From restaurant manager to child care camp director

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In less than four months, Kacey Ninmann went from having no experience working in child care to leading the growth and transformation of Milwaukee German Immersion School’s before- and after-school KinderCamp child care camp program as its camp director.

Ninmann, a former restaurant manager, joined the KinderCamp staff as a door monitor in the spring of 2024 to spend more time with her children — currently in second grade and K5 at MGIS.

Around the same time, the camp director position opened. Ninmann was surprised when MGIS Principal Thor Templin asked her to fill the role, citing her prior management experience. “If you can manage adults — and that’s a big part of [the position] — we think you would be great to help out with the school,” she recalls him saying. Ninmann became director in August 2024.

The beginning of her tenure involved “a lot of learning on the job,” especially from Templin, Milwaukee Recreation child care camps supervisor La-Wanda Cameron, and child care camps manager Lazarus Jackson, Ninmann said.

“Everybody really came together as a community to make sure that camp was still running,” she recalled. “I was there to assist, but it was definitely a team effort.”

Since then, Cameron said, KinderCamp has doubled in size. It now serves around 150 of MGIS’s 560 daytime students, and Ninmann oversees a staff of 39. Multiple parents even joined the staff in instructor, door monitor, and administrative roles. KinderCamp is free for any parent who works at least two shifts per week.

This staffing increase allowed Ninmann to eliminate the camp’s waitlist during her first year as director, making it possible for all MGIS kids who need camp care to have the opportunity. Plus, families no longer must reapply every season. Current enrollments automatically roll over to the summer or following season, alleviating previous stress Ninmann had observed. Children may enroll at any time, easing the burden on parents who experience job or child care changes mid-school year.

KinderCamp is open from 7-9:15 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. on regularly scheduled school days and during the day for much of the summer. Campers enjoy breakfast, healthy afternoon snacks, gym activities, group and solo crafts, homework help, and summer swimming. KinderCamp even celebrates holidays with its signature “glow dance parties,” and has participated in the Creative Allies program, where advanced art and design students share their creative expertise by serving as art educators at after-school camps.

Ninmann “continues to demonstrate hard work, creativity, dedication, and diligence that is appreciated and valued by participants, staff, and colleagues, contributing to the success of Camp MGIS,” Cameron said. Ninmann carries these traits with her outside of camp. Amidst the commitment of acclimating to her director role, Ninmann successfully completed mandatory education credentials related to her position, increasing her Wisconsin Registry level. She recently accepted a paraprofessional position at MGIS, which keeps her busy during the day between camp shifts.

“It’s awesome. It’s not something I ever thought was in my plan, but it’s something I feel like is really important to me,” she said. “The more I've learned about it and the more I’ve met these kids …, I really want to be here for them.”