At the end of the day, we are looking for a positive counselor to give our campers a fun and safe experience. They provide counsel, support, and monitor each camper's individual . Summer Camp Rules and Chores for Campers - Pali Adventures Take for example, a counselor lying on their bed during clean-up time saying Jimmy, tidy your area please. Plus, youll also increase your life expectancy, which is nice. If they have an opinion on something, whether its right or wrong, they just want to be listened to. Often when we talk about inclusion trainings, we are focused on including specific groups. In this scenario, Jimmy is more likely to copy the actions of the counselor and start cleaning his section of the cabin. Get to Know Your Campers Quick The most important thing about being a summer camp counselor is the connection that you create with your campers. Meghan Fenlon, You are a molder of dreams. They assist with activity planning and receive special training to fully support kids' needs during their stay at the camp. Hear the camper out, and if needs be, go with their suggestion even if you know its not going to work out. Administer medicine for participants with allergies as needed. Attend manifestation and IEP meetings whenever necessary. One of the reasons why you should work at a summer camp is to instil confidence in the campers, shutting them down is certainly not going to promote that. They also provide high-quality educational opportunities in an enjoyable environment that encourages growth through safe playtime. Employees in both summer camp counselors and orientation leaders positions are skilled in role model, conflict resolution, and leadership. By giving 100% as a counselor at these periods, youre going to lift the spirit of your campers and give them a new lease of energy. Copyright Smaller Earth. Summer Camp Counselor 2023 Jobs, Employment | Indeed.com You earn respect by listening to campers, sending a consistent message on camp rules, and equally distributing your time and effort between the entire group. The child care legislation includes authority for a range of enforcement tools, including: Failure to comply with the requirements under the CCEYA could result in an administrative penalty of a minimum of $2,000 per child over the maximum number of children permitted under the CCEYA in unlicensed child care. The hidden curriculum includes all the unspoken rules about a space that tend to be unsaid but are true. A good summer camp counselor should always be role-modelling the behaviours they wish to see from their campers. Failure to come into compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements during the application process could result in a program not being issued a licence. All Rights Reserved 1999 - 2023. Create PowerPoint games to enhance social skills. Similar to the other summer leagues, the California Classic will feature 10-minute quarters . While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Your normal response may look something like I know youre hot BUT you have to play anyway. An outline of all the different types of summer camps found in the USA. If you want to learn more about circles and restorative practices at camp, check out these three resources below: Free Restorative Practices at Camp Website, Free podcast all about Restorative Justice at Camp. 10 Strategies for Managing Camper Behavior - Building Faith Future Job Opportunities: Project Manager, Product Manager. Likewise, campers are also typically prohibited from making calls or sending text messages on counselor's cell phones. The Youth International English Program (Youth IEP) offers different courses of study designed to meet the educational goals of a wide variety of youth students. Start a positive prank societygo around doing nice things like cleaning areas, putting up nice signs, etc. Sheila Hill, Eliminate the negative. I would include at least two pairs per camp counselor. If you subtly change your response, youre more likely to get stronger feedback from the camper. With life-or-death decisions around every turn . When I worked for a summer at TIC Summer Camp, I was given the following list of tips for managing camper behavior. Experience of a Lifetime: Counselors are placed at camps all over the country to have their most memorable summer yet. When writing a job description for a Camp Counsellor, it's important to specify the duties and responsibilities required to excel in the role, including: Developing, supervising, and participating in camp-wide programming activities with campers of different ages Participating in training workshops held prior to camp sessions Summer Camp Forms & PDF Templates For summer camp counsellors, outdoor skills are beneficial because they participate in and lead outdoor activities, including swimming, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, hiking, and cycling. At the same time, while its just camp dont forget that its CAMP! Being a GREAT camp counselor. So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it. Coordinate and oversee daily activities, projects, and camp programs , Safely guide campers through a range of outdoor activities (ie. Additionally, facilitation exercises help campers develop a sense of belonging. Mary Jansyn, Pour yourself into your work, and you will find that the kids changed you as much as you changed the kids! Dana Isaacson, Look for the positive. We hope these 10 tips for being a great summer camp counselor will help you out this summer. Assist disable children w/their participation in summer camps activities. While that sense of independence is one of the best parts of camp, it can also lead to misbehavior. You don't need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) if you're an overnight camp counsellor working during the summer season. International Programs, New College provides custom curriculum courses in collaboration with our partners. Provide supervision to paraprofessionals to ensure Medicaid compliance, timely completion of paperwork, quality assurance and attendance. Our AI resume builder helps you write a compelling and relevant resume for the jobs you want. Listen to their stories, concerns, both sides of the story, jokes, and what is important to them. Cookies make using a website or app faster and easier by storing data in the background, for example adding items to a shopping cart or remembering login details for future visits. On the first day of the new camp session, play some name games with your new campers. All camps will have their own rules, policies and philosophies, so just make sure you pay attention in your training. Hire better with the best hiring how-to articles in the industry. What do you hope to get out of your summer camp experience? Pajamas. Lets get back to basics with the five keys to running a great group. Adam Shulman, Make sure you learn every kids name and use them when talking to your campers. Camp counselors make the whole summer experience possibleand that includes a lot of responsibilities. Relaxing rules midway through the week is a lot easier than trying to tighten them up as you go. 1. The counselors often receive the same life-altering experience after one summer at camp. Each day at camp is its own project. Sometimes this can happen without you even noticing, like when youre tired or when a camper comes up with a suggestion that you know is never going to work - your go-to response is invariably going to be no. They develop recreational and sports programs best suited for their company's client base. Theyre also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Flexibility, and Leadership skills. Sleepovers. Some of the best things in life come out of doing things out of your comfort zone and being nervous means you care about doing it well. We know how hard it is to find space for everything you need for the summer, so our review of the best backpacks will help you out. Perhaps youve never worked with children before, or you tried a long time ago and it didnt go so well? At the same time, it can be easy to get lost in the weeds instead of focusing on the building blocks that make for a great camp counselor. That's why every summer camp must have a clearly defined behavior policy. These are classic events like taking kids on kitchen raids, deciding to sleep out under the stars, having an ice cream party, and building inside jokes with your group. When folks are upset with each other, we have what are called circles. Which aspect of the position interests you most, the counselling or the camping? There is nothing worse than seeing two counselors arguing or disagreeing in front of the group. I will be someone the kids would remember fondly." My experience as a camper taught me what not to do as a counselor, and that, in turn, taught me what a great camp counselor should be doing. Youll be responsible for overseeing their activities and ensuring they dont get lost or hurt. It cannot be underestimated how important this tip is going to be for your summer. Robert Jones, Laugh at the jokes, even if you know the punchline. Laura Seymour, Your mood affects their mood. A guide walking you through how to become a camp counselor. Weve noticed you might be viewing our website from a different location. Make it their best day ever. I saved it for years, and am happy to now pass it on. Sandra Elsey, Remember, it can be just as hard for parents as campers in the beginning. Jennifer Daly, Celebrate successes individual & team. Instead what I could have done is taken 30 seconds and written down a short checklist on a whiteboard: Meet Steve (the other counselor) outside in 2 minutes. Whether youre looking to apply to a summer camp counselor job, learn more about what camp counselors do each day, or youre looking to hire camp counselors for your upcoming summer, we are going to break down the entire summer camp counselor job description, and detail what summer camp counselors can bring to their future careers after one unforgettable summer. Its a very subtle difference in your language, and its going to make you a much stronger summer camp counselor. Hint: it doesn't have to be too crazy to be creative. Mike Greenfield, Remember that although you will gain a lot from camp, the Camp experience is not for you, its for the kids you serve.