This past weekend, ESF’s leadership team proved exactly that — gathering from across six states for the Annual Team Leadership Conference (TLC), the cornerstone training event that sets the tone for everything that follows. From the moment the group came together, the energy in the room was electric, purposeful, and unmistakably ESF.

Leaders Who Show Up Ready

TLC isn’t just a meeting — it’s a movement. Camp directors and team leaders made the trip knowing what was at stake: a summer full of thousands of campers counting on them to lead with excellence, empathy, and enthusiasm.

This year, the group dove headfirst into powerful leadership training designed to sharpen the skills that matter most — communication, team dynamics, conflict resolution, and the kind of intentional culture-building that turns a good summer into a transformational one. These aren’t abstract concepts for ESF’s leaders. They’re tools they’ll use every single day.

Team-Building That Actually Builds Teams

One of the things that makes TLC special is that the learning doesn’t just happen in a conference room. This year’s team-building experiences were designed to push leaders outside their comfort zones, challenge them to collaborate in new ways, and — let’s be honest — have a lot of fun doing it.

There were MaxJoy moments woven throughout the weekend: those signature ESF instances of pure, unscripted delight that remind everyone why this work matters. When you see a room full of camp directors fully invested, laughing hard, lifting each other up, and rallying around a shared purpose, you’re watching something real.

Why This Matters

Summer camp is, at its core, a people business. The quality of a camper’s experience flows directly from the quality of the team surrounding them. By investing in leadership development before summer begins, ESF ensures that every counselor, every program lead, and every camp director shows up prepared — not just logistically, but emotionally and culturally.

TLC is where that preparation comes alive. It’s where values get reinforced, relationships get built, and the ESF mission becomes something you don’t just understand — you feel it.

The Countdown Is On

Six states. One team. An entire summer ahead.

The energy from this weekend doesn’t stay in the conference room — it travels back to every ESF campus, infused into the planning, the hiring, the training, and the spirit that will greet campers on day one.

Summer 2026 is going to be something special. And it started this weekend.