Ceramics Specialist for Summer Camp in Estes Park, Colorado
Come work and play in the Rocky Mountains of Estes Park, CO at an internationally renowned summer camp!
Cheley Colorado Camps is seeking a Ceramics Specialist.
The Ceramics Specialist runs the entire ceramics program. They should be organized, have extensive knowledge of ceramics, and enjoy teaching children of all ages. They are responsible for inventory and ordering of ceramics supplies. Teaching experience in the arts is very helpful.
The Ceramics Specialist is responsible for all aspects of the ceramics program, including but not limited to:
- Planning and teaching half and full-day ceramics classes to campers ages 9-17
- Creating castings for glazing
- Being available for afternoon free time hours when campers may complete projects
- Firing all camper work in our kilns
- Using the pottery wheels
- Keeping an inventory of camper work
- Helping campers complete their projects
- Supporting crafts counselors with any needs they may have
- Ordering ceramic supplies and keeping an inventory of all supplies
- Creating fun and innovative ceramics projects
- Turning in a closing inventory to the Program Director at the end of the summer
As Ceramics Specialist, you can expect to learn valuable lessons in project management, time management, and working with children and ceramics. In addition, at the conclusion of the summer, you will have a variety of projects you can include in your portfolio. If desired, Cheley Colorado Camps can work with applicants and their school to satisfy internship or other school credit requirements.
What You Bring:
- Strong interest in connecting with others and being part of the camp community
- Evident knowledge of ceramics, including the use of kilns and pottery wheels
- Strong communication & organizational skills
- A positive attitude and a drive to complete work quickly and efficiently on daily deadlines
- Ability to take direction and multi-task, responsible, well organized, and work with minimal supervision
- Always be innovating, initiating, and creating; and demonstrate effective time management
- Ability to live as part of the camp community
Other Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
As with any job position at Cheley, you will be living and working in a camp community. At different times throughout the summer, you may be asked to help the community in some way other than this job description. This would not interfere with the above duties.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proven experience in ceramics, including the use of kilns and pottery wheels
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to work methodically and meet deadlines
- Degree in Ceramics, Fine Arts, Studio/Visual Arts, Design, or related field a plus
- Experience teaching or leading groups
Being a member of our support staff is a very important position and the choices they make affect the campers’ entire camp experience. The goal of support staff is to give each camper a safe, fun, and memorable summer where they learn about themselves and learn to “act spontaneously in the right."
We are looking for staff members who are excited to work with youth, have experience working with children or in a particular program area, who are willing to work hard and impact children's lives.
Working at Cheley Colorado Camps
More than 200 people from all over the United States and abroad comprise our staff. We attract people who want to make a difference in the lives of youth and who share a common goal with the Cheley family: to make the summer a fun, empowering, and enriching experience for all our campers.
From September to May, we work diligently to create a strong summer team. We interview people from around the country and hire international staff through staff placement agencies. Cheley provides a special environment in which to meet remarkable people. Staff members work together closely and form great and lasting friendships.
Our application process includes an online application, interview, three references, and a background check. Once hired, each staff member is required to complete online abuse prevention training as well as program-specific certifications, like Wilderness First Aid and CPR.
This job isn’t for everybody. We have high expectations for our team. Focusing on the development of others requires personal sacrifices. Sacrifices like living in rustic, historic buildings; limited personal time, and a structured schedule. The demands are high, the rewards are life-changing. There is nothing more satisfying than developing future leaders.
The Staff Experience
All staff at Cheley are part of the camp community. At different times throughout the summer, you may be asked to help the community in some way outside of your job description.
Support staff live together in designated cabins on camp property and are typically at least 18 years old. They play an integral part in role modeling. All support staff need to have the ability to communicate and work effectively with peers, have the visual and auditory ability to identify and respond to environmental and other hazards at camp, and have the physical strength and endurance necessary to complete assigned tasks. A positive attitude and a sense of humor are essential.
All staff members have one day off and one night off each week with daily shuttles provided to town each morning and afternoon. We are about 10 minutes from downtown Estes Park which has laundry facilities, shops and restaurants, grocery stores, a movie theater, and a bowling alley. We are about an hour from Boulder (home to the University of Colorado) and Fort Collins (home to Colorado State University) and 1.5 hours from Denver.
