Episode 81: Creating a Happier World with Evergreen
In this episode, Audrey “Sunshine” Monke chats with Becky “Evergreen” Johnson about the impact Evergreen’s time as a staff member and parent have impacted her life and her career. Evergreen’s GAC story started in 1995 (30 years ago!), when she joined our staff as a Group Counselor. This summer (2025), Evergreen will be serving as a Staff Coach during staff training week (we call it “Tweek”) and Session 1.
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Episode 80: The Magic of Camp (Happy Campers Book Excerpt)
This week on the podcast we’re featuring a short excerpt from the introduction to Audrey “Sunshine” Monke’s book, Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults.
Learn about the research-based, intentional practices behind the “magic” at Gold Arrow Camp in this episode, The Magic of Summer Camp.
About Happy Campers
Why are kids more optimistic, resilient, independent, and competent
after just a few weeks at summer camp?
Why do they feel less depressed, anxious, and disconnected at camp than they do anywhere else?
Why are so many campers heartbroken when it’s time to go home?
Veteran summer camp director Audrey “Sunshine” Monke, psychologist and parenting expert, shares what she’s learned from three decades of creating a summer camp that kids call their “happy place” and “second home,” a culture where research has proven kids become happier while gaining important social and emotional skills in just two weeks.
Based on thousands of interactions with campers, camp counselors, and parents, and on academic research in positive psychology, Happy Campers introduces a framework of intentional strategies to help parents create the same kind of transformational culture that kids experience at camp. Instead of raising a generation of kids who are overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, and unable to function as independent and responsible adults, parents can create an environment at home that promotes the growth of important character traits and social skills that kids need in order to have meaningful and successful lives. Complete with specific ideas to implement these summer camp secrets at home, Happy Campers is a one-of-a-kind resource for parents wanting to raise happy, socially intelligent, successful kids.
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Episode 79: Creating a Happier World – The GAC Philosophy
Join Sunshine, Chelster, Gem & Delta for a chat about Gold Arrow Camp’s Vision, Mission, Goals. Learn about the positive habits and character traits we want our campers and staff to take with them far beyond their time at camp. Learn WHY Gold Arrow Camp exists and about the vision we have of creating a happier world, one camper at a time.
Watch a video about Gold Arrow Camp here.
Learn more about the Gold Arrow Camp philosophy here.
Hear what campers say about GAC here.
Podcast Credits
Music by Henry “Dobro” Johns
Narration (intro & outro) by Henry “Bravo” Pederson
Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio
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Episode 78: Creating a Happier World with Speed
This week on the Gold Arrow Camp Podcast, Sunshine chats with Armando “Speed” Negrete about the lasting positive impact of his experience as a GAC staff member in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The communication and leadership skills he learned at GAC are professional skills Armando uses today as a Lead Public Safety Dispatcher (9-1-1), a track and cross country running coach, and a sports photographer. Armando also shares about how the skills he learned and practiced as a Group Counselor are ones he still uses and benefits from as a parent.
“I remember how incredibly in awe I was of the camp ground,
of all the different activities that Gold Arrow Camp offers.
I was just completely awestruck.”
Armando “Speed” Negrete
Article about Armando’s return to Fresno State to get his Bachelor’s Degree
Podcast Credits
Music by Henry “Dobro” Johns
Narration (intro & outro) by Henry “Bravo” Pederson
Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio
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Episode 77: Creating a Happier World with Bagel
This week on the Gold Arrow Camp Podcast, Sunshine chats with fourteen-year veteran camper and staff member, Ben “Bagel” Bronstein about the community and positive culture that keep pulling him back for another summer at good ol’ GAC!
Bagel shares about what he enjoyed about being a camper and what he still enjoys today as a staff member.
“Especially when I came back on my own, I really realized the community I could build on my own at camp and how special it was a place to do that.”
-Bagel
Podcast Credits
Music by Henry “Dobro” Johns
Narration (intro & outro) by Henry “Bravo” Pederson
Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio
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Episode 76: Creating a Happier World with Chelster
We’re continuing our podcast series on Creating a Happier World with Sunshine’s chat with our beloved Director of Camper and Parent Services, Chelsea “Chelster” Rowe. Chelster shares her GAC story and many insights about camp. Chelster has been on the Year-Round team at GAC for almost four decades and has experienced being a camper, staff member, director, camper parent, and staff parent!
Chelster talks about the importance of the GAC community, how much she enjoys getting to know campers and their parents, and how meaningful her career at camp has been. She also talks about some of the benefits of camp, including the increased confidence campers gain from trying new things, being independent from parents, learning to advocate for themselves, talking to adults other than their parents, and making decisions on their own.
