Cabin Counselor Job Description | Lake Tahoe Summer Camp

Job Description: Cabin Counselor

Immediate Supervisors: Directors

Primary Support: Camper/Counselor Support Team (CCST) Members

General Overview:

Cabin counselors are responsible for the care and supervision of the campers in all aspects of the program. Depending on the period of the day, they lead their cabin group, lead activity groups or areas, supervise general areas of camp, or execute special parts of the program. They build positive relationships with campers and serve as role models and authority figures. Cabin counselors are responsible for keeping the campers safe and ensuring that they make friends and have fun. Although the cabin counselors are the most important figures in the lives of their campers, they are not responsible for dealing with any situations that they are uncomfortable with. CCSTs and Directors are available at all times for advice, support, and assistance.

Primary Responsibilities:

Supervise the Cabin Group
1. Provide leadership, role modeling, mentoring, limit setting, support, encouragement, and feedback to all campers in your cabin.
2. Provide a safe physical and emotional space for the campers to live, interact, and play with clear expectations and consistent supervision.
3. Ensure appropriate behavior, hygiene, attire, and preparation for all camp activities in cabin, at meals, and around camp.
4. Help your campers to make friends and have fun!
Run Activities
1. Plan and execute activities according to your assigned area.
2. Supervise the campers, focusing on safety, fun, and helping them to make friends.
3. Communicate any needs or feedback to head counselors.
Supervise Areas as assigned
1. Either during Hang Time, SWAT (after bed time), or Early Watch (before wakeup bell), supervise your assigned area, making sure campers are following camp rules and being nice to each other.
2. Diffuse conflicts, redirect misbehavior, and otherwise solve problems as necessary. See head counselors for support if needed.
Other important duties
1. Assist with Evening Program as assigned.
2. Complete postcards and certificates during each session.
3. Participate in Gizmo, Polar Bear and other fun activities as assigned.

Expectations:

Cabin Counselors have a crucial role in Mountain Camp community as the primary role model, caretaker, and support for the campers. This role requires patience, good judgment, clear communication, flexibility, and an unbridled positive attitude.
Counselors are responsible for maintaining the delicate balance between being friends and authority figures with campers.
Counselors simultaneously create fun and set appropriate limits so that campers can feel physically and emotionally safe at camp.
Counselors are expected to be role models for campers, demonstrating appropriate behavior, language, and good judgment at all times.
Counselors are expected to build trusting, respectful relationships with campers as a means to support them in making friends, taking healthy risks, and trying new things.
Counselors are expected to support camper self-esteem by accepting all campers for who they are, encouraging them in their endeavors, and providing helpful, positive feedback when appropriate.
Counselors are expected to communicate clearly with all co-workers, head counselors and directors to ensure that the program is running well.
Cabin Counselors are expected to solicit any support they need (professional or personal) from head counselors or program directors who serve to support their professional development and ensure excellent job performance.
Mountain Camp is a community of people who live, work, and play together, and we are all expected to do what is necessary to keep everyone happy, healthy, and safe.

Key Attributes and Strengths:

Flexibility/Adaptability-The ability to solve problems and change plans when necessary.

Communication-The ability to clearly explain information and expectations to campers, counselors and directors.

Relationship/Trust Building-The ability to connect with people genuinely so that you can effectively provide both support and supervision.

Good Judgment-Making good decisions with the proper priorities in mind at all times.

Being Proactive and Motivated-Taking care of your responsibilities without rigid oversight. Identifying potential problems and attending to them early.

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position requires sufficient endurance to stand for long periods (up to 90 minutes at a time) and walk/hike distances up to 2 miles in a high-altitude environment.

The employee must have the physical ability to closely observe camper behavior, assess its appropriateness, and enforce safety regulations and emergency procedures. The employee must be able to respond appropriately to situations requiring first aid, and must be able to assist campers in an emergency (fire, evacuation, illness, or injury).

Other physical requirements include:

bending, stooping, kneeling, and climbing stairs.
hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity to manipulate outdoor camp equipment and lead camp activities.
ability to lift and carry up to 60 pounds individually, and up to 200 pounds with assistance (such as when needed to carry an injured child to receive medical aid.)
sufficient hearing ability to communicate with campers and employees at normal speaking levels and at distances when necessary to respond to campers’ needs.
visual acuity including close and distance vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.

Working Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Employees in this position will live in a camp setting for up to 14 weeks at a time and work irregular hours including overnight response to campers’ needs. Essential functions of the job involve regular exposure to uneven ground, water activities, plant life, insects, and dirt/dust.

The employee is exposed to environmental conditions including daily sun and heat, humidity, cold night temperatures, and possible rain or other inclement weather. The employee may be exposed to smoke and other airborne contaminants due to controlled campsite fires or other fire events in the local area.

Cabin Counselor Daily Schedule (Draft)

Time	Activity	Responsibilities
7:30am-8:00am	Wake up/ morning hygiene	Wake campers up and supervise morning hygiene
8:00am-9:00am	Breakfast and Cabin Clean-up	Eat breakfast with cabin, supervise table clean-up, take campers back to cabin for cabin clean-up
9:00am-10:30am	Cabin Activity	Run Activity for Cabin Group or OFF period
10:30am-Noon	Activity Period 1	Run Activity or have OFF period
Noon	Lunch	Eat lunch with campers, supervise table clean-up, distribute candy and mail, keep cabin together as a group
1:00pm-2:00pm	Rest Time or Staff OFF time	Engage campers in calm activities at cabin or have OFF time
2:00pm-3:30pm	Activity Period 2	Run Activity or have OFF period
3:30pm-5:00pm	Activity Period 3	Run Activity or have OFF period
5:00pm-6:00pm	Hang Time	Supervise cabin for activity, store, or shower/cabin time
6:00pm	Dinner	Eat dinner with campers, supervise table clean-up
7:00pm-8:30pm	Evening Program	Supervise campers during E.P. as necessary. Help run E.P. as assigned
8:30pm-9:30pm	Night Life	Supervise campers during a nighttime activity according to the weekly schedule. Not all cabins participate in this every night.
8:30pm-9:30pm	Evening hygiene and bed time	Supervise campers getting ready for bed. This will happen at different times depending on the age of your campers.
9:30pm-11:00pm	SWAT or Staff OFF time	If assigned to SWAT, supervise area or be in your cabin. If off, enjoy!

* Note: Cabin counselors alternate between working SWAT one day and Rest Time the next. Counselors will get 1 activity period OFF per day (Cabin Activity and E.P are activity periods). ALL counselors are on SWAT for the first and last nights of a session.