2016 Operation Purple® Camp - After Action Report
General Information
1. After Action Report Submitted by:
2. Dates that your organization hosted National Military Family Association’s (NMFA) Operation Purple (list all that apply):
3. Operation Purple Camp (listed by state and city, e.g., VA-Alexandria):
· Hosted by:
· Director(s)
Name:
Operation Purple Role:
Title:
Phone:
Email:
Name:
Operation Purple Role:
Title:
Phone:
Email:
· Additional Contacts
Name:
Operation Purple Role: MFLC (list all that attended)
Title:
Phone:
Email:
Name:
Operation Purple Role: Military Liaison
Title:
Phone:
Email:
4. Camp Overview and Summary: Provide a brief summary of the highlights and/or challenges you experienced while hosting Operation Purple. Sample photos may be inserted into text. Additional photos should be provided in a CD or flash drive format.
Participants & Registration
Make sure to include participant numbers for all sessions.
1. How many applications did your location receive by the close of the 2016 Operation Purple application?
2. What was your final number of accepted campers?
· How many of accepted campers made up your NMFA approved camper overage, if applicable?
(See Contract A.2.b.)
· If you entered into a cost/share agreement with NMFA, how many of your accepted campers were served by this agreement? (See Contract A.2.a if applicable)
3. What was your final number of waitlisted campers? (Do not include those campers that declined to attend.)
4. How many campers declined to attend Operation Purple camp?
5. How many campers, per session, attended Operation Purple camp?
6. How many campers declined to attend or cancelled with proper notice?
7. How many last minute cancellations did you have?
8. How many no-shows did you experience? Please ensure that these campers are appropriately marked as such in Thriva and provide camper names below.
9. What steps were taken to contact accepted campers of paperwork and deadlines prior to the start of camp? Do you think your efforts helped to alleviate no-shows or cancellations?
10. Do you think the new credit card link for the “Hold My Spot” deposit helped reduce the number of no-shows or late cancellations?
11. Do you have any suggestions or comments about the “Hold My Spot” deposit or registration process?
Camp Demographics
1. Provide an age breakdown of campers who attended your Operation Purple Camp session. If you hosted more than one session, please do a separate breakdown for each week.
a. 8 and under:
b. 9-10:
c. 11-12:
d. 12-14:
e. 15+:
2. Provide the total number of camp personnel you used during your Operation Purple camp session(s). (Include numbers only for the staff utilized during Operation Purple)
· Administrative:
· Program:
· Support:
· CIT’s:
· Foreign Staff:
· Volunteers:
· Other (describe):
3. If you used volunteers for your Operation Purple camp session(s), please describe how you made contact with those volunteers. (Did you reach out to them for assistance or did they contact you regarding an opportunity to work with Operation Purple?) How did you use volunteers?
4. If you conducted alternate camp sessions during at the same time you hosted Operation Purple camp, did you encounter any challenges or successes in doing so?
5. Additional comments regarding your camp demographics:
Operation Purple Training and Thriva
The process for selecting and managing Operation Purple campers has been described as time consuming and challenging. Each year we try to make this process easier by listening and responding to your feedback. Please provide honest and thoughtful responses for each of the following questions to help with process improvement.
Training
1. Was the Operation Purple online or in person training timely, relevant, and convenient for you and your staff?
2. Did attending the in-person Camp Directors Training in March at NMFA Headquarters help you prepare for this summer’s Operation Purple Camp? Please provide details.
3. What resources that were offered on our Camp Staff Only Page (CSOP) and Facebook Group did you use? Which were most helpful?
4. What could we do to improve training and support?
Thriva
1. Describe any challenges you had with Thriva during the 2016 Operation Purple camper selection process.
Was there anything missing from Thriva or support from NMFA that would have made the experience more user friendly and help you and your staff use Thriva more effectively?
2. Did you find any shortcuts or best practices that helped your administrative/registration staff during the selection process?
3. Any other comments about Thriva or the camper selection process you’d like to share?
Marketing and Media
1. Please describe any marketing or publicity your organization did on behalf of Operation Purple Camp. (Please include copies of any products created along with copies of newspaper or magazine articles, description of blogs, and/or videos.)
2. Were all of your media requests handled with the assistance of the National Military Family Association Communications Department? If not, please explain why.
3. How can our Communications staff better work with you to improve marketing and share stories?
Operation Purple Curriculum and Activities
1. Give a detailed description of how each of the four Operation Purple curriculum themes was integrated into your Operation Purple week(s).
Themes
· Communication
· Stewardship
· Military Experience
· Environmental Education
2. Use the table below to tell how each of the following Operation Purple mandatory activities and Daily Times were integrated into your Operation Purple week(s).
