LEADERSHIP INTERN
TRAINING GUIDE
Leadership Tips
• Encourage
participation from all individuals
and engage with participants – be friendly
but maintain “no touching” boundaries.
• Understand
that the creative process is messy
and noisy – embrace the process while maintaining
a safe environment.
• Model
appropriate behavior.
• Encourage
participants to keep trying and help
them work as a team.
• Know
that talking quietly or waiting for your group
to listen is more effective than shouting.
• Walk
participants to the restroom and wait outside
until they are finished. *
• Stop
for drinks of water between modules. *
• Have
participants sanitize their hands
before eating. *
• Use
encouraging words as an attempt to engage
participants in program activities or restore group
collaboration. Notify your Director or an Instructor
immediately if using encouraging words is not
effective.
• Do
not allow bullying or any other type of violence.
Camp Invention and Invention Project have a
zero tolerance policy for violence, bullying or
inappropriate behavior. Notify your Director or an
Instructor immediately if you observe these types
of behavior.
• If
you are volunteering at a Camp Invention
program, you may be mentoring a Counselor-inTraining (CIT). Work with your Director to schedule
10-15 minutes each day for you to talk to your CIT
about the day and go over program goals, daily
goals and other program-related questions.
• Do
not discipline participants in any manner.
*If you are volunteering at Invention Project, review
the need for these guidelines with your Director.
© 2015 Invent Now, Inc.
Communication Tips
Communicating with participants
• Get
on their level and respect personal space.
• Speak
• Be
clearly and use an age-appropriate style.
positive and point out strengths.
• Ask
if they need help but remember to guide
rather them tell them what to do.
• Use
open-ended questions to get them engaged.
Communicating with your Director
and Instructors
• Be
proactive, don’t wait to be asked
for important information.
• Speak
professionally and avoid slang terms.
Communicating with Counselors-in-Training
• Mentor
• Ask
and encourage your CIT.
open-ended questions.
• Check
• Lead
in daily with their progress.
by example.
ATTITUDE:
ENTHUSIASTIC.
POSITIVE. FUN!
LEARN. INSPIRE. SUCCEED.
Make sure you
have prepared:
• A
clipboard with all of your
participants’ names listed
on the sign-in sheet.
• Two
pens – one for parents
to sign in their child and
one for you to take notes.
• A
pre-printed nametag
for each child.
• Your
Leadership Intern
Guide-to-Go.
• Some
extra paper under the
sign-in sheet on your clipboard
for you to take notes.
• The
Base Camp or Hangout
activity(ies) to engage
participants upon arrival.
Program Operations Tips
• Tour
the building to find rooms, bathrooms, lunchroom, storage, exit
doors, playground, phone, break areas and areas that are off-limits.
• Make
note of emergency exit plans and tornado drill plans
for each area.
• Look
for ways to help – don’t wait to be asked. Ask the Instructor
what kind of assistance he or she would like.
• Ensure
that all participants are signed in and out and communicate
attendance to the Director.
• Make
nametags for your participants.
• Facilitate
Base Camp or Hangout activities.
• Assist
participants but don’t do their work for them – help them figure out
how to do it themselves.
• Wear
goggles during Take Apart activities.
• Note
participants’ special needs or allergies in the Special Notes section
of your Guide-to-Go. Remember: This information is confidential!
• Keep
your group together at all times. You may consider assigning
buddies to walk together if you have a large group of participants.
Participant Welcome Instructions
1. Welcome each participant to your group! Introduce yourself
and ask for the child’s name.
2. Check for the participant’s name on your sign-in sheet. Ask parents
to sign in their children and remind them that they’ll need to sign them
in and out every day, unless permission has been given for a child to
sign him/herself in and out and to walk or bike home.
3. Give participants their nametag and tell them their group name or color.
4. Have each participant place his or her lunch in the designated area.
If the parent has forgotten to bring a lunch for the participant,
tell them they are welcome to deliver it to Base Camp/Hangout
before lunch time.
5. Thank the parent for bringing their son or daughter to the program.
Be sure to tell each participant that a very fun week has been planned
for them!
6. Get the participants involved in the morning Base Camp/Hangout
activity(ies)!
FAQs
Below you will find a few frequently asked questions that may be asked by parents during the week of your
program. Review these with your Director before the start of your program and write down the answers for each
of them.
Q: Where do I sign in?
Q: What is the staff-to-child ratio?
A:
A:
Q: Will you take more recyclables?
Q: Are the children going outside?
Can you make sure they are wearing sunscreen?
A:
Q: Where do I put my lunch?
A:
A:
Q: What time is the Inventors Showcase?
(I need to take off work.)
A:
Q: I forgot my child’s lunch – what do I do?
A:
Q: Can my child switch groups to be with his or her friends?
A:
Q: Can I stay with my child?
A:
Q: Do I need to come inside to pick up my child?
A:
Q: Who is teaching?
A:
Q: Where is the Director?
A:
© 2015 Invent Now, Inc.