Rouge Camps

Transcript of our interview with Adam, Rouge Camps: Director Interview

Your name and role at the camp

My name is Adam Buchnea, and I'm the founder of Rouge Camps.

What's unique about Rouge Camps?

What makes Rouge Camps special and unique is that myself, our camp directors, many of our assistant directors, and other staff members are Ontario certified teachers. That gives us a large network of teachers who are able to refer to us their top students. We're getting executives on student councils, subject award winners, athletes of the year, and other staff members who score highly for empathy, academic aptitude, proven leadership, and a stated desire to work with children. They’ve consistently performed over four years. I think that's a huge advantage over other organizations that rely on a 15- to 30-minute interview. That’s what's driven great reviews for Rouge Camps since day one, and I hope it will continue to do so into the future.

What type of child is successful there?

Rouge Camps is designed so that all children can thrive and get closer to reaching their full potential. Our largest program is our healthy sport program. We often have top-level athletes attend, and we also have campers whose parents simply want them to be physically active and off their screens. Both types of campers have a great time at Rouge Camps because there’s such a variety of programming. There are opportunities to improve no matter your entry point. We're not an elite sports camp, and while fun is central, physical activity is our form of delivering camp—whether it's our multisport program, arts camp, or robotics. You can enter at any skill level, and you’ll learn something, have fun, and make new friends.

How does your staff deal with behavioural issues?

At Rouge Camps, we believe in invisible discipline. That starts with our staff being intentional about forming relationships and building rapport with campers. We believe every child is inherently good, though from time to time there are behaviors that need to be addressed. When that happens, our staff ensure everyone is safe. Then our director team—who are Ontario certified teachers—guide our staff, campers, and families through the issue while keeping it positive and focused on the behavior. We address behaviors because we understand that one camper’s actions can negatively impact another camper’s experience. That’s something we take very seriously, and we act quickly with transparent communication with all families.

What do campers value the most about an experience at your organization?

The thing we hear most from parents is that our staff are the reason their campers ask to come back year after year. We have a fully programmed day where every minute is accounted for and campers are engaged, but it’s the staff and the connections they make that draw everyone in. Camp is a social place, and it ultimately comes down to the relationships that are formed and the environment the counselor helps facilitate in each cabin group. We’re blessed with a wonderful staff at Rouge Camps.

What message do you have for new campers?

To a prospective camper, I’d say: come with an open attitude, look to engage. Yes, it’s the summer. Yes, we’ll keep you off your screens. Yes, we might be more physically active than you're used to—or even want—in the summer. But time and time again, I see campers come in with hesitation that quickly turns into enthusiasm. They end up discovering new skills they didn’t know they had, making new friendships, and forgetting about their screens entirely. So come with an open attitude, participate, and I’m very confident you’ll have a fantastic time.