Available Positions
Summer Camp Leadership (Seasonal)
Are you ready to take your leadership skills to the next level in a collaborative, uplifting work space? As a member of the leadership team at Camp Willson, you are responsible for upholding the YMCA's Core Values of Honesty, Caring, Respect, and Responsibility in your words and actions. Each day, you support camp operations by lending a hand to counselors, managing camper behavior, facilitating large group games, and doing behind the scenes tasks.
Working at YMCA Camp Willson
First-hand Experiences from Real Camp Staff
What a Summer Looks Like
For most staff, the summer begins the week after memorial day with certification/ work project week. Following cert week is a week long staff training. During staff training, you will live in a cabin with your fellow camp staff. Training days are long and fun! We cover topics such as:
- How to build relationships with your campers
- How to help your campers work through challenging experiences
- How to facilitate all of the fun activities camp has to offer!
- How to be a team player and support other camp staff
Some positions require staff to arrive before memorial day weekend to accommodate additional training. These positions include members of our leadership team (Unit Leaders, Counselor in Training staff, Waterfront Coordinator, ect.) and our ranch staff.
After staff training, we hit the ground running with 8 weeks of overnight camp. Leadership staff meet at noon on Sundays. All other staff are briefed at 1:00pm. Campers arrive later Sunday afternoon and and are split into cabins. Campers go home on Friday morning. Once campers have gone, camp staff share responsibility of setting up camp for the next week. We close with a staff meeting and cabin assignments for the next week of fun!
What a Week Looks Like
Leadership staff arrive for a meeting on Sunday afternoon at 12:00pm, this allows us time to make sure that everyone is on the same page for the upcoming week. At 1pm, cabin counselors join to form an all staff meeting. In this meeting we may have some professional development activities to help us be the best staff in the business, meet with our mentors, or talk about the upcoming week. After the meeting, you have some time to make your cabin welcoming to your new set of campers. At 2:45 we meet one more time to receive finalized weekly schedules and campers start arriving at 3:00 pm.
The first day of camp is a busy one! After all your campers have arrived, you will have time to make a community commitment (setting behavior/ social norm expectations) for your cabin and guiding them through their swim quest. After dinner is our opening campfire and then we are off to our cabin for cabin chats before bed!
For what camp looks like Monday-Thursday, please see “What a day looks like'' below. On Friday, your cabin will wake up a little earlier to finish packing and head to breakfast. After breakfast is a brief stop at your cabin caper location, a part of camp you are responsible for keeping clear of trash/ lost and found and then will head to check out. Parents start arriving a little before 10 am. During pick up, you may be dismissed a little early to start cleaning your cabin for the next week. At noon, we meet for a staff meeting and share our highs and lows for the week as well as shout outs. We also inform you of what cabin you will be in for the next week. Once the meeting is over, and you have been checked out or your cabin, you are off until Sunday. If you have not graduated High School yet, you are not permitted to stay on Camp for the weekend.
What a Day Looks Like
Morning
- 7:30 - Wake up
Establish a morning routine for your campers. Make sure everyone has gone to the bathroom and has brushed their teeth before heading off to Flag Raising. Some units may need to wake up earlier depending on their age. - 8:10 - Flag Raising
Each morning we meet in front of the Dining Hall and cabins take turns raising the flag. During this time campers take turns setting up the tables for breakfast. - 8:15 - Breakfast
We sit at rectangle "lunchroom" style tables and eat family style. If you are a Single Parent (without a co counselor,) you should sit in the middle of the table to ensure proper supervision. If you have a co-counselor, you should sit on opposite sides of the table. - 9:15 - Cabin Clean up
Make sure beds are made, the floor is swept, and personal belongings are put away. Cabins compete daily for the Cleanest Cabin Award. This is also a great time to make sure your campers are prepared for their morning activities. If they are going to the waterfront, make sure they are in their bathing suits. If they are going to a land activity, make sure they are wearing the appropriate shoes. - 9:40 - Morning Activity Periods
There are two activity periods in the morning, both equaling an hour long with a ten minute transition time in-between. If your cabin is at the waterfront in the morning and you are teaching a land activity, please take them to the waterfront before heading to your Activity Periods meeting place. Once you are at your activity period's meeting space, check your roster to ensure everyone is accounted for before starting your activity. If you are missing someone, please reach out to a member of leadership.
Afternoon
- 12:00 - Lunch
We sit at rectangle "lunchroom" style tables and eat family style. If you are a Single Parent (without a co counselor,) you should sit in the middle of the table to ensure proper supervision. If you have a co-counselor, you should sit on opposite sides of the table. - 12:45 - Siesta
This is a time for campers and staff to return to their cabin and decompress. Some campers may choose to take a nap, some may not. Please encourage your campers to be respectful of those who are napping to participate in quiet activities such as card games, coloring, making bracelets, or writing letters. This is NOT a time for staff members to sleep or use their phones. - 2:00 - Afternoon Activity Periods
There are two activity periods in the afternoon, both equaling an hour long with a ten minute transition time in-between. If your cabin is at the waterfront in the afternoon, please take them to the waterfront before heading to your Activity Periods meeting place. Once you are at your activity period's meeting space, check your roster to ensure everyone is accounted for before starting your activity. If you are missing someone, please reach out to a member of leadership. - 4:30 - Snack and Twilight
This is a time of "perceived free choice," where campers can move freely between staff lead activities within a certain location in camp. It is also when we p ass out an afternoon snack. - 5:50- Flag Lowering
Each evening we meet in front of the Dining Hall and cabins take turns lowering the flag. During this time, campers take turns setting up the tables for dinner. - 6:00 - Dinner
We sit at rectangle "lunchroom" style tables and eat family style. If you are a Single Parent (without a co counselor,) you should sit in the middle of the table to ensure proper supervision. If you have a co-counselor, you should sit on opposite sides of the table. Tuesday nights, we cook our dinner over a fire! - 7:00 - Cabin Time
This is time to go back to your cabin and get ready for our Evening Program - 7:30 - Evening Program
Sunday night is an opening campfire where you can get up and lead camp in a song or grab a few of your fellow counselors and put on a skit. Monday night is an all camp game. Tuesday is a unit night, your unit leader will explain more to you at our Sunday Staff Meeting. Wednesday night is the Ice Cream Social (and dance!) Thursday night is our Closing Campfire - 9:00 - Cabin Time
This is when you are getting ready for bed. Campers are showering, brushing their teeth, and getting into their PJ's. Make sure you fit in some special cabin chats and checking in with your campers to see how their day was. - 10:00 - Bed Time
Make sure to establish a bedtime routine with your campers. Maybe you read a chapter of a book or listen to calming music.