Types of Jobs at Summer Camps
Summer camps can be sources of enormous fun and fond memories for children attending them. In order to create a safe, enjoyable atmosphere that can foster such intense experiences, there needs to be willing, capable staff behind the scenes making every element of the campgrounds work. In order to keep everything running smoothly, there are many different types of jobs at summer camps. One way of dividing them is into Facilities, Operations, and Program departments.FacilitiesIn order to host overnight campers, or even keep a day camp operating well, there must be able hands at work to keep the grounds well-tended and in good repair. Having hundreds of kids and college-aged counselors running around playing crazy games and generally having a blast can take quite a toll on the facilities present at the campground, so maintenance managers and groundskeepers must keep at work to make sure the buildings, vehicles, and other items are intact and in working condition. From large-scale projects such as constructing entire new housings, to the people who keep the grass mowed and the golf carts fueled up, facilities staff play a pivotal role for summer camps. Other aspects of summer camp jobs that may be considered in Facilities include housekeeping roles and volunteer management.OperationsWhile the marketable aspect of summer camp is the child-friendly great time had in a setting like no other, there is usually a central office where all the paperwork and phone calls get done. Operations, in a broad sense, covers the office work that must be completed in order for camp to happen. Throughout the springtime, someone has to register all those kids, which often involves maintaining an online system or skillfully tracking and manipulating the information on hundreds, even thousands of registration forms and payments turned in by payments. Check-in on the morning a camp session begins has to run without a hitch too, of course, along with ensuring appropriate counselors have their attendance lists, health reports, and whatever other pieces of information they need. Besides the strictly office-based staff like the accountant and possibly the executive director, other roles that may be fulfilled by the Operations department include food services, marketing, and camp store management.ProgramWhen people consider who works at a summer camp, one of the first images that jumps to mind is often the camp counselor: The creative, high-energy, fun-loving, kid-adored leader who supervises the children as well as conducts their activities to form an unforgettable session at camp. These sorts of jobs epitomize the Program department, where the staff actually interact with the kids and facilitate the activities. In addition to having tons of fun and safely monitoring the kids they must also, however, be sure to plan well, train well, and adhere to third-party guidelines and standards. These summer camp counselors may consist of staff specifically for day camp or overnight programs, rotational staff can do either, arts & crafts coordinators, program supervisors, camp nurses, horse wranglers, and ropes course facilitators.The parents that drop their children off for another great week at summer camp may never come into contact with 95% of the staff run the show for the grounds. It turns out there are many different jobs at summer camps, requiring a wide variety of talents, skills, and motivations in order to successfully navigate successful summers for everyone involved.