Podcast Credits
Music by Henry “Dobro” Johns
Narration (intro & outro) by Henry “Bravo” Pederson
Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio
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Episode 75: Creating a Happier World with Airborne
Welcome to the Gold Arrow Camp Podcast’s 2025 Season! We’re kicking off the season with a series on “Creating a Happier World,” because our vision at GAC is to create a happier world, one camper at a time.
In this episode, Audrey “Sunshine” Monke chats with Aaron “Airborne” Johnson about many topics related to creating and being part of positive communities for kids. Airborne’s GAC story started back in 1999, when he joined our staff as a Group Counselor. This summer (2025), he’ll be at our Shaver Island outpost camp during Session #2, serving as our Shaver Host. In the role of Shaver Host, Airborne provides leadership and support for our campers and staff while they’re on Shaver Island, which is about 20 minutes from our “Main Camp” location on Huntington Lake. When he’s not at GAC, Airborne serves as principal of Ironwood Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona.
Resources Discussed
Sunshine & Chelster’s Parent Orientation that includes information about parent expectations, reviewing camper standards of behavior, camper medications, communication during your camper’s stay at GAC, and more!
5 Steps to Help Kids Resolve Conflicts, Sunshine Parenting:
Conflict Resolution Wheel
How Big is My Problem?
“Effortful Fun” Laura Vanderkam
Podcast Credits
Music by Henry “Dobro” Johns
Narration (intro & outro) by Henry “Bravo” Pederson
Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio
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Helping Our Kids Process Trauma & Loss
When scary things happen, communities help each other. Some people in our community are helping by checking in on their friends, offering a place for evacuating families to stay, and helping at shelters. Many people outside of California are also thinking of us and hoping that we all stay safe.
Kira Bender, MS OTR/L
Center for Connection, Pasadena, California
We have many camp families, staff, and alumni who live in Pacific Palisades, Altadena/Pasadena, and the greater Los Angeles areas who have suffered the loss of their homes, schools, places of worship, and businesses. We join our entire GAC community from outside of the Southern California area in expressing our deepest condolences for the devastating losses so many of our cabin mates, co-workers, and friends have experienced.
This interview (watch the video here or listen to audio only here) with Dr. William Lacey is a resource for families and other adults who want strategies for helping kids process the trauma and losses many families in our community have experienced.
About Dr. Lacey
Dr. William Lacey is a Licensed Psychologist who specializes in neuropsychological assessment of children, adolescents, and young adults. His clinical expertise for neuropsychological assessment includes diagnosis, academic and treatment planning for individuals with neurodevelopmental concerns (e.g., learning disorders, AD/HD), traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, complex emotional difficulties, and other complex medical conditions. Domains of psychotherapy expertise include depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, behavior difficulties/ADHD, trauma and grief, transgender care, and peripartum depression. Dr. Lacey has training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Trauma & Grief Component Therapy for Adolescents, Parent Management Training, Parent Child Interaction Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Dr. Lacey was born and raised in Detroit, MI and lived in Houston, TX and Boston, MA for extended periods of time. He uses a whole child approach and focuses on the context and culture surrounding our children and how that effects the way they interact with the world.
In addition to this interview, here are some additional resources for families who have been impacted by the recent fires:
Here are ways for the families to contact and reach out to Dr. Lacey:
website: https://www.cfcsantabarbara.com/will-lacey
email: william@thecenterforconnection.org
Twitter: DrLaceySB
Instagram: CFC_SantaBarbara
Resources
Tips and scripting to help caregivers navigate conversations with children.
Talking to Children About the Fires, The Center for Connection
Need support? Want to offer support?
If your family has been impacted by the fires or you are interested in supporting others in our GAC community, please fill out this form.
We are grateful for the love and connection that define our community during both the happy times and the difficult ones, and we are committed to helping our campers, staff, and families stay connected and supported during these difficult months ahead.
Episode 74 – Gem
Today on the show we’re talking with Gem, who has put together a great list of 5 camp -inspired small changes you can make in your family life that will improve your mental and physical health. She’s written a blog about this same topic. As we talk about in the show, there is research supporting the process of making these changes from the Gottman Institute. If you want more information on picking a theme for the year, this post has more information from Sunshine Parenting. Finally, you don’t have to take our word for it, the Greater Good Institute at Cal has this research on the impact getting outside has on your happiness.
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Episode 73 – Sis
Today on the POG-Cast, we’re thrilled to welcome one of our favorite humans, the award winning Sis! Sis was a 4 year camper and just finished her 3rd year as a Group Counselor. She is also the winner of 2023’s Coach’s award. She and Soy chatted about homesickness, why she loves working with our youngest campers, and advice for new scared/excited campers (and counselors!)
You can read the comments her peers wrote about Sis along with background on Coach’s Award here.
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