Working at Summer Camp

Usually ex-campers at least age 15 (before the start of camp). Below are some of the duties so you can make sure you fully understand the job. It is different in many ways from other jobs in that, to some degree, you are always “on” or in work mode. Even on your days off or during your off time, campers may ask you questions or even need help.

Pay: 

Between $475 and $500 per week depending on your age and experience.

Time frame: 

Camp starts June 23rd (Sunday), but you will need to be on campus the Friday before (June 21st), usually around lunch. We will do training and preparation on Friday and Saturday. You can depart no earlier than noon on Saturday, July 22nd. After, and during, the final check out, there is a thorough sorting and cleaning of the dorm. You will get your final check at noon. From the point of arriving for training, to leaving Saturday, July 20^th, you will not need to buy your own food unless you want to.

Time Off: 

Staff this year do not have full days off, but also do not start until lunch so mornings are free to sleep late or leave campus. If you need a full day off during the week, you must let us know after an offer is made. We will do our best to make it happen, but it is very difficult to accommodate staff taking random unscheduled days off during camp to go down state to a wedding or some other event. Letting us know when you arrive at camp that you need a new day off will be difficult to accommodate.

Daily Duties:

• Ensure the safety of campers at all times. Always know where campers in your camp family are when you are on duty.
• On Sundays, help with Check-in. This year the Dorm Parents and Camp Admins will do check in while the Counselors take families to their rooms and make plans for the week. This is designed to build stronger bonds and help prevent homesickness.
• On Fridays, help with packing and getting rooms ready.
• On Saturdays, help with the check-out process and then clean the dorm as instructed by the Director of Residential Life.
• You should participate in all theme days and evening activities.

Assignment:

1. Tell me three things you would change about camp. Don’t hold back here. Things won’t change for the better if we don’t know what’s broken. Skip this part if you’ve never been to camp.
2. Tell me an activity you would be willing to run.
3. Tell me your idea for Monster Night. Note that creating an impossible monster that only gives out 2 signatures frustrates campers and we consider that a failure. The ideal monster has a challenge that takes 2-3 minutes and is possible and then gives out most signatures. One or two groups not getting a signature is perfectly fine. Only one or two groups getting a signature is not. It should also not be something that forces the entire group to do something they may not be comfortable with.
4. Although we won’t know classes until April, tell me some class we have had in the past in which you would like to attend (or interesting STEM classes you would like to see).
5. The importance of first impressions. On Sundays, parents are dropping off their young children, seeing the facility, and meeting the staff. They are wondering, at that moment, if we hired children or young adults to look over their campers. Tell me your thoughts on how staff should be acting and behaving during check-in.
6. If there is a camp meeting with all campers and an adult says something that may not be 100% accurate, how should you handle that situation.
7. Make sure your email address and email name are professional. It's not a good first impression to get an email from "I am The Master", "I Fight Donkeys", "The Ultimate Magic Monkey". These are real names from past applicants and often went straight to the spam folder.

*Monster Night is an evening activity where the staff dress as monsters and have a 3-minute challenge for campers. We prefer a STEM activity, but most anything is fine. We can buy materials, but not the night before

Must be willing to ride a school bus to and from Portland to drop off / pick up campers. They depart on Saturday and return Sunday evening. There is a paid hotel room and a meal stipend.

Run many of the afternoon and evening activities. We will have a run through of how to do each one before camp starts during training. Dorm Parents will have morning activities while counselors will be off. Counselors take over after lunch.

To Apply: Email Ryan McDonald at mssmsummercamp@qzboli.com

Use the subject line “Counselor at Summer Camp”

Download this PDF.

We prefer to hire instructors that have a bachelor's degree (or higher) and are teachers in a STEM field. After that we have allowed college students to be instructors on occasion.