This week we’re sharing a collection of practical resources to support you this summer, from communicable disease management and tick prevention to allergy protocols and mandated reporting. Elevating care is a team effort, and having the right tools close at hand is is helpful, like cargo shorts or a utility belt.

As warmer weather returns each Spring and we prepare for the start of the summer camp season, tick activity rises sharply across the U.S. and stays high well into the back-to-school months. These are the same wooded, grassy, and brushy spaces where campers, staff, and families spend much of their time, which means ticks often show up as unwelcome visitors. Because ticks can spread illnesses like Lyme Disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, ehrlichiosis, and Alpha-Gal syndrome, early awareness and prevention are essential for anyone enjoying time outdoors

Summer camp and other youth-serving programs are developmentally rich environments that provide ample opportunities for fostering the mental, emotional, and social health (MESH) of young people. However, while the camp environment can provide positive growth experiences, it may also present new MESH challenges for both those with pre-existing MESH concerns and those without. Anyone who works with youth knows: it’s not easy being a kid.