Organization & Cleanliness
- Contents Safety & Quality Guide
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Gear Preparation & Care
Caring for our gear is crucial. Gear in less than optimum condition can be a safety hazard. Dull knives can lead to slippage and cuts. Students mirror the way staff treats gear.
When we carelessly break a thing, it is not simply about wasting money, it is also about the privileged attitude that we can simply buy more. Such entitled attitudes are not in the spirit of conservation and respect. With proper care, gear can last a lifetime (or many lifetimes). It’s up to you. Take initiative to create spaces or solve storage issues that will ensure all gear has a place.
===Before the Program==+
- Assemble all gear, materials and vehicles well before programs start. Although Coordinators will assemble gear, be proactive and check in about what you need for the day.
- Check gear for damage items and consult with Coordinator to replace as needed.
- Coordinators should be notified well in advance if any purchases are required.
- If the condition of any gear poses a safety hazard, it should never be used.
- If traveling, meticulously pre-pack gear to prevent damage in transit and ensure accessibility.
During the Program
- Set and maintain clear boundaries with students for proper gear care and safety, and follow the same rules you give your students.
- Before starting a new activity, neatly pack all gear from the previous activity.
- When not in use, stow gear well out of the way and in a safe location.
- Have students help clean up gear after its use. Build this into the program schedule and curriculum. Remember, we are educators, not servants. We teach kids (and adults) to respect their school by taking responsibility for its care.
After the Program
- At the end of the day, check the gear you’ve used and will be using the next day.
- Clean what needs to be cleaned. Return everything better than its original state.
- Remember to restock consumables.
- Do a little extra organization for long-term gear storage, always improving the space.
- Report any damage, especially items that need replacing.
- Repair or retire potentially unsafe gear.
Personal Property Policy
Do not use personal gear in programs to perform your job unless a Coordinator approves. This is a matter of safety for staff, students, and gear. Even if deemed safe and approved, the program will not be responsible for maintenance, repair or replacement of personal gear. Coordinators will not ask you to use your own gear for instructional purposes, including first-aid kits.
While we allow Teachers to dress in costume if it is appropriate to the theme, we do not require it. All costumes are the responsibility of their owner, and the program takes no responsibility for the purchase or maintenance of them.
During a program, only use a personal vehicle for transportation of staff (never students) when approved by a Coordinator.
A Few More Guidelines
- Keep your personal gear neat by using cubbies and lockers or keep it on your person.
- On the last day of the program take your gear home with you (except for staff with permanent storage areas).
Backstage Prep, Onstage Presence
Being onstage has its challenges. It is helpful to establish a backstage area where you can get Show Ready. Do your prep backstage as much as possible backstage, keeping the stage clean and tidy. Backstage is also a place to relax and not focus on students. If a location does not readily lend itself to easily creating a backstage area, you can separate your spaces with distance, temporary barriers, and/or signs reading “Staff Only Please.”
Cleanliness & Organization
For an individual, keeping their apartment or car in disarray might work just fine. But for a camp with a large staff, hundreds of kids, and tight schedules, disorganized gear and sites don’t work.
As a conservation organization, waste is not an option. Damaged or lost equipment affects the greater budget and livelihoods of everyone in the organization. Poor cleanliness is also a slippery slope to unsanitary conditions, which could violate health codes. Seek and destroy Scrappy Junk, dirt, and unsanitary crud.
Mise en Place
This French phrase means “everything in its place.” It refers to a place or system that is highly functional and streamlined for the activity that happens there because of earlier preparation and organization. Consider how you can make your program space “mise en place”
Zen Surfaces Empty spaces are easily swept. Gear lines will make this vastly easier! See more on Gearlines.
Cleaning
- Clean and organize your space better than when you found it every day of the program.
- Each day choose one additional area beyond your space to improve. Follow any site-cleaning schedule via your Coordinator on a daily basis. Report any unsanitary conditions.
The Golden Rule (for Trash) If you see a piece of garbage, you are required to pick it up and dispose of it. There are no exceptions to this rule even if the garbage is not yours.
Your Art Department
In film and television, the art department handles the “look” of the set. They ensure everything that will be in a shot matches the feeling of the story. This attitude is really important.
Be ready at all times for someone to snap a photo of anything you are doing and post it on hundreds of websites. Especially keep this in mind when we invite media into our programs. The camera catches everything and internet trolls exist to comment on it all!
The “snap a photo” mentality means a safer program because you become acutely aware of all aspects of safety even outside your field of focus. Is that child wearing safety goggles? Is that nocked arrow pointed downrange? Is a child standing next to a heavy pot of soup that could spill? None of these snapshots would reflect well on our organization’s attention to safety. This is not simply about the appearance of safety; it is about attention to detail, which is a key component of genuine risk management.
A clutter-free scene also keeps participants focused on the content of the program. A clean space highlights what you are doing. A messy space loses the awesome in all that Scrappy Junk.
Lost & Found
Lost and Found can be vexing for staff, students, and especially parents. When a child loses a piece of gear, it is an unnecessary expense. Lost gear also reflects on the organization of the camp and may contribute to souring the experience for the participant.
Managing lost gear wastes everyone’s time. Review every article of clothing for names and contact each parent to schedule time to retrieve the item. Do not leave backpacks or lunch pails sitting for weeks with fish sandwiches in them! There is no excuse for a crowded Lost and Found area. Keep your Lost and Found shelf empty by cultivating constant awareness in your participants while they organize and keep track of their gear.
During Program
- Establish a Gear Line: each piece of gear in an organized line next to each other (not overlapping or piled) so everything can be clearly seen.
- Do not place Gear Lines in random locations. They should be easily accessible by participants and out of walkways.
- When not in use, have participants return all items to their packing place or bag.
- At transitions have students do a gear check to see if they are missing any items.
When Exiting a Vehicle, Site, or Classroom
- Always do a sweep for left behind gear (aka Scrappy Junk). Look under bushes, behind seats–everywhere.
- If you find anything, ask whom it belongs to. For example, if it’s a water bottle, have every student check for theirs. If there are no takers, bring it back with you.
- Ask again back at Base Camp, and again when parents pick up. It’s amazing how some children can suddenly fail to recognize a hat they have worn every day for three months, but parents always know.
Dealing With Lost and Found
- If you end up with unclaimed Scrappy Junk, bring to the Lost and Found for area.
- If you think you know whom it belongs to, mark it.
- If they are returning to camp the next day, hold it for them.
- On the last day of the program, do a Lost and Found parade or show where staff model unclaimed items while all students watch so they can claim what’s theirs.
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