Role expectations, daily responsibilities, Zoom setup protocols, communication workflows, and Slack message templates for the Virtual Camp Coordinator. Review in full during pre-camp training to understand the scope of the role, then reference throughout camp for day-to-day task management, team coordination, and scholar communications.
Your Role at a Glance
As the Virtual Camp Coordinator, you are the glue of the virtual camp. You keep everything organized, communicative, and on track. While the Instructors lead the teaching, you own the logistics, the communication, and the operational heartbeat of camp.
Your four core responsibilities:
- Manage Zoom and technical logistics
- Communicate information to scholars and staff
- Support instruction and scholar engagement
- Manage daily operations and lead team huddles
Responsibility 1: Manage Zoom
The VCC is the primary Zoom manager for camp. You hold the main Zoom Pro account, which is used to host all camp sessions and the After Party.
For step-by-step instructions on any Zoom feature, refer to the Zoom User Manual. For account setup, login, and recording workflows, refer to the Zoom Manager Guide. This guide focuses on the VCC-specific decisions and protocols around Zoom.
Your Zoom Account
- You are the Host of every camp session
- Both Instructors are Alternate Hosts — they can start the meeting if you're not yet present, but you should reclaim host status as soon as you join
- IAs are assigned Co-Host status each morning
Setting Up Breakout Rooms
Set up breakout rooms ahead of time, ideally before camp begins or the night before. At minimum, create a main room and several extra rooms per House to allow flexibility throughout the day.
Recommended room structure per House:
- House A — Main Breakout
- House A — Extra 1
- House A — Extra 2
- House A — Extra 3
- House A — Extra 4
Optional additional rooms worth setting up:
- A "Help!" room for scholars who need live debugging or tech support
- A "Fast-Paced" room for scholars who want to move ahead
The extra rooms give IAs the flexibility to split their House into smaller groups for different activities without needing to create new rooms mid-session.
For instructions on how to create, rename, and configure breakout rooms, see the Zoom User Manual → Breakout Rooms.
Starting Each Session
Use the Daily VCC Checklist tab in your Camp HQ to verify that you complete all steps before each session. At a minimum, you should complete the following before admitting scholars from the waiting room:
Send morning Slack message to scholars with Zoom link and any reminders
Start the meeting from your account (or reclaim host if an Instructor started early)
Assign co-host status to both Instructors and all IAs via the Participants panel
Create breakout rooms and enable participant self-selection
Admit scholars from the waiting room
Monitoring During Sessions
While instructors lead the lesson, part of your job is keeping a close eye on the Participants panel:
- Raised hands — Keep an eye out for raised hands and flag them to the relevant Instructor or IA if they go unnoticed
- Yes/No votes — Monitor vote tallies and share counts with the instructional team when they call for a check-in
- I'm Away (☕) reactions — If a scholar has been marked as away for more than 5-10 minutes without checking in, flag it to their house IA to follow up
- Chat — Monitor the Zoom chat throughout sessions; conceptual questions can often be answered in chat by IAs or the non-instructing Instructor without interrupting the lesson flow
Recording
- Verify cloud recording has started at the beginning of each AM and PM session
- Pause the recording when scholars break into breakout rooms and the instructional team is in the main room, or any time there's a discussion not intended for scholars to view later
- If you pause, remember to resume — a missed resume means that portion of the session won't be accessible to scholars
- After each session, add the recording link to the camp's Quick Links doc and share it in Slack
For full recording and archiving procedures, refer to the Zoom Manager Guide.
Responsibility 2: Communicate with Scholars & IAs
Clear, timely communication is one of the highest-leverage things you do as a VCC. Over-communicate rather than under-communicate! It reduces confusion and keeps scholars and IAs feeling supported.
Daily Slack Communication
To scholars (community channel):
- Morning: Zoom link, day number, time reminders, engagement prompt
- During the day: Breakout room instructions, time breakdowns, activity directions
- End of day: Microfeedback link, the After Party link, recording link, next-day reminder
To the instructional team:
- Morning: Daily agenda, links, task reminders
- During the day: Updates, pacing notes, scholar support flags, remind IAs to score artifacts
- End of day: Huddle notes, follow-up items
Tips:
- Use Slack's schedule message feature for end-of-day messages so they go out at the right time without you having to remember mid-wrap-up
- Pin the Zoom link, Quick Links doc, and other key resources at the top of the scholar Slack channel so scholars can always find them
- Act as a liaison between Houses and the Instructors, and surface patterns or issues you notice across channels
Slack Message Templates
The following templates are drawn from real messages sent during Summer 2025. Use these as a starting point, but adapt the tone, emojis, and specifics to fit your camp's culture!
