Summer Camp Village Leader
POSITION SUMMARY: The Agassiz Village (AV) Village Leader (VL) is directly responsible for overseeing all aspects of the cabin life within the ‘village’ and is accountable for the final outcomes of the ‘village’. The Village Leader is responsible for ensuring that campers and cabin counselors participate in the AV programs and activities in a safe and supportive environment. The Village Leader directly supervises 10 counselors and 60 campers ages 8-14 to ensure program scheduling, conflict resolution, behavior management, motivation, health and well-being of campers and staff in the village. The Village Leader also ensures that campers’ needs and issues are managed while also ensuring that staff engagement with campers is appropriate and consistent with AV mission and policies and procedures.
At the end of the Camp season, the Village Leader supervises the efficient storage of all cabin/village supplies and equipment. The Village Leader also provides the Camp Director with a formal report that includes evaluations of the Counselor staff and an operations review with recommendations for the next Camp season.
Responsibilities and Key Functions:
Provide leadership and day-to-day management of all cabins and activities of assigned village.
Ensure that campers and staff are awake on time, know and communicate proper attire for the day and activities.
Conduct or delegate responsibility for inspection of cabins and village areas.
Visit cabins and check in with counselors regularly during the day to ensure adequate supervision.
Together with village staff and campers, plan and execute evening programs when scheduled.
Co-ordinate pre-meal lines including making announcements, facilitation of camp songs, etc;
Take active and leading role in staff orientation in conjunction with Camp Director and Director of Staff Care.
Establish schedules for ‘on duty’ staff in village, communicate village ‘on duty’ staff schedule for each day at the beginning of each session and ensure that the counselors know their responsibilities.
Establish and communicate day off schedules for counselors within the village for each session.
Check with counselors at campers’ curfew and after campers are in bed.
Ensure that counselors have and complete their ‘camper logs’ daily.
Be responsible for the welfare of each individual in the village and do all that is possible to solve problems/conflicts.
Lead by example, encouraging participation and enthusiasm among staff and campers.
Provide ongoing guidance, feedback, and support to staff to ensure a positive camp experience for campers.
Foster a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all campers.
Interact with campers, address concerns, and ensure their needs are met.
Model effective communication skills and work ethic by being available to help campers and counselors during activities and give updates from administrative staff meetings, hear counselor’s concerns, brainstorm solutions to challenges with campers, peers, etc.
Ensure that all counselors (and their campers) in their village attend appropriate meetings and activities on time.
Model positive and appropriate behavior to staff and campers, including:
a friendly, upbeat, and encouraging attitude
a welcoming and inclusive manner towards others
sportsmanship during competition
helping campers negotiate peaceful and beneficial resolutions to conflict
Build strong positive relationships with your campers by participating in meals, evening programs, etc.
Take every opportunity to teach campers social an emotional skills such as relationship building, perseverance, self-reflection, goal setting and more as you encourage each camper to recognize what they are capable of through mentorship and daily conversations with youth.
Regularly observe staff members at camp to ensure they’re engaged with campers at all times – provide counselors with coaching, encouragement and necessary correction.
Implement AV policies and procedures with staff and campers.
Oversee safety procedures as they pertain to the effective supervision of all campers and staff.
Provide immediate disciplinary actions to staff (in private), for actions that put health and safety of a camper at risk.
Be alert for faulty equipment within the village and eliminate hazards that might cause accidents; report all maintenance needs to the front desk.
Rotate with other Leadership Team, monitoring camp after lights out as “on duty” staff, assisting with emergencies and enforcing curfew and other camp policies.
Work with the Camp Director and Program Manager to implement AV’s performance management policy with staff including completing formal written evaluations of direct reports complimenting them for their jobs well done and providing feedback in areas where improvement is needed.
Supervise end of season cabin/village clean up, pack-down, and inventories.
Contribute to positive team environment by paying close attention to staff concerns, morale and performance issues and communicating them in a timely manner to the Director of Staff Care.
As a member of the Leadership Team, be responsible for participating in and supervising all-camp activities.
Provide Camp Director with a formal report at the end of Camp season that includes evaluations of Counselor staff and an operations review with recommendations for the next Camp season.
Act as a responsible member of the camp community both in and outside of the camp environment during periods of employment.
Participate in staff and other meetings, such as in-service training and staff development and orientation activities.
Compete incident reports when necessary and make recommendations for dismissal of staff and/or campers.
Help to ensure that the camp facility is well-cared for and kept clean.
Perform all other duties as assigned.
Who We’re Looking For:
We are looking to recruit a team of people whose strengths, skills, and backgrounds are as diverse as those of our campers. We are keen to have people join our team who are:
Committed to consistent learning and growth.
Team players, willing to help in all areas
Organized
Strong communicators
Competent and creative problem solvers.
Passionate
Energetic and silly
Kind and compassionate
Flexible and able to adapt quickly
Able to stay calm in high-pressure situations.
Able to work long and challenging days