AI, Summer Camp, and the Skills That Actually Matter
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It’s all about kids today
The Future Is Anyone’s Guess
I have no clue what the world looks like in five years. Ten years? Twenty-five?! Who knows. We’re living through a wild technical revolution—AI is eating up just about every digital task humans do, and it’s coming for plenty of manual tasks, too.
What Happens When AI Takes Over Everything?
Think surgery. In 20 years, a well-rested AI-powered robot might have steadier hands than a doc who just finished a 16-hour shift. Lawyers? ChatGPT 2050 could parse through reams of case law and draft ironclad contracts in seconds.
But here’s the deal: truly, nobody knows exactly how this all plays out.
Why Camp Skills Will Matter More
What I do know: as computers get better at tasks, real human connection skills will skyrocket in value. Listening, speaking, collaborating, getting people excited, comforting someone face-to-face—these are the things AI can’t (yet) replicate. Because if a computer can do your grocery run, diagnose your illness, refill your pills, write your mortgage, find your dream house, and drive your car… what’s left for humans? Being human. Making others feel human.
And that’s what we do at summer camp.
Stepping Away to Step Ahead
Every year, we gather in the wilderness with no phones, build connections and memories, and let kids play and be kids. I’m typing this on the latest MacBook with AirPods in, having just listened to Sam Altman talk about the future. So, I’m not anti-tech. I love it! But I also love intentionally stepping away from it. Ironically, it’s at summer camp—where we time-travel back to something that feels like 1995—that we actually prepare kids for a hyper-tech future.
3 Principles for AI-Proof Skills
Over the last 12 years, I’ve trained 10,000+ summer camp staff, focusing on three main principles:
Connect With the People Right in Front of You
We practice “old-school” human stuff: learning names, bringing enthusiasm, asking follow-ups. Think a 2024 remix of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends & Influence People.Help Outsiders Become Insiders
At camp, we have a lot of goofy rituals. We share them, not hoard them. Because when everyone’s in on the joke, everyone wins. Watch the video I made below on the Hidden Curriculum it’s the best framework for this I know.Level Up the Memories
People love a good story. Our job is to create those memories kids talk about for years. And guess what? You get better at creating magic moments for your own friends, too.
Train for the Future, Have a Blast Today
I’ve been to camps across the country, training staff to connect, include, and level up. Why? Because I think spending time at camp is one of the best ways to prep for an AI-driven future.
Also, it’s a blast. I can soapbox all day about AI, but the day-to-day reality of camp counselors inspiring the next generation is just… fun.
So if you know any camp counselors, ask about their favorite camp memories—and let them know you appreciate what they do. They’re building the human skills we’re all going to need a lot more of.
Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
Jack Schott
Summer Camp Evangelist