Free Resources

Welcome friends! We hope that the items below will support you in your terrific work with young people! We’ll be adding new things from time to time, so please check back. Michael would love to have you join him at his Upcoming Virtual Events, so please click here for more details, including how to register.

Interested in other presentations that Michael has to offer? Check out more of his original, tested skills and techniques he’s developed from frontline experience. Click on the area of presentations below that you’re interested in:

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01

Have Some Laughs — The Campfire Classics Video

Imagine a late-night infomercial featuring classic camp songs presented by a real Broadway star, the wonderful Elena Batman from Phantom of the Opera.

02

Interviewing for 3 Essential Characteristics Video

Michael presents three great ways to interview people for positions in any youth development organization that will help you find out if someone is open to new ideas and skilled at learning from those around them!

03

A Letter to My Child’s Staff Person

This free downloadable resource is from Michael’s bestseller “Training Terrific Staff Volume I”, Chapter 37. “A Letter to My Child’s Staff Person” is from a parent’s perspective to their child’s camp staff member.

04

Construction Sight

This free resource is from Michael’s bestseller “Training Terrific Staff Volume I”, Chapter 44. “Construction Sight” is a training tool that utilizes Michael’s concept of Construction SIGHT, meaning that as camp staff we need to have a specific vision of what qualities we want to construct in young people.

05

First Class Coach

Download Michael’s educational tool and Leadership Team activity that “Helps Others Soar to Success.”

06

Consultative Problem-Solving

This free downloadable resource is a detailed description of the process Michael uses to get small groups to present challenges and problems to each other to generate fast solutions.

07

The Perfect Conversation Activity Handout

This resource is the current handout Michael uses with one of his most frequently requested activities that develops communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills. It is fully described in “The Perfect Conversation” in Training Terrific Staff, Vol. 1, Brandwein, Chapter 36.

08

Delivering the Goods Chapter Excerpt and Handout

This free resource describes one of Michael’s favorite methods for introducing the Mission of a youth development organization in an exciting, creative, and clear way. It’s fun and engages staff to help them focus on how we can use our program to deliver the “Goods”—the key character and social-emotional skills. This is an excerpt and handout from his bestselling book, Training Terrific Staff, Vol. 2.

09

An Intentional Camp Practice Activity Worksheet to Develop Character Education

Michael coined the term “Intentional Camp” decades ago to describe a program driven by the Mission of building great character qualities in young people. Based on his bestseller, Growing Great Qualities in Kids: The L.A.S.E.R.B.E.A.M. Technique for Bringing Out the Best in Young People, this interactive handout is a great way to get staff to practice going from what Michael calls, “Qualities to Conduct.” They’ll work with a partner to identify behaviors demonstrating terrific character qualities.

10

When We’ve Been Shown, We Can Shine

This is a letter Michael wrote to his late father years ago. It can be used as a dramatic reading about how we teach through modeling behavior.

11

Pomp & Purpose: Trainer’s Handout

Michael is a big believer in the importance of presenting Mission in an exciting, fun, and memorable way. When two volunteers march down the center of the room with a diploma, to music provided by the whole group, watch how focused everyone becomes on the words written on the scroll—and on the essential words that follow.

Interested in learning more or booking Michael for a presentation? Michael would love to hear from you!