Program & Structure

The Starfish philosophy, which provides 1:1 support
for campers, is based on engaging campers in a
variety of well-structured traditional summer camp activities
in a safe and predictable environment. According to
consistent survey responses, many children who attend
Starfish enjoy an improved self-esteem that translates into
a positive attitude towards learning in school, as well as an
increased confidence in engaging
with peers and trying new activities.

As a member of the Starfish Staff, it will be your honor and
responsibility to ensure that bunk life, activity lessons, and
the overall camp experience for children is positive,
engaging and fun. Almost all of our staff live in a cabin with
campers. Our meals are served family-style, with bunk
groups eating together to facilitate good eating habits, table
manners and communication skills. At almost every minute
of the day, your interactions with campers will make a
difference in their behaviors.

Read on below to learn more about: Cabin and Activity
Groups, The Starfish Tools (our organizational values),
The Strategies, and the Structure of a general camp day.

During the remainder of the day, campers are engaged in traditional summer camp
activities with a small "activity group" - a different group of campers than their bunk
mates. This gives everyone a chance to build additional social connections and gives
campers natural space from campers with whom they are living. As a staff member,
not only are you responsible for a cabin group, but you will also work in an activity
area during those hours when campers are divided into their activity groups. Some of
the activities at Starfish include:

"Starfish is a source of hope for those children who have
given-up on their potential. Starfish gives campers an
opportunity to feel special, unique, and worthwhile. It
allows children to build relationships with their peers and
adults... I hope that when the children return to their daily
routines of home, the memory of their time at camp will
serve as a motivational force and beating drum of
self-confidence."

Bunk Life Every camper is placed into a bunk
based on his or her age, abilities, and needs.
A typical bunk consists of 5 campers who are
supervised by a team of 4 -6 counselors. The bunk
spends time together at each meal, during cabin
clean up and rest hour, and during some activity
periods. Each evening ends with showers and cabin
meeting, a time during which each camper has the

Twice a day, the campers enjoy a structured free-play. Most campers will have a staff
"buddy" during this time, and along with their buddy, are able to travel around the camp,
choosing activities as they feel they would enjoy them. During this time, the waterfront is
open, the Learning Center usually hosts a chess tournament or computer time, the
basketball court is always hopping with activity, and elective activities are offered which
change daily. Some electives have included "club" type activities like theater, track & field,
or a language class. Others are one-time offers like origami, kite-making, ping-pong
tournament, or floor hockey.

The Tools These are the values of Camp Starfish. They
outline coping skills and personal intentions, and by teaching
them, staff are able to help campers put behaviors and
feelings into context. All camp rules are based on a tool, for
example, and you will often hear staff (and find yourself!)
using the tools to help calm escalated campers: "I think your
painting looks great! You put so much effort into it and that
really shows. Remember here we don't have to be the
best...just try our best. Hey, I bet that would look great
hanging up in the bunk next to your goals chart."

There are Tools written for younger and older campers, as well as for adults. All express
the same basic principles - (an example of the adult version of a tool is: " We honor
cooperation over competition; attitude over aptitude; and effort over ability.") Each set of
tools is split into two groups: community tools (those values that affect interactions with
others) and individual tools (those values which are based on internal coping). Tools are
integrated all over camp - from the Tool of the Day (which is used at each activity and
acted out by the Tools Team at morning Gathering), to the Garden of Tools where you
can relax, smell the flowers, and just think for a while about the small signs around you.
Listed here are the general Starfish Tools for Campers:

- I always try my best. I do not have to be the best.
- I take responsibility for my actions.
- I am respectful to others.
- I care about my health, so I play outdoors and eat healthy foods.
- I tell the truth.
- I try new things.
- I let other people help me.
- I ask for help when I need it.
- I listen to others when they are speaking.
- I use my words to express my needs and feelings.

Upon first reading the Strategies, they appear deceptively simple. The key, and what
makes Starfish such a unique place, is an entire group of people actively using these
skills and ideas in their daily work with children. "Engage campers. Provide time. Allow
campers to take space. Catch children being good..." The strategy behind the Strategies
is simple: make camp a positive, safe place where campers are actively participating in
things they enjoy. Helping children learn what it means to be accountable for their
choices with positive feedback and without embarrassment helps them make more
productive choices in the future. Pair the Tools with the Strategies and you have Starfish:
a place to learn, grow and have fun.

Strengthen Children's Self Esteem: believe in children, encourage them to
see their strengths; encourage children to see themselves as valued and
valuable people. Catch children being good. Over talk - within earshot of the
child, speak positively about her to another adult.

Empower Children: use routines, forecast events, set limits. Let children know
what they can do. Create token reinforcement systems. Offer children
alternatives for venting their anger and frustration and to express themselves
verbally. Help children interpret consequences as poor decision-making.

Communicate with Children Deliberately & Pro-Actively: model
appropriate behavior. Modulate your tone; provide short, simple directions with
lots of reminders. Check for understanding - every time! Use signal interference.
Deliberately ignore inappropriate behavior that can be tolerated. Pair
interventions with the Starfish Tools.

Demonstrate Compassion to Children: tell children
that you accept their angry feelings. Validate! Help
children decode their behaviors into feelings. Appeal
directly to children. Send "I" messages, not "You"
messages. Explain situations.

Create A Positive Learning Environment: Engage
children's senses. Act enthusiastically and energetically.
Engage children in fun ativities. Provide children with
attention. Use a system of promises and rewards - not
bribery!

Create a Safe Environment: Take your time. Use silence and provide children
with space to help calm. Use proximity control. "Antiseptically bounce" a child -
find a way for the child to save face and leave the activity for a few minutes to get
a drink, wash up, run an errand, or deliver a message. Remove seductive objects.
Use a third person or a "fresh face" to resolve stubborn or escalating conflicts.

Camp has its own structure, which although activities change from day to day, campers
know that "first free play is always after Cabin Clean-up" and the time that each activity
starts and ends is (as much as possible!) the same each day. Even though campers don't
wear watches, this consistency helps considerably to calm anxiety and hyperactivity.

Activities and Bunk Life also have their own structure, based on an all-camp model that is
then adjusted for each gender, age and camper group appropriately. As a staff member,
you will have an active role in setting the structure for your bunk and area. For example,
while outside every activity area and cabin are benches that campers sit on while waiting
to be called to participate or to enter the cabin, each counselor team structures their
benches routine differently. Sometimes you might ask trivia questions, dismissing
campers into the bunk as each answers you with a quiet hand. Outside Arts & Crafts, you
might choose to tell campers about the project of the day then "check for understanding"
by asking each camper in turn to repeat an instruction you've just given before they head
inside to start. Transitioning between activities might be a time that your cabin group
does best if singing a camp song together, while another bunk might transition more
successfully by having each camper hold the hand of a counselor and walk in a line.

Lead counselors, administrators and area coordinators will help you and your
co-counselors to create an initial structure that you would like to use with your bunk and
activity areas during pre-camp training. Then, during evening team meetings and
check-ins, the structure is often adjusted and developed further as you learn more about
each camper and his/her individual needs.

When leaving behind words of wisdom for future counselors, many staff members
comment on the reliance they came to have in the strength of these deceptively simple
Strategies. "The children are amazing," wrote one staff member at the end of '05. "Don't
ever let them forget that. Always be observant, and aware of what's going-on around
you. And, lastly, use those Strategies!" Another summed it up even more succinctly at the
end of the same summer: "Success at Starfish is simple: sleep, water and STRATEGIES!"