Day-Before Reminder
@channel
Hi Scholars - happy Sunday! Tomorrow's the big day! 🙀🕺🎉We are SO EXCITED to kick-off camp this Monday, [DATE] @ 9:30 AM CST! Here are a few time-saving tips, resources, & reminders to make sure you're all set to get the party started 🌟Day 1 Reminders & To-Do:
1️⃣ Make sure you've registered for our Zoom calls using this link‼️ This is the MOST IMPORTANT item here - this is how you'll be able to join our call 🔗
2️⃣ Sign up for a CodeSandbox account - this is where we'll write and run our code! This only takes a couple of minutes by using the "Sign in with Google" or "Sign in with Apple" options depending on what kind of email account you use 💻
3️⃣ If you have any Day-1 attendance concerns, please reply to this message "in thread" to let us know what's up! Also be sure to tag both of your house IAs using the @ sign 📣
4️⃣ Head to your House Channel in Slack to introduce yourself if you haven't already 💁✨
5️⃣ [Recommended] Change your Zoom background to one of the awesome options below! 🎀Once you've read this message, react with your favorite PARTY emoji showing your excitement for Day 1 kick-off tomorrow! 🥳🎊🕺
Beginning-of-Day Reminder
@channel
Hi scholars - today's the day! We're so excited to see y'all in about 45 MINUTES 🙀 🎉Today at 9:30 AM CST, you'll use [ZOOM LINK] to log into our first day of camp together!After you've read this message, react with [EMOJI PROMPT] See y'all soon!!
Tips:
- Include a different emoji prompt each day to make the message feel fresh and encourage scholars to actually read it (and signal that they have)
- As camp goes on, you can shorten this message — by Day 3 scholars know the drill
Lunch Break
Enjoy your break y'all! We'll meet back at 12:45 PM CST using the same link. Take this time to rest, recharge, and get a snack! 🧡
Breakout Room Instructions
➡️ Let's move to breakout rooms to work on [ACTIVITY]! You will have ~[X] minutes total for this (until [TIME] CT).
📌 Your IA will break up this time using the structure we described in the cloud (also shown below). This will help you pace yourself. Happy coding 💻
Breakout Time Breakdown
Use this format when a breakout session has multiple phases and scholars need to self-manage their time:
@here
Hey y'all! Here's a recommended time breakdown for this breakout session:⏰ Now until [TIME] CT ➡️ [ACTIVITY]
⏰ [TIME] - [TIME] CT ➡️ [ACTIVITY]At [TIME], we'll come back to the CLOUD for [WHAT'S NEXT]. Feel free to reach out if you need any support at all! 🕺
Microfeedback / Survey Reminder
📣 Day [X] Microfeedback 📣
How was today? Please take a few minutes to fill out the microfeedback survey before you sign off for the day! Your feedback matters and will help us make meaningful adjustments.
➡️ Share your thoughts here! [LINK]
Note: A mid-camp survey goes out on Day 5, and an end-of-camp survey goes out on Day 10. These are longer than daily microfeedback and scholars should be given time during closing circle to complete them.
End-of-Day Message
🎉 [CELEBRATION OF THE DAY] 🎉🔗 Here's the link to tonight's After Party, which will be at 5–6 PM CST. Come with any questions!
🎥 Tomorrow's Zoom link will be the same as today — if you need it, check the pinned links at the top of this channel!
🌟 All recordings from today, plus extra resources, will be listed in our Quick Links doc — also pinned at the top of this channel!If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in thread below. [CLOSING LINE] 🕺
Tips:
- Customize the opening celebration line each day so it doesn't feel copy-pasted
- Day 5 (end of Week 1) and Day 10 (end of camp) warrant a more celebratory message — scholars have earned it
- Consider scheduling this message in advance so it goes out right at end-of-day without you having to remember mid-wrap-up
Special Event Messages
For days with Speaker Series, Pitch Party, Demo Day, or other special events, you'll need to supplement the standard messaging with event-specific logistics. Here are examples from Summer 2025:
Speaker Series:
Get excited for Speaker Series!! Here's the plan…⏰ Join [LINK] @ [TIME] to listen in on the speaker series — come with questions & hype!
⏰ Use our normal link @ [TIME] to catch the last 15 minutes of morning session 🌟Let us know if you have any questions in thread below. Have fun! 🕺
Demo Day:
🌟🎶 TODAY IS DEMO DAY!!! 🥳 Get ready for Day 10 starting in 30 minutes @ 9:30 AM CST! Here's that registration link 🔗In case you're still looking for the ✨ perfect ✨ Zoom background, here's our KWK Demo Day one — prepare for some awesome presentations! Feel free to use this one or switch to a different House background 🧡
Final End-of-Camp Message
Hey scholars... or should I say alumni 😻 Congrats on an AWESOME Day 10!! We are SO proud of all of your work over the last two weeks, and we're excited to see what each of you do with your new coding superpowers 🦸📌 All recordings from today, plus extra resources, will be listed in our Quick Links doc — also at the top of this channel!
🌟 Here's our End of Camp Survey — your feedback is incredibly valuable as we plan future camps. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts! [LINK]Once you've read this wrap-up post, react with ANY emoji 🧡🕺💫 Thanks for joining us this summer!
Zoom Chat During Sessions
Use the Zoom chat to share key links at the moments scholars need them. When sharing an important link, temporarily pause chat using the No One setting so your message doesn't get buried, then re-enable chat immediately after. For more on managing chat permissions, see the Zoom User Manual.
Responsibility 3: Support Instruction
Your role is not passive during lessons! You're actively supporting the teaching and the scholars even when you're not speaking.
Ways you support instruction:
- Track time throughout the day and help Instructors stay on pacing
- Monitor scholar engagement and flag concerns (low participation, confusion in chat, etc.) to the instructional team
- Suggest adjustments when a session is running long or scholars seem to need more time
- Create supplemental materials when helpful — syntax one-pagers, slide decks for community activities, review games, Kahoots, or debugging guides
Responsibility 4: Manage Daily Operations
Airtable Tracking
Ensure the following are tracked daily in Airtable:
- Attendance
- Scholar artifact evaluations
- Capstone project status
Work with IAs to keep these updated! They should be logging their own house data, but you're responsible for making sure it happens.
IA Support
Before camp:
- Support IA communication and test out all Zoom tools before Day 1
During camp:
- Lead daily AM and PM huddles
- Monitor IA Slack channels and help threads to ensure scholars are getting timely support
- Check in with IAs individually — they need to feel heard, not just managed
The After Party
- You are the host of the After Party Zoom room
- Coordinate daily with the IAs leading the After Party to ensure they have host access
- See the Zoom Manager Guide → After Party Meeting Link for handoff procedures
Daily Team Huddles
Alongside the Instructors, you lead two huddles per day: one in the morning before camp starts, and one in the afternoon. Keep them structured but leave room for connection.
Suggested huddle structure:
- Wins and shoutouts from the previous session
- Review microfeedback themes (afternoon huddle)
- Identify challenges and problem-solve together
- Plan and preview the next session
- A moment for community — a quick game, a check-in question, or just genuine conversation
Pro tip: Use the EOD team huddle slide deck in your camp’s Team Folder for your huddles. It keeps things moving, gives IAs something to look at, and makes the huddle feel like an event rather than a check-in call.
Tips from Past VCCs
- Create extra breakout rooms before camp starts. You'll almost always need more flexibility than you think! Having 4-5 extra rooms per House ready to go saves scrambling mid-session.
- Use scheduled Slack messages. Writing end-of-day messages in advance and scheduling them means one less thing to think about during a busy wrap-up.
- Over-communicate rather than under. Scholars and IAs would rather receive one extra reminder than miss something important.
- Stay active across all Slack channels and breakout rooms. You'll catch issues early and scholars will feel seen.
- Make your IAs feel heard. They're often managing a lot. Check in on them individually, not just in group huddles.
- Build a warm camp team culture intentionally. Invest in connection moments during huddles. A team that feels connected to each other shows up better for scholars.