Cabin Counselor Summer-Astrocamp

Position: Cabin Counselor – AstroCamp CA

Location: Idyllwild, CA

Work Year: Summer Season (Estimated May, June, July, August)

Responsible to: Camp Director/Assistant Camp Director/Head Counselor(s)

Camp Counselor at AstroCamp: A Rewarding Adventure!

Being a camp counselor at AstroCamp is an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding experience! You’ll have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on campers' lives while creating unforgettable memories for yourself. While the role is active and engaging, it’s also a wonderful chance to grow, learn, and connect with both campers and fellow staff members.

As a camp counselor, you’ll be an essential part of the campers' daily lives, guiding them through exciting activities, helping them explore new skills, and supporting them emotionally and socially. Your role will include living alongside the campers, sharing meals, and participating in fun cabin time, creating a warm and supportive environment for everyone.

Counselors should bring qualities like patience, kindness, honesty, integrity, emotional stability, and a true love for working with children. These qualities will help ensure that campers have the best possible experience, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you made a difference in their lives.

While previous experience working with school-age children is a plus, the most important thing is a genuine desire to connect with and learn from the children in your care. Many describe the camp counselor experience as “the hardest job you’ll ever love,” but at AstroCamp, it’s truly about making meaningful connections and having fun along the way.

Why Join Our Team?

· Be Part of Something Big: As a cabin counselor, you’ll be responsible for ensuring the well-being of your campers 24/7, making sure they feel supported, encouraged, and engaged in all aspects of camp life.

· Live and Thrive Together: You’ll live in dorms with your campers, guiding them through their daily routines and activities. Mealtime becomes a special moment to bond, as you sit together and enjoy conversations with small groups of campers.

· Share Your Passions: Whether leading an activity or assisting with something new, your unique skills and interests are valuable to our campers. We’re excited to help you share your talents with our community while supporting you in areas where you’re learning.

· Encouragement and Growth: You don’t need a background in physical science or astronomy to join our team—just an interest and a willingness to learn. We believe in open communication, so if any challenges or questions arise, we’re always here to provide support and guidance.

Embrace the Challenges and Grow!

Working as a camp counselor is both exciting and full of challenges, providing you with the perfect environment to grow personally and professionally. This job requires adaptability, as you’ll be navigating long days, a busy schedule, and balancing the needs of campers. The experience will challenge your problem-solving skills, resilience, and patience—but it’s all part of the adventure!

You’ll be living in a shared space with campers and other counselors, fostering a sense of community and building close bonds, though it can mean less personal downtime. However, these moments of challenge will also offer opportunities to develop leadership, communication, and team-building skills.

The joy of helping campers learn, grow, and have fun will make every moment worth it. With the support of your fellow staff and a caring, inclusive environment, you’ll face these challenges together, making each success even more rewarding. At AstroCamp, we believe that these experiences are what make the role of a counselor so enriching and unforgettable.

At AstroCamp, we value the well-being and development of both our campers and staff. Join us for an unforgettable summer of fun, learning, and adventure, all while making a lasting impact!

Supervisory Responsibilities: No

General Responsibility:

The counselor is responsible for the needs of the campers and to assist in the supervision and facilitating of programs, camp rules and regulations.

Specific Responsibilities (Examples of Duties):

1. Learn the names and likes/dislikes of your campers. Be knowledgeable about the needs of campers including special diets, eating habits, etc.
2. Assure the cleanliness of dorms and areas daily.
3. Counsel campers when necessary.
4. Create a cohesive bond within the camper group.
5. Supervise and participate in recreation programs, keeping control of the group.
6. Adhere to safety rules and company policies and procedures for the well-being of the campers and staff.
7. Assist groups with programs. This may include lifeguarding, conducting hikes or other recreational activities during all recreational periods.
8. Assist with meal supervision of food services, including set up and clean up. Sit with the campers during meals.
9. Assist with group arrival and departure procedures as assigned.
10. Be able to respond to emergency situations when necessary.
11. Assist with other departments when required, potentially for an extended period. This includes additional cleaning duties as required (wiping surfaces, