You are viewing a preview of this job. Log in or register to view more details about this job.
Email

COPE/Climbing Director

Heritage Reservation is one of the largest and most premier summer camp destinations in the country and our COPE and Climbing Director is an integral part of an expansive team that makes a young person's summer the best summer of their lives. The person in this position is responsible for the participant safety and operation of our 43 foot climbing tower and 14 element high and low ropes course at Heritage Reservation. They are responsible for one to three staff members and 12 to 24 youth at a time. The area teaches the C.O.P.E. and Climbing programs of Scouting America. 

Essential Skills

  • Communication and Instructional Skills
  • Experience working with youth 13-17 preferred

Requirements

  • Must be 21+ to fill this position due to National Standard rules and regulations
  • Must be able to attend all training and camp sessions from May 30 - August 9, 2025

Compensation

  • Staff at Heritage Reservation are compensated with housing, all meals, and an industry competitive weekly salary, paid bi-weekly through the summer season.

Internship Opportunity

  • Working at Heritage Reservation will give you the relevant experience to fulfil many internship and practicum requirements. Management will work directly with you to design and develop an educational and immersive experience that fulfills and exceeds the the requirements of your degree program.

 

Working at Heritage Reservation

What is Heritage Reservation?

Heritage Reservation is a 2,000 acre property in Farmington, PA (90 minutes south of Pittsburgh, PA) owned and operated by the Laurel Highlands Council, a subsidiary of Scouting America (formally known as the Boy Scouts of America). The property is primarily focused on a two month youth summer camp operation that caters to over 4,000 participants of a resident summer camp program. Heritage Reservation is one of the largest and most premier summer camp destinations in the country, and staffs and operates hundreds of different programs throughout its summer operation. 

Heritage was built in 1980 and holds the 270 acre Lake Courage. The property consists of three ‘camps’ as well as a central office and operations area. The camps include Camp Independence for the Cub Scout program (age 5-11) and Camp Liberty and Freedom for the Scouts BSA program (age 11-17). 

 

About working at Heritage

Heritage Reservation employs about 130 seasonal staff members from the end of May through the beginning of August to operate its summer operation. Staff opportunities include everything from high adventure trek guides, management and administrative roles, educational instruction, to facilities operation and management. If you’re looking for an internship or summer seasonal employment, we have an opportunity for you.

The seasonal staff at Heritage live and work on the property throughout the 10 week operation. We provide housing, all meals, and of course an industry competitive paycheck (paid bi-weekly). Our season begins with two to three weeks of staff training (depending on position), followed by six sessions in each camp. Camp Independence sessions run from Thursday to Monday and Camps Liberty and Freedom have new participants every Sunday through the following Saturday. Staff work through each camp session, but have plenty of down time in the evenings to relax or head home between sessions.

 

Staff Organization and Amenities

Each position at Heritage Reservation is based out of one of the three camps or the central administrative area for housing and management purposes, but most programs span across and share parts of every camp and physical pieces of the property. In other words, you may be housed and managed out of Camp Liberty, but you may help facilitate programs across the entire property. 

There are Reservation level management positions that oversee the entire operation, and then each Camp has management positions with individual staff members falling under a specific camps management team. Positions are open and available across the entire organizational chart for the summer of 2025. 

Each camp has different housing and amenities, known as ‘Staff Sites’. Camps Liberty, Freedom, and Independence have staff cabins, large framed staff tents, shower facilities, and a staff lounge. All staff lounges are open to all staff members across the property, with Camps Liberty and Freedom recently undergoing renovations to include enhanced wifi, HVAC, and AV systems. 


Why work at Heritage?

If you ask anyone who has ever spent a summer on camp staff, they will probably tell you it was one of the most memorable experiences of their lives. Working on staff at Heritage Reservation is like being a part of a big family. The property is absolutely beautiful and spending a summer with us is like no other opportunity in the world. The people you will get to meet and interact with will result in lifelong friendships and interactions. We always say, after working a summer on staff, you’ll probably make it to someone's wedding you worked with. And finally, the program we offer is one of the greatest experiences a young person will ever have. Watching the joy and achievement in a young person as they finally scale that rock wall, hit the clay pigeon with that shotgun, catch that bass, or earn that rank in their Scout book is like no other. And the feeling you’ll get when you know you had a part in that young person's experience is something you will never be able to forget. 


Commitment to Diversity
Heritage Reservation and the Laurel Highlands Council is committed to increasing diversity in our community and actively pursues individuals from all backgrounds. Additionally, Heritage Reservation complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws and provides equal opportunity for all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Reasonable Accommodation Notice
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please email dylan.mckenna@scouting.org if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job.