Recruiting Techniques

Committed staff and volunteers are vital to the success of your camp program. Having adequate and appropriate staff will enhance the overall camp experience for both campers and staff as well as decrease stress, increase learning and promote repeat commitments to camp. Several techniques should be considered when building your health care team:

· Retain camp personnel – recognize and reward current staff for refinements in the camp program and making early commitments to future camp sessions.

· Personal or professional referrals – utilize colleagues, association members, friends and even family to communicate the need and value of becoming part of the camp experience. Ask current staff/volunteers to contact ten colleagues/friends whom they would like to see working at camp.

· School nursing associations – seek access to school-nursing associations via their mail list or flyers/newsletters sent to members. Given their direct experience with kids and asthma – and their summer schedule – they can often make great candidates for camp.

· Professional mailings/meetings – gain access to health care associations and groups via their mail list or meeting agendas. Written or verbal support of members is critical to gaining support and/or interest from the membership. Attempt to identify advocates from within the membership who can communicate the value of participating in asthma camp.

· Letter to Asthma and Allergy Specialist – advocate for support and referrals for camp staff and campers through a personalized letter from the camp medical director or camp medical board. Highlight the medical benefits gained through participation in asthma camp for staff and patients.

· Internet/Web site – place job/volunteer postings on related health care sites.

· Promote CEUs – research and apply to appropriate medical associations for approval to offer CEUs to full-time professional staff.

· Incentives – set award levels for recruitment efforts by current staff/volunteers ($25 added to stipend if recruit commits to camp)

· Flyers – post at schools, clinics, hospitals, churches and community centers.

· PSA – gain support from community stations to assist with creating and airing public service announcements, news releases or infomercials.

· Patients and parents – often it is the patient and/or parent that know a variety of health care professionals that would be great at camp. Consider providing an “invitation to camp” the potential camper could send to their provider.