Ditching Walkie-Talkies for Discord

Crackling static, dead batteries, and endless “can you hear me?” moments sound familiar? In 2024, Camp Jamison, led by Executive Director Jacqueline McDonough, ditched walkie-talkies and switched to Discord. Now, after two summers of testing it, Jacqueline shares how the change cut costs, boosted staff buy-in, and improved communication from whole-camp coordination to one-on-one check-ins. This session covers the benefits and (of course) the challenges, including those 2 a.m. emotional staff messages, so participants can decide if Discord is right for their camp. Attendees will leave with practical guidance for setup, staff onboarding, and communication norms that make modern tech work for even the most untechy of camp cultures.