Hello all, my name is Erin Birchfield and I served as the Program Coordinator this summer at Alta Mons! The job of Program Coordinator is a hundred different jobs all in one, but my main purpose was to interview, train, and support our camp counselors during our weeks of camp. My goal is to make sure that the staff is ready for the huge and beautiful and demanding job of being a counselor for these kids. I first came to Alta Mons in 2011 as a Unit 1 camper and quickly fell in love with Alta Mons and its gorgeous nature and amazing community, a group of people that made me feel welcome immediately and consistently through my years as a camper, CIT, and counselor.
After the pandemic and a year of distanced summer camp in 2021, it was my huge honor to bring Alta Mons back into the dining hall. Meals in the dining hall have always been a staple at camp, with so many songs, so much noise, and huge amounts of awesome camp spirit, all of which are what make the camp community and experience what it is. Welcoming campers and staff into the dining hall who may not have experienced it before was awesome to see. After meals in the dining hall, it was part of my job to lead everyone in camp songs. Leading the kids in silly songs and dances was a highlight of my day, an opportunity to feel the huge energy and enthusiasm from the kids. Even in the more challenging moments, dining hall songs feel light and fun and brought me a lot of joy this summer.
Another unique aspect of my job was my perspective in relationships with kids. I loved being in a position this summer to talk to and get to know all the kids at camp in a given week instead of just the ones in a single unit. Being the Program Coordinator, I’m someone that all the kids know, so making it a goal of mine to learn all their names throughout the week made it really easy to have a rapport with the individual kids, including the ones that don’t require as much attention from counselors during a busy day at camp. It’s been a really unique experience and a huge pleasure getting to know all the awesome kids that come here from a different position and watching them fall in love with camp just like I did.
I am forever thankful for the long journey with my camp family. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making Alta Mons a second home for me.
After the pandemic and a year of distanced summer camp in 2021, it was my huge honor to bring Alta Mons back into the dining hall. Meals in the dining hall have always been a staple at camp, with so many songs, so much noise, and huge amounts of awesome camp spirit, all of which are what make the camp community and experience what it is. Welcoming campers and staff into the dining hall who may not have experienced it before was awesome to see. After meals in the dining hall, it was part of my job to lead everyone in camp songs. Leading the kids in silly songs and dances was a highlight of my day, an opportunity to feel the huge energy and enthusiasm from the kids. Even in the more challenging moments, dining hall songs feel light and fun and brought me a lot of joy this summer.
Another unique aspect of my job was my perspective in relationships with kids. I loved being in a position this summer to talk to and get to know all the kids at camp in a given week instead of just the ones in a single unit. Being the Program Coordinator, I’m someone that all the kids know, so making it a goal of mine to learn all their names throughout the week made it really easy to have a rapport with the individual kids, including the ones that don’t require as much attention from counselors during a busy day at camp. It’s been a really unique experience and a huge pleasure getting to know all the awesome kids that come here from a different position and watching them fall in love with camp just like I did.
I am forever thankful for the long journey with my camp family. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making Alta Mons a second home for me.
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