shortwave is an AI-powered email client built by former Google engineers. If you remember Google Inbox (which Google inexplicably killed in 2019), this is its spiritual successor. It replaces your standard Gmail interface with something faster and smarter.

Pricing:

Shortwave offers several tiers. There's a free plan, though it limits your searchable email history to 90 days and adds a "Sent with Shortwave" signature to outgoing messages. The Personal plan runs about $7-9 per month. Most camp professionals would probably land on the Pro plan at $14 per month (billed annually), which removes the signature and adds features like read receipts. Business plans start around $24 per month.

What It Actually Does:

The standout feature is Ghostwriter, an AI that learns your personal writing style. After a few weeks of use, it can draft replies that actually sound like you wrote them. For camp directors who send dozens of similar parent emails each week ("Yes, we can accommodate the food allergy"; "Here's what to pack"), this is genuinely useful.

Shortwave also automatically sorts incoming email into Bundles. Newsletters go in one place. Receipts in another. Registration system notifications cluster together. Instead of 47 unread messages screaming for attention, you see organized categories you can process in batches.

The "Organize my inbox" feature lets you tell the AI what to do in plain language. "Archive everything from vendors I haven't replied to in 30 days." It just does it.

Camp Use Cases:

Parent communication is the obvious one. Draft responses faster, keep threads organized, find that email from three months ago about a camper's medication without scrolling forever. Staff coordination works well too, especially if your team is on Gmail. The shared channels feature turns email into something closer to Slack, which helps during the off-season when you're coordinating hiring remotely.

The Catch:

Shortwave only works with Gmail and Google Workspace. If your camp runs on Outlook or another provider, this isn't for you. The free tier is too limited for professional use. And while the AI is impressive, it occasionally gets your tone wrong in ways that require careful proofreading.

Best For: Camp professionals drowning in parent emails who use Gmail and want to reach inbox zero without it taking all morning.

Trevor AI: Time Blocking for the Overwhelmed

Trevor AI bridges the gap between your to-do list and your calendar. Instead of keeping tasks in one app and appointments in another, Trevor helps you turn tasks into scheduled time blocks. The idea is simple: if it's not on your calendar, it probably won't happen.

Pricing:

Trevor has a genuinely useful free tier that includes basic task management, calendar syncing, and smart scheduling suggestions. The Pro plan costs about $4-5 per month, which adds recurring tasks, multiple calendar integration, and more automation. This is remarkably affordable compared to competitors like Motion ($19-34/month).

What It Actually Does:

You add tasks to Trevor's hub. Then you either drag them into open slots on your calendar or let the AI suggest optimal times based on your availability. The "Plan My Day" feature analyzes your pending tasks and calendar constraints, then proposes a realistic schedule.

Focus Mode takes things further. When you start a time block, Trevor displays only that task, breaks it down into smaller steps, and runs a timer. The founders claim users complete 85% of tasks scheduled through Trevor, compared to about 40% completion rates for traditional to-do lists.

"Ask Trevor" is a conversational AI assistant that understands your tasks, calendar, and preferences. You can type things like "When do I have two free hours this week?" or "Move my budget review to Friday afternoon" and it executes.

Camp Use Cases:

Directors juggle a hundred competing priorities. Trevor helps you actually schedule the things that matter but keep getting pushed aside. That facilities walkthrough you've been meaning to do? Block 45 minutes Tuesday morning. One-on-ones with your leadership team? Schedule them in batches. Grant application you're procrastinating on? Break it into three 90-minute sessions across the week.

The daily coaching emails are surprisingly helpful. Trevor sends a morning summary showing what you planned versus what you accomplished, with gentle suggestions for improvement.

The Catch:

Trevor requires internet access to function. The initial setup takes some getting used to, especially if you've never tried time blocking before. And while it integrates with Todoist and other task managers, some users report occasional sync delays.

Best For: Camp professionals who end each day wondering where the time went, or anyone who makes ambitious to-do lists but rarely finishes them.

The Bottom Line

These tools solve different problems. Shortwave is about processing communication more efficiently. Trevor is about being intentional with your time.

If email is your biggest pain point and you're on Gmail, Shortwave's $14/month Pro plan is worth trying. The AI drafts and automatic bundling can save significant time during peak registration season.

If you struggle to protect time for important-but-not-urgent work, Trevor's free tier is a no-brainer starting point. It's the cheapest quality option in its category by a wide margin.

Both tools share a philosophy worth noting: they assist without taking over. You stay in control of your inbox and your schedule. The AI handles the tedious parts so you can focus on the work that actually requires you.

About the Author

Matt Kaufman has spent 40 years in summer camp as a camper, counselor, and director, studying what makes people belong, grow, and thrive. He writes about intentional community, leadership, and the intersection of technology and human connection.

Connect with Matt:

• Instagram: @mattlovescamp

• LinkedIn: Matt Kaufman

• Website: ilove.camp

Books by Matt Kaufman:

• The Campfire Effect: How to Engineer Belonging in a Disconnected World (February 2026)

• The Summer Camp MBA: 50 Leadership Lessons from Camp to Career