About – Vital Camps

“Can you do this for summer camps?”

Kris Ebner Martin had just watched a demo on Pre-Arrival Learning, an online onboarding program for International high school students, used by over 80,000 students since 2010.

“Of course we can!”

That was 2018.

Now, six years later, over 15,000 staff from over 70 camps throughout the US and Canada, have been trained before arriving at camp.

What is Vital Camps?

What camps love about the program

How does it work?

We don't have a lot of time for staff training so it's really helped us eliminate what we can focus on in person. It's changed the process of what we're allocating our time to during training. Vital Camps helps us cover the broad topics of, for instance, diabetes, and just general camp management, where typically we'd have to go over that in person. Now we're able to dive into more specific skills on site because of what Vital Camps does.

American Diabetes Association

I think the ease of use, the great service back and forth; your staff really took the information I gave them and ran with it to make something happen out of the gate. What works really well is the follow up part of it, with the actual staff members, to make sure that they're doing it because these are young adults.

Camp Susquehannock

Every year we're running into the need to potentially hire staff who may have to miss all or part of an orientation or can't join us until later in the summer. There are so many things to cover during orientation, we are so time pressed. The elements of a handbook, things best covered by video or written out are just so much better done beforehand through an online course than taking some really needed time during your day.

JCC Dallas

American Diabetes Association

Camp Susquehannock

JCC Dallas

5 reasons why Vital Camps might be a good fit for your camp

1. Fully Customizable Platform: Vital Camps offers a platform that is fully customizable to meet the specific needs of each camp. This allows camps to tailor the content to their requirements, ensuring that staff receive the exact training and resources necessary for their roles.

2. Efficient Tracking and Monitoring: The platform provides robust tracking capabilities, enabling organizations to monitor and evaluate staff engagement with training materials. This feature allows for better preparedness and insight into knowledge gaps before in-person sessions.

3. Reduced Workload and Time Savings: Vital Camps significantly reduces camps’ workload by simplifying the process of setting up and managing staff training. The platform’s ease of use means less time spent on administrative tasks, allowing administrators to focus on other important aspects of camp preparation.

4. Enhanced In-Person Training Integration: The platform has positively influenced the structure of in-person staff training. Vital Camps allows organizations to maximize their face-to-face training time by providing insights into staff readiness beforehand, contributing to a more focused and impactful training experience.

5. Versatile Learning Formats: Vital Camps accommodates various learning styles, providing staff with a range of resources such as videos, fun interactions, and other digital materials. This versatility enhances the learning experience and caters to different preferences among the staff.

The Team

Thomas Christensen

Executive Director

Thomas has been involved in camp and international exchange for 25 years. First running a summer camp recruitment office in New Zealand for BUNAC, and since 2007 operating the Vital office out of British Columbia, Canada. Thomas was born in Denmark and has lived abroad since 1991.

Rachel Curtis

Operations Manager

Setting up programs, sending reminders, supporting camp staff with login issues and other questions is all taken care of by Rachel. Quick responses and quality support is all part of Rachel’s MO. Rachel was born in New Zealand and has called Canada home since 2007.

Hyunah Park

Instructional Designer

Converting your existing training materials to online delivery is in very good hands with our in-house instructional designer, Hyunah Park. Originally from South Korea, Hyunah has called Canada home since 2011. Hyunah has been involved in international exchange since 2011 and joined Vital Camps in 2020.