Learn how to build community through everyday actions and understand how your role and modality shape your approach. Reference this guide for Moments of Magic, role-specific responsibilities, and modality-specific strategies.
Scholars who feel connected to their cohort, seen by their instructional team, and safe to take risks are the scholars who engage most deeply with the technical content.
Everyday Moments of Magic
Community isn't just built during designated activities—it's built in every interaction, every day. The small, intentional actions you take throughout camp show scholars they're valued and create the joyful atmosphere that makes KWK camps transformative. The items outlined below are some examples of things that you and your team can intentionally commit to doing in order to quickly build community.
- Greet scholars when they enter the room
- Use people’s names and pronouns correctly (ask how to pronounce their name!)
- All instructional leaders are referred to using their preferred first name
- Celebrate wins, big or small
- Share your own learning moments and lived experiences
- Invite quieter voices into the conversation
- React to posts on Slack with emojis or kind replies
- Model enthusiasm, vulnerability, curiosity, and respect
- Get to know your scholars during lunch, breaks, and other down time in camps
- Speak to your team the way you want your scholars to speak to each other.
- Validate and celebrate questions
- Show gratitude!
Your Role in Building Community
Every member of the instructional team plays a critical role in creating the conditions for community to flourish—but your role looks different depending on your position and modality. Instructors set the tone. IAs build the relationships. VCCs support the logistics.
Instructors
- Set the tone and model the culture you want to create
- Determine when and where community-building moments fit in the schedule
- Support IAs in planning and facilitating these moments
- Synthesize microfeedback and communicate adjustments to scholars
- Manage timing to protect these rituals (don't let them get squeezed out)
IAs
- Lead Opening & Closing Circles with energy and authenticity
- Select and facilitate Brain Breaks that meet scholars' needs
- Facilitate Culture of Tech sessions that create meaningful conversations
- Build relationships with scholars in your House (virtual) or camp (in-person)
- Model vulnerability, participation, and enthusiasm
VCCs
- Build a warm and supportive team culture by planning team activities
- Monitor and support scholar engagement across houses
- Actively contribute in all Slack channels and breakouts
- Support IAs in feeling heard and connected
- General encouragement and support of scholars
Modality Considerations
Virtual and in-person camps require different strategies for building community. Don't try to replicate what other modalities do! Use your specific context to your advantage. Virtual camps leverage Houses and Zoom features. In-person camps leverage physical presence and spontaneous moments.
💻 Virtual Camps
Houses are your community-building unit
Most rituals (Opening Circle, Brain Breaks, Closing Circle) happen at the House level, which means you have to protect House time for building community.
Use Zoom features strategically
The chat, breakout rooms, polls, and reactions are all unique tools built into the Zoom platform. Use them to increase scholar engagement and choose activities that lend themselves well to the tools available.
Build House pride
Theme days are one way to build house pride, but houses also create their own names, playlists, traditions, inside jokes.
Over-communicate
Use Slack actively to stay connected outside of Zoom. Be explicit about norms, expectations, and care.
Create connection points
Use the After Party as another moment for informal bonding. Intentionally use Slack channels for sharing memes, photos, celebrations.
📍 In-Person Camps
Whole-camp rituals matter
Opening & Closing Circles, Brain Breaks and Culture of Tech typically happen with everyone together. Similarly, theme days are camp-wide (not House-specific like Virtual).
Use the physical space and materials
Choose Brain Breaks that involve movement! Create a "home base" feeling with posters, decorations, camp name. Use white boards to get everyone involved in quick games.
Leverage spontaneous moments
Lean into the organic moments of scholars bonding during lunch or snack breaks. Allow free time for decorating journals or tote bags side-by-side.
Create camp traditions
Inside jokes often emerge naturally and scholars develop special handshakes or catchphrases. Recurring games or rituals often occur by scholar request.
Balance structure and flexibility
Have a plan, but be willing to extend a meaningful moment. If scholars are deeply engaged in a reflection, don't rush to the next thing.
Made with Bullet