SHOW NOTES
You know how to create an incredible camp experience. But who taught you how to build a budget, develop a strategic plan, or keep your organization financially sustainable?
Kelie and Shauna welcome Dr. Megan Owens of BlueSky Recreation Consulting to discuss the business skills camp professionals are often expected to learn on the job.
Megan introduces The Director’s School, a new educational experience developed with ACA Illinois. Through small cohorts, practical exercises, and group projects, the school helps camp professionals build knowledge they can bring back to their organizations.
They also talk candidly about taking on leadership responsibilities without proper onboarding, learning from people outside your usual camp network, and why understanding the business matters—even when someone else handles your organization’s finances.
IN THIS EPISODE
- The business knowledge gap in camp professional development
- How The Director’s School combines instruction, practice, and collaboration
- Choosing a learning level based on your experience and responsibilities
- Building connections across different types of camps and organizations
- Why business knowledge strengthens both your camp and your career
- Application requirements, costs, and financial assistance
THREE LEVELS OF LEARNING
Level 1: Foundations
Finance, human resources, risk management, and ethical decision-making for emerging professionals and those new to the camp field.
Level 2: Organizational Planning
Connecting budgets, strategic plans, risk management, and evaluation to the operation of an entire camp.
Level 3: Strategy and Sustainability
Long-term vision, organizational systems, financial sustainability, and growth for experienced camp leaders.
Placement considers what you have actually done and what you need to learn, rather than relying only on your title or years in the field.
THE DIRECTOR’S SCHOOL: IMPORTANT DETAILS
- Dates: January 18–22, 2027
- Location: Q Center in St. Charles, Illinois
- Application deadline: October 31, 2026
- Cost: $2,000, including four nights in a private room, meals, instruction, textbooks, and resources; travel is additional
- Application deposit: $500, refundable if you are not accepted
- Application materials: A one-page cover letter, a resume of up to two pages, a one-page letter of support, and responses to the online application questions
Learn more about The Director’s School
Review application instructions
Ask about registration or financial assistance
EPISODE CHAPTERS
Approximate timestamps.
00:00 — Welcome back and a personal check-in
03:19 — Introducing Dr. Megan Owens and The Director’s School
06:10 — The knowledge gap behind the school’s creation
11:15 — Matching applicants with the right learning level
19:21 — Learning through practice, projects, and collaboration
30:06 — Networking across different types of camps
34:48 — Breaks, relationship-building, and the Q Center
39:47 — A closer look at the three learning levels
47:30 — Why business knowledge matters when someone else handles it
54:51 — Application requirements and the review process
59:08 — Connecting with Megan and meeting the instructors
1:02:55 — What we’re reading
1:09:07 — Cost, what’s included, and financial assistance
CONTACT
Contact Dr. Megan Owens: BlueSky Recreation Consulting
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
- Megan’s Rec: Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux
- Kelie’s Rec: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
- Shauna’s Rec: I’’m Gonna Get You Back by Elena Armas
Want to add to our conversation? Have a question you want us to discuss?
Email Us: exploringcampsides@gmail.com
HOSTS
KELIE COOK
SHAUNA GUGLIELMO
