Paid Internship Youth Counseling and Social Work with Humanistic Approach

Are you interested in spending a summer supporting children's development in a small intentional community made up of a highly international team? Do you have a plan to work in a humanistic field and want to experience a unique orientation to outdoor facilitation and experiential learning? Do you want to learn about how to use non-violent communication in an educational setting at one of the most unique non-profit camps in California? It’s time to apply to Camp Augusta then!

Immerse yourself in experiential education at Camp Augusta!

Most jobs out there are looking for you to fill a role at a workplace; we're actively looking for meaning-driven community members to join our small 65 person staff team. And, we build that community starting with 3.5 weeks of staff training in which we learn and practice philosophies like...

• Nonviolent Communication
• Flat Hierarchy, Sociocracy, and Consensus in decision making
• Clean Communication for managing community relationships
• Humanistic Behavior Management
• Group facilitation of emotional in-depth experiences
• Emotional Intelligence
• and much more...

Then, after creating a tight-knit community of staff, we have campers come and immerse in the culture and ethos that we've created. Camp Augusta is not your average summer camp. We are seeking experienced, hardworking, enthusiastic, and passionate counselors for our small summer community to create an epic and life-changing experience for campers.

This is the place for you if you…

• Are overjoyed to build close relationships between and facilitate a meaningful overall experience for 5 campers, and especially if you have had and plan to continue to work with children throughout your life
• Have the depth of emotional and physical stamina to joyfully engage with a community of 95 campers and 60 staff members for 9 weeks in the summer, working from 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM six days a week.
• Love to play and are eager to explore the creation of magical worlds with enthusiastic character roles
• Are dedicated to guiding/counseling children utilizing emotionally intelligent, thoughtful counseling techniques (to be learned/practiced in detail throughout pre-camp and staff training)
• Love community, and the idea of supporting the growth, interests, and emotional well-being of the other counselors and staff within your village, as well as the camp-wide community, is exciting to you

Minimum requirements

• Must be at least 19 years of age by June 1st, 2024
• Must be available during our summer dates: from May 13th to August 11th 2024 (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'
• Must be willing and able to either show proof of a positive COVID test or COVID booster since Sept 1, 2023

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 career

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

By the end of August, your resume could read:

Youth development counselor - Camp Augusta Summer 2024

After 300+ hours of dedicated training in skills of facilitation, debriefing, empathic connection, conflict resolution, group dynamics and much more, I spent 9 weeks working with children from diverse backgrounds, designing and leading group activities that promote social and emotional development, team building, and leadership skills. I developed strong interpersonal and communication skills while living and working within an intentional community.

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:

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 $4000. 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 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 daily
• 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, and our words are critical to bringing our hearts to theirs. 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. If you meet the minimum requirements above, 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!