Open-Source Summer Camp (OSSC)

Summer Camp is great, but can it be better?

1. Can a low-cost overnight camp compete without compromising on staff, safety, facilities & equipment?

2. Can OSSC excel at creative-engagement, providing opportunities for ownership, and experiential education?

3. Can OSSC model a better balance of intellect and athleticism? Nature and technology?

What Could Summer Camp for Future Makers look like?

Basically, ITP with Canoes

Kids Participate in Building The Camp, Physically and Conceptually.
Targets the "hobbyist" niche under-served by traditional / sports-oriented summer camps.
Serves a diverse and growing general population, not just the well-to-do.
Off-Grid / Net-Positive / Self-Sustaining
Food Conscious

Where can kids experience a tight educational / environmental feedback loop?

* Individually-Fit Equiptment. 
* ModelBuilding (Mini Boats, Ball Tracks & Building-Blocks)
* Games / Rainy-day Activities
* Stupid Plastic Stuff (Toothbrush and Soap Container with Name, Team, Year?)
* Bathing-Suit CoatHooks?
* Unique Torch Assembly aka Custom Flashlights

Personal Strengths:

Natural inclination to teach, greatly enjoy working with kids.
Bridge Builder / Finder of Common Ground.
Background in design and passion for communication.
Fairly Competent Coder and Fearless Editor.
Openminded Problem Solver + Very Creative Dude

Summer Camp Specific:

Grew Up Summer Camping
Generalist

Weaknesses:

Micromanager
Overly-Goal-Oriented
Little Experience Running Org

People & Skills Needed :

All are subset of people who love kids and love to teach
All able to translate their knowledge into kid-ready projects / activities / curricula
All aiding / aided by open-source attitudes, tools + methodologies
A balance of men and women is critically important with respect to the positions below
Director > Guidance, Communications, Capital, Recruitment, Officiation.
Facilities Manager / Technician / Carpenter / Engineer > Ideally, Someone who understands and interweaves traditional construction skills and modern DigiFab skills a. staff of / one / in season.
Systems Person > Ideally, Someone who loves systems & structures, organization. Competent Coder. a Would work most closely with Director
Health / Safety > A near-retirement Doctor (or two) who can take time away from personal practice, likes summer camp, would appreciate the retreat come summer(or can be oncall come weekends) and wouldn't be worried about money. (AKA My Dad?)
Architect / Planner > Part Time? Can work on Micro and Macro Level. Passion for Camp. (AKA My Sister?)
Food & Farming > Progressive Grower
Staff of two in season. Rotating Kid Contribution.
Kitchen > Menu and Meal Prep
Two people making 3 Meals a day for Intro Year of 30 Kids and 10 staff. Rotating Kid Contribution.

three bunks of 10
Staff Captain >> Also Handles Hiring Three Chief Councilors :
1. Physical Specialist > Knows Sport < - One Bunk
2. Skill Specialist > Knows Art + Tech < - One Bunk
3. Nature Specialist > Knows Earth < - One Bunk
3 Co-Councilors, Paired into bunks above. Flex.
Legal >> sigh

Addressing Michael Porter's Five Factors :

Technology Changes - Better Positioned to build foundation on newly accessible tools.
Regulation is less a concern than insurance coverage?
Competition - Feels like "Ripe For Disruption" territory. i.e. Focused on serving its core market, to the neglect of growing low-cost market. Business-as-usual approach.
Environmental and natural resources - Sustainability Baked In.
Human Capital - My experience is that of a great and growing pool. I know a ton of smart, skillful, responsible people who are good with kids and sadly underemployed.

Strategy

Context:

I attended summer camp for two months every summer from the age of 7 until I was 14. It was an all boys camp, located in Maine. I loved it. I'm lucky I was able to go. My summers were a time for me to explore and begin forging my own character. Summer camp was an important platform for building character and practicing values.

Landscape:

Like Higher Ed, Summer Camp is problematically expensive.

Unlike Higher Ed, Summer Camp is not generally viewed as critical to one's success.

Therefore, For too many kids, summers go squandered.

Summer Camp provides space to be less test-driven / goal-oriented than school, without sacrificing positive outcomes.

I See Opportunity for Real Change & Individual Growth In Ways That Matter

Timeline

####Working at WSJ and Teaching Small Web Class this Summer:

Practicing the Following Capabilities :

Platform Development
Practice Teaching
Credentials / Credibility

Next Year. Work hard at ITP. Focus on studies.

Upon Graduation. Potentially Pursue ITP Resident Position:

Continued Open Source Activity. Practice Teaching, Network Building.
Continued exposure to changing educational / technological landscape.

3 Years Out :

Teaching a University-level new media / design + tech program.
Design commissions.
Nights + Weekends / during summer, working on OSSC : Raising Capital, Building Identity, Generating Interest, Finding Committed Teammates.

4 Years Out

Part time teaching a University-level new media / creative tech program.
Putting Down Capital for Land. Beginning Development. Finalizing Model
Recruiting for first season

5 Years Out : I am 33

Part time teaching a University-level new media / creative tech program.
First Summer. Launch Camp.

Rough Moneys

Sliding Scale 1 - 3K per kid per summer - 2 Months total time.

Envelope Math

Startup Capital : 1M? Land (~500k) , Tools, Resources, Development. ^ Admittedly, mostly making this up.

45 * 2000 90k / 18 = 5k 3k per staff for a summer of work? 60K for Staff. 15k For Material Items + Food, 15k For insurance? 3k Per Summer

This is ~ 1/5th the Cost of current Summer Camp

jayzehngebot / ossc Goto Github PK

ossc's Introduction