Activity / Check one or more as appropriate / Comments: How did it go? What worked and what didn’t? If you modified an activity, please explain how you changed it and the results.Operation Purple Opening Ceremony / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
Wall of Honor / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
Leave No Trace / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
My Life as a Tree / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice / Which version did you do?
Migration—Rope Activity / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
Migration—Animals Move Too! / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
Military Theme Day / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
Military Speaker / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
Top Ten List / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
Service Project / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
Keeping a journal: Mad Libs/Comic Strips / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
Counselor Feedback Surveys / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
T-shirt Signing / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
“Op Order” / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
“Squadron Formation” / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
“Rack Ops” / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
“Cabin Recall” / o Did activity as outlined in curriculum
o Did modified version of activity
o Did not conduct activity
o Also did a suggested Extension Activity or Best Practice
3. This year we introduced several new ways to offer an activity, as well as several new activities. Did this approach help you implement the curriculum and improve your camp’s ability to meet the goals of the Operation Purple experience?
4. What challenges did you have in implementing the Operation Purple curriculum?
5. What activity included in the curriculum was the favorite for your campers and staff?
6. Describe an activity that is a routine part of your camp program and how you integrated it into your Operation Purple camp schedule.
7. Did you make a video of an activity? Please share a copy with us.
Additional comments regarding the Operation Purple curriculum:
Collaborations and Support Agencies
1. Did you work with any additional agencies while hosting Operation Purple camp?
(If so, please list and provide a brief description of their involvement. This should include any of the suggested resources provided by NMFA.)
2. If your camp entered into a cost-share agreement with NMFA to host additional campers at your location, please describe how your community supported you.
3. If applicable, list any outside funding or in-kind support that was provided to your Operation Purple camp:
· Funding or support received:
· Additional Funding Organization Name:
· Additional Funding POC:
· Email:
· Phone:
Military Family Life Counselor (MFLC)
Complete this section for each MFLC that attended Operation Purple camp.
Name(s):
1. Did the MFLC’s provide any training to your staff prior to the beginning of camp? If so, how was he/she involved in staff training?
2. How did you manage the MFLC 40-hour work week? What challenges or successes? Please provide detailed feedback.
3. Was the MFLC available and supportive to camp staff throughout the week of camp?
4. Did you request a specific MFLC? If yes, was your request met?
5. When were you provided contact information for your assigned MFLC? Was the information available in a timely manner for the start of your Operation Purple Camp?
6. Do you think that your MFLC was adequately prepared for this Operation Purple camping experience – including appropriate and adequate support for children dealing with family injury?
7. Did you have adequate mental health support for your campers?
Additional comments regarding your MFLC:
Operation Purple 2017
1. Are you planning to apply to host Operation Purple camp in 2017? Why or Why not?
2. Would your location be receptive to providing a cost-share or scholarship donation to offset the total cost to host Operation Purple camp, if selected in 2017?
3. What could NMFA add to the 2016 Camp Director’s training that would be of value and interest to you if you were selected as a host camp for 2017?
4. Do have any final comments regarding your Operation Purple camp experience that you would like to share with us? Please include a detailed description of your experience working with both campers dealing with deployment issues and campers dealing with family injury.
Emergency Incidents
Provide a brief description of any and all incidents below. Attach a copy of your incident report/write-up for each incident described to this After Action Report.
Financial Report
You are required to submit a line item justified financial report along with this narrative. Please use the 2016 financial report template available on the CSOP.
(Guidelines for completing the 2016 Financial Report can also be located on the National Military Family Association/Operation Purple CSOP. Requests for a copy can be made by email to Theresa Buchanan at .
Additional Materials
Do not forget to include the following materials along with your 2016 After Action Report and 2016 Financial Report:
· Camper Top Ten Lists
· An example of your camp’s “Wall of Honor”
Submit a portion of the wall or a photograph of the complete wall.
· Counselor Feedback Surveys
· Operation Purple Camp Photographs
Photographs should be submitted electronically via CD, DVD, or Flash Drive.
· Hold My Spot Checks
All returned checks should be labeled with the camper’s name and camp (i.e. VA-Alexandria) in the memo line. Be sure to provide a coversheet describing why each was returned and any need for action (e.g., refund a money order by check).
· Outstanding Materials or Best Practices
We are always looking for great resources or best practices – to share with all of you and our leadership and partners. Please return these items, with a detailed description, when you submit your After Action Report.
· Return All Operation Purple Banners To NMFA:
National Military Family Association
3601 Eisenhower Avenue
Suite 425
Alexandria, VA 22304
· Return All Operation Purple T-shirts, Water Bottles and Backpacks to:
Paw Marketing
Attn: Operation Purple
2509 Sunset Rd
Des Moines, IA 50321