The new normal of social distancing has changed the way we interact, work and offer camps for kids. We at GreenApple have had several planning sessions with companies considering the move to Virtual Camps and wanted to share what we have learned so far.
What to Consider?
First the good news:
- This is an opportunity for a new business model.
- Virtual Camps expand your reach. Geography is no longer a barrier.
- The technology is available to make Virtual Camps possible even for technology challenged camp providers.
- Overhead costs are reduced.
The reality of planning includes:
- Which streaming platform should you use? To zoom or not to zoom.
- Do you want to provide live Virtual Camps or recorded? There are pros and cons of both models.
- How will you manage multiple time zones?
- How about duration and frequency? How many hours per day, days per week or multiple weeks? Will you combine an online + offline component?
- How should you price your Virtual Camps? Is a membership plan an alternative?
- How will you engage kids and make it fun?
- Is you content in a format that will work virtually?
A few practical considerations:
- How will you manage the registration process?
- How will you keep parents in the loop?
- What’s the best way to transition to Virtual Camps and make it a positive?
- How will you train your staff?
Final thoughts:
- We have learned to be open to fine tuning your camp offering as you try different approaches and tools evolve.
- Communication with parents is key.
This is an opportunity as the future of learning evolves. Whats that saying…make lemonade. Can we help?
Time to Offer Virtual Camps?