High Ropes Climbing Facilitator and Counselor - Paid Internships Available

High Ropes Facilitator and Camp Counselor (Internship Credits Optional)
Location: Northern California (onsite housing provided)
Position Type:  Full-time, seasonal (May 12th-August 8th)
Compensation: From $5000  + fresh food, housing, utilities, training, and perks!

Our high ropes elements, swings, climbing wall, bungee, and tree climbing elements provide adventurous and growth-oriented experiences for our campers. Challenge Course facilitators are trained on and facilitate each of our 12 elements throughout camp. They are responsible for safely managing campers and guests on our elements, regular gear inspection, and reporting concerns and changes to the Challenge Course Lead. 

The Challenge Course Lead holds a Level 2 Challenge Course Practitioner certification or have 200 hours of professional ropes experience and the ability to obtain the certification (this is a 4-day course - we will pay for it).

If you are interested in being our Challenge Course Lead for a future summer, work with us as a counselor focused on Challenge Course facilitation! We will get you the training and experience you need to take on ropes the following year!

To Apply:

Think you have what it takes to lead and learn with us this summer?

Start by filling out our Interest Form or sending us an email at applications@campaugusta.org.

You can also read more about us and our open positions on our website. We can’t wait to meet you!

Apply to Camp Augusta, and by the end of August, your resume could read:

High Ropes Climbing Challenge Facilitator - Camp Augusta Summer 2026

After 300+ hours of dedicated training, including in facilitation of ground belay, Gravity Zipline, Giant Swing, high circuit, and low ropes, I acted as a Challenge Course leader as well as the primary caretaker for 5 campers with 24-hour responsibilities including behavior management and child development. Skills of practice include facilitation and debriefing, Non-Violent Communication, teambuilding, challenge education, 1st aid / emergency preparedness, and teaching various activity areas.

Internships?

Yup, we do that. We can co-design your internship based on the skills and development you seek, and the specific requirements of your school!

Note: Some educational institutions require prior approval before the start of an internship. It is the responsibility of the student to check with their institution to be sure they meet any requirements before they accept a position.

If you have internship requirements, we can almost definitely meet them.


High Ropes Climbing Challenge Facilitator and Counselor Skills and Qualities:

• Love of Youth – Mentoring, coaching, and managing kiddos (and staff) in a safe, fun, and directed manner.
• Organized – Keeping gear tidy, orderly, and consistently inspected. Maintaining inspection logs, reporting concerns to Challenge Course Lead, and filing incident reports as needed.
• Community-Minded – A creator of optimism and energy in the community.
• Camp-Minded – Excitement to engage with the larger camp community to offer fun, memorable experiences even beyond the realm of the Challenge Course program (evening programs, story experiences, Playstations, and more)

Minimum requirements

• Must be at least 19 years of age by June 1st, 2026
• Must be available during our summer dates: from May 12th to August 8th 2026 (if within a couple days, inquire)
• Ability to commit to 5-8 hours of pre-camp onboarding work a week from when you are hired to when you arrive, and maintain open and prompt communication about that work'

AND MUST have one of the following: 

• At least one summer of experience at a summer camp
• Over 100 hours of direct mentorship work with youth
• A major or background directly related to working with youth, with intention to work with youth in your future

Preferred qualifications:

• A history of ‘meaningful’ work and a variety of experiences with youth
• A plethora of interesting hobbies, passions, and life experiences that you’re excited to share with us
• A GPA of 3.0+ with a true excitement for learning and writing

Benefits of working at Camp Augusta: 

• 300+ Hours of Experiential Training: Pre-arrival preparation and 3.5 weeks of on-site training, including:
• 75+ hours of experiential learning in psychology, sociology and education-based philosophies and approaches
• 45+ hours learning activities within our 150+ clinic offerings
• 180+ hours of learning camp by doing camp
• 9 Weeks of Summer Practicing: Being responsible for cabins of 5 campers at a time, and applying all the skills above to camp activities and discussions.
• A Skilled & Dedicated Scaffolder: With no more than a 1:8 ratio, this person emphasizes your growth and works with you to develop your skills working with kids
• Paid & Inclusive: This position offers a summer salary of $5000. Additional opportunities for pre-and post-season work also exist. All work includes freshly-prepared organic food, housing, and many more Perks and Benefits.

About Camp Augusta:

Camp Augusta is a nonprofit residential summer camp in northern California that offers a truly unique summer camp experience for campers and staff alike. We are focused on counseling skills, creativity, excellent programming, and camper choice - see more about the vision of our camp here.

We aim to include and celebrate many facets of human identity – gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, neurodiversity, disability status, citizenship, and other aspects that make us unique. We are working to craft an inclusive culture founded on ideals of curiosity, honesty, empathy, and acceptance – a place where people are seen and acknowledged for their shared humanity as well as their unique individuality. 

Read our full Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging (DEIB) Statement here.

About Being a Counselor:

After the training and preparation, the campers arrive for either 1 or 2-week sessions in our 9-week summer. Discover the wish, wonder, and surprise of living with and supporting five campers in a cabin in the woods, and learn more than you ever thought you could about relating to children in a manner that empowers their growth and independence. In a single day at camp, you'll:

• Create magical, intentional special wake ups and evening connection-building activities for your cabin on a daily basis
• Facilitate camper ideas for a daily creative cabin activity
• Teach four activity blocks per day from the 150 clinics that you chose to learn in training
• Run a unique, themed daily activity that draws upon your personal creativity and skills; “sell” these activities through playful skits
• Play in epic Evening Programs, from full-camp capture the flag to immersive nighttime events. Be a character in our games and bring other-worldly magic to life.
• Create and offer two gifts from the heart per camper, per session: a special wood cookie honoring and a thoughtful Parent Letter

Counselors are the heartbeat of camp. Most counselors spend a session or two outside of the cabin as well, contributing to programming or other areas of interest.  See our page on counselor life for more information on the role and how it differs from most other camps. 

Imagining what it all looks like? Here’s a video of our summer shenanigans! 

If you want to be one of those flag-running, costume-wearing, oatmeal-throwing, woodchip-loving Augustans… take the next step to meet us here. :)

 

Do you have any questions?

Send us a message on Handshake, and we'll get back to you by the end of the next day! You can also send any questions you have to applications@campaugusta.org.

Feeling ready to apply?

1. Take 5 minutes to fill out our interest form. 

2. Someone from our hiring team will reach out to you within 24 hours.

3. Schedule an Intro Chat with us, and complete a full application!