Now that we have a sizable audience on Facebook and Twitter, we can utilize other web-based applications to provide unique experiences to our community. Here’ s a pretty cool example:
Ustream Ustream is great, but only if you can get people to watch. Thanks to our strong presence on Facebook and Twitter, we were able to successfully hype this stream and turn the Apache Relay into a big event for our parents at home.
In 2011, we used our Ustream account to create a live stream of the most popular part of our Maccabiah( color war) by streaming the“ Apache Relay” in real-time. Our parents were literally experiencing the exciting event as it was happening— talk about helping your families feel connected!
Leading up to, and with increased frequency just before the event, we posted on our Facebook and Twitter feeds that we would be live-streaming the relay. Viewers tuned in from the United States, England, Australia, and Israel. While we certainly wouldn’ t want to live stream the camp experience on a regular basis, our community appreciated us opening a window into our world for this momentous camp occasion.
Social Media is all about connecting with people, sharing, and making long distances seem shorter. Mobile devices and tablets are the driving force behind this era of constant communication, and no device has been more gamechanging than the iPad.
In April, 2012, we released our official Beber Camp iPad App. This app consists of an enhanced Parent Packet, and it also has access to our Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, and CampInTouch. By incorporating CampInTouch, our parents can conveniently email their children, view photos, and read the“ Director’ s Corner”( our nightly blog by our Director) on their iPads. We are constantly working to provide our parents and community members with the most open, userfriendly, easily-accessible, enriching camp experience possible.
We believe that everyone wins when our community feels more connected to its Beber Camp spirit.
Brad Robinson is a full-time staff member at B’ nai B’ rith Beber Camp, a not-forprofit, independent Jewish summer camp located in Mukwonago, Wisc. Beber has about 630 campers from all across the globe in two four-week summer sessions.
Want to try out Beber ' s iPad app? Download it for free at campminder. com / beberCampApp
Brad Robinson www. bebercamp. com
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