Counsellor's Notes bot

The first shift, twenty kids and not a spare minute to think what to do with the group after dinner. Familiar to every camp counsellor? The "Counsellor's Notes" bot was made for moments like this: a methodological assistant in Telegram for camp counsellors and teachers. 🏕️

Where it comes from

The bot is part of the All-Russian project "League of Counsellors". The project is run by the Russian Children and Youth Centre with support from the Ministry of Education. Beyond the bot, the league has a professional contest for counsellors and internships at federal children's centres.

The methodological chatbot appeared in 2023. According to the project's website, its community across the country has more than 50,000 members. That gives the bot a clear focus: it is built for people who work with children, not for everyone.

Who needs it

The bot is aimed at people who lead children's groups in camps and centres. It also suits anyone who is only planning to join a shift.

• New counsellors: students of teacher-training programmes and older teenagers heading to camp for the first time.
• Experienced counsellors: those who want to refresh ideas and compare approaches.
• Teachers and shift organisers: methodologists who want one point of support for the team.

Why a counsellor keeps notes

At camp, memory fails first. Kids' names, who is in the next group, arrangements with caregivers and tomorrow's plan get lost unless you write them down at once.

These are worth keeping at hand:

1. A roster of your group with short remarks: allergies, quirks, parents' requests.
2. The daily schedule and evening activities, with a rainy-day backup.
3. Game and icebreaker ideas that worked in practice.
4. Contacts for the senior counsellor, the nurse and the administrator on duty.

A handy habit is to spend five minutes after lights-out writing up the day: what worked and what did not. By the end of the shift that adds up to a ready-made methodology notebook. 📝

Getting started

The bot has no command list, so open the chat and press Start. Then follow the prompts inside. Project news appears in the linked channel, which the bot mentions in its description.

If your shift is coming up, look at what the bot offers in advance and prepare your own materials before you leave. At camp there will be no time for it. 💜

Three moments of a shift when it helps

Before arrival: gather icebreakers and ideas for the first evening. The first day sets the tone for the whole shift, and a ready plan removes half the nerves.

Mid-shift: tiredness builds, kids quarrel and you want to refresh something. A look at your own notes quickly reminds you what already worked.

At the end: final notes help with the report and with the next shift. A year later you will thank yourself for the details. ✅

About children's data

Notes about a group often contain personal details: health, family circumstances, parents' contacts. Handle them carefully.

It is best to record only what the work needs, and not to keep full names, addresses and medical diagnoses anywhere they could reach the wrong hands. Follow your camp's rules and parental consent. 🔒

If you are unsure what is acceptable to write down, ask the senior counsellor or the methodologist.