Beyond the Icebreaker: High-Impact Team Building and Professional Development for Summer Staff

Pre-Conference Exclusive: Sunday/3:30pm

This essential, high-energy team-building workshop is designed for camp directors and leaders looking to revolutionize their staff training and retention. Led by comedian and youth-programming expert Ethan Blumenthal, the session moves beyond passive lectures and uses proven principles of applied comedy-active listening, spontaneous problem-solving, and positive reinforcement-to equip counselors with nontraditional leadership skills. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that show how to manage sudden change, strengthen collaboration, and inject fun and confidence into every interaction, ultimately building a high-support staff culture that reduces burnout and enhances the overall camper experience. You’ll leave with a blueprint for staff training that guarantees engagement, immediate skill application, and a lasting positive impact on your camp environment.

More About Ethan

Ethan Blumenthal is the founder and CEO of Knuckleball Comedy, a dynamic platform that brings improv, humor, and interactive creativity to camps, corporate teams, schools, and event audiences across the country. As a professional speaker and comedian, Ethan has delivered keynote presentations and workshops focused on active listening, collaboration, leadership, and creative problem-solving. Since launching Knuckleball Comedy in 2016, he has helped thousands of participants — from 1st graders to Fortune 500 executives — discover how laughter and shared creativity can deepen connection, energize communities, and make learning stick. Audiences appreciate his engaging, authentic style and leave with immediate, practical tools for building cohesion, communication, and culture.