We take extremely seriously the enormous responsibility of caring for your children. All Eden Village Camp staff are expected to serve as positive role models to campers and conduct themselves at all times in a manner that will support the physical or emotional well-being of every camper or Eden Village community member. This means that the needs of campers always come first.
We have numerous safeguards in place to make sure we hire staff who will meet these standards. In addition, we have a large number of monitoring systems in place to ensure these standards of conduct are met continuously throughout the summer.
Staff screening: All staff members undergo a rigorous screening process. They must pass numerous background and reference checks, including screenings through law enforcement and sex-offender databases. Social media backgrounds are also searched.
Staff training: All staff arrive at Eden Village at least eight days prior to opening day for immersive, extensive, on-site staff training, the length and breadth of which far exceed industry norms. Staff are trained in a wide variety of areas to enhance and support campers’ experiences, including behavioral management techniques, developmental stages and age-appropriate expectations, homesickness support, non-violent communication methodologies, positive reinforcement facilitation, and the importance of utilizing support structures around camp. Our Israeli staff are hired through the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Mechinah Program, a robust year-long leadership training program for Israeli young people before they enter the army.
Social Media: Hiring guidelines at Eden Village prohibit staff from interacting with campers without express permission from parents or guardians.
Daily check-ins: Bunk counselors have daily check-ins with their Division Leaders and a member of our team of social workers, the Camper Care Team. These daily check-ins monitor the progress of every camper across a host of categories, such as whether each camper is eating, drinking, showering, making friends, feeling homesick, feeling ill, participating in activities, etc. This data is cross-referenced daily against Health Center visits to provide a triple-check system for camper engagement.
Rule of Three: Staff are never allowed to be alone with a camper, and violating this rule can result in immediate dismissal. If a camper needs to return to the bunk, visit the doctor - do anything out of the ordinary that might result in their being alone with a staffer, staff are required to either have a second camper or second staff member present - i.e. the “rule of three.” We explain this rule to campers on opening day as well, and recommend parents and guardians explain this to their children before camp too.