Recreational Program Facilitator - Paid Summer Internship
Looking for a paid summer internship that transforms the lives of young people?
If you have a heart for creating meaningful connections, teaching campers about science, building with your hands, and want to work in a beautiful outdoor setting, this is the opportunity for you!
About Us:
Camp Starfish is on a mission to create a transformative summer experience for children with emotional, learning, and behavioral challenges. As a Learning Center Program Specialist, you'll play a vital role in our team, making lasting impressions on campers and fostering a supportive and inclusive community.
Types of Activities you might teach:
- Sensory Bundle: creating slime, moon sand, and ooblek!
- Learning about other cultures: a map scavenger hunts, creating origami, or learning a new language.
- Color Wheel Wonder: learning about colors, mixing colors to create the color wheel, and creating a new color to naming them!
- Starfish Newspaper: Help campers create poetry, stories, interviews etc. to publish for camp!
While we have pre-planned activities, if there is a skill that you are interested in teaching that is great!
Responsibilities:
- Live alongside youth campers in a cabin, providing 24-hour supervision and helping them to adjust to camp life and group living.
- Creating a physically and emotionally safe environment.
- Nurture each camper's development, self-esteem, and personal goals.
- Fully immerse yourself in camp life to learn skills like facilitating, behavior management, and effective communication.
- Engage in outdoor activities like sports, high ropes, camp fires, boating, and swimming, rain or shine.
- Run a fun, structured, and engaging group program to teach campers about all kinds of things!
Qualifications:
- Ideal candidate is a college student majoring in STEM, psychology, sociology, social work, or a related field.
- Strong mental resilience and the ability to handle challenging yet rewarding scenarios with empathy and composure. Being able to compartmentalize in the moment.
- Ability to work the entirety of the season, including staff training dates.
- Pass all background and reference checks as required for seasonal employees of an organization working with vulnerable youth populations.
- One year of college/work/life experiences outside of high school.
Skills:
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
- Commitment to diversity and inclusion, and being prepared for restorative conversations with campers and staff.
- Physical capability for outdoor activities in the heat of summer and specific environmental realities (humidity, wind, bugs, lake water) for extended hours.
- Capable of implementing behavior management techniques to assist campers in navigating escalated and crisis situations, fostering the development of their social and therapeutic coping skills.
- Facilitation, creativity, and the ability to change plans in the moment to keep campers engaged in the activity!
Development and Fellowship Opportunities:
- Course credit in psychology, social work, education, and more.
- Over 140 hours of hands-on training for working with diverse children.
- Paid internship with 15-month Fellowship eligibility for further professional development.
- Weekly seminars covering Core Values, Self-Regulation, and Restorative Justice.
Internship Includes:
- Beautiful, immersive nature experience.
- Room and board included.
- Laundry service provided.
- Paid time off.
- Travel stipend for staff members traveling over 250 miles.
- Forge lifelong friendships in a supportive community.
How to Apply:
Ready to make a difference? Apply now through our easy application process to be part of a summer filled with growth, learning, and creating positive memories for campers.
Camp Starfish is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. Join us in making this summer unforgettable for campers who need it the most!