| Camp Director, Collin Girard, better known as Chewy to staff and campers, has been a member of the SVDP team since the summer of 2005. He began his camp career as a lifeguard and counselor. After falling in love with the role of counselor, he moved away from the lifeguard role, and began working as a full time counselor for the next two summers. Presented with an opportunity to join the Directing Staff, Collin continued to commit to the camp during the summers of 2008 and 2009 as the Assistant Director. Accepting a shift in responsibility, and the potential to do even more for SVDP Camp, Collin returns to the team for his second year as Director, his 7th summer overall.
Outside of camp, Collin works with youth in YMCA after school programs, as a swim teacher and lifesaving instructor at the YMCA, and in high schools promoting positive conflict resolution to teens through the University of Windsor Mediation Clinic. He is a graduate of Social Work with a minor in psychology. Collin has varied experience with children and youth, both in and out of the camp atmosphere.
"I am thrilled to return for another year with SVDP Camp. I have the benefit of an extremely supportive administrator and a fantastic and diverse directing team. This is a time where truly exciting changes will be taking place, including our approach to staff, campers, and programming as a whole! SVDP Camp was the push that made me realize how much I love working with children, youth, and people in general. I’ve been fortunate enough to have always had an occupation that involved kids directly, whether it is returning to camp each summer, working with youth in schools, or teaching kids to swim and save lives, but I would have to say that camp kick-started my life. I find myself returning each summer to the camp because, of all the places I’ve been, this camp is one of the best places to learn and do, well, anything! Nature, crafts, sports, swimming, even community building, social skills, and problem solving; SVDP Camp is the place to do it or to learn how to do it. I apply everything I learned from my past summers as a staff member to every aspect of my life. I feel it’s a great chance for the kids and staff to do the same. There’s so much to learn and do out there, and much of it can’t be learned by simply sitting in a classroom. Sometimes, the only way to learn is to go out there and do it!”
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