Our Salary and Benefits
Housing and meals are provided, and staff members are expected to live at camp. The paycheck schedule varies, typically with paydays being after staff training, multiple times throughout each term, and then weekly for post-camp. You can expect to be paid roughly every 2-3 weeks. The starting salary for Ceramics Specialist begins at $350/week.
We also provide a travel allowance and bonuses for relevant certifications, including WEMT/EMT, WFR, Teaching, CDL, ACCT, CWI, High Ropes Levels 1 & 2. While working, staff members have access to “pro-deal” discounts and discounts throughout Estes Park.
About Cheley Colorado Camps
Cheley Colorado Camps is a family-owned, co-ed, residential summer camp that was started in 1921 by Frank H. Cheley. We are youth development professionals focused on having a positive lasting impact. Comprised of outdoor adventures, horseback riding, athletics, target sports, fine & performing arts, and aquatics, "We build the lasting character and resiliency of young people, creating unique life experiences in a challenging and nurturing natural environment."
A summer at Cheley Colorado Camps means spending time hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, rafting, paddleboarding, mountain biking, and playing in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Wake up each morning to the fresh mountain air, views of peaks that soar to 14,000 feet, and the laughter of fellow campers and staff. Since 1921, Cheley Colorado Camps has welcomed more than 50,000 young people from every state and more than a dozen countries, including many second, third, and now fourth generation Cheley campers. Offering two traditional 4-week terms, a 5-night program for younger campers interested in a taste of camp, a family camp, and more, Cheley hosts over 1,200 campers each summer with ~220 seasonal staff and a small team of year-round staff.
People choose Cheley because they know they can expect an experience of exceptional richness, quality, and consistency in a community that celebrates the individual interests and needs of each participant. Camp lies 75 miles northwest of Denver on the 750-acre Land O'Peaks Ranch south of Estes Park, surrounded by the snow-capped peaks and forests of Rocky Mountain National Park, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, and the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Cheley operates its backcountry program on permits from the National Park Service and the Forest Service. In addition to the Land O'Peaks Ranch, Cheley owns five more locations totaling approximately 700 acres. Two of these locations are the site of two additional camper units – the Trail's End Ranches, where campers sleep in covered wagons – while the other three locations serve as overnight camping spots. No matter how many years you come to camp, it's tough to see it all.
In Rocky Mountain National Park alone, more than 600 miles of trails wind through sunlit meadows of wildflowers, cool forests, brilliant snowfields, and vast boulder fields to high country lakes, ponds, glaciers, and rivers, and alpine peaks. Cheley's facilities include five horseback riding rings, a climbing wall, a gymnasium, a fleet of 40 mountain bikes, a low and high ropes course, a grassy amphitheater with a lighted stage, a soccer field beside an aspen grove, a fishing pond, and facilities for working with leather, paints, ceramics, and wood. Camp buildings, much like the Cheley Experience, are rich in tradition and steeped in memory. Handsome lodges and snug log cabins dating to the 1920s merge gracefully with the rocky landscape, offering stunning views at every turn. The facilities and grounds are constantly improved and scrupulously maintained for the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of campers and staff.
Cheley Colorado Camps has survived wars, economic depressions, natural disasters, and pandemics, truly withstanding the test of time. Following our Centennial in 2021, we know our challenge as leaders in youth development is to protect and preserve the rugged, rustic character of their experience while providing opportunities for growth, personal responsibility, and self-reliance. This is what makes Cheley a top-rated summer camp and we intend on improving every year.
Cheley Colorado Camps is accredited by the American Camp Association, the Western Association of Independent Camps, the Camp Owners and Directors Association, and is a Leave No Trace partner.
Inclusion at Cheley Colorado Camps
We live by our core values and beliefs, which embrace harmony, honesty, integrity, unselfish love, and concern for human dignity. The Cheley Experience thrives on creating an environment where everyone is comfortable bringing their authentic selves to camp. All are welcome and encouraged to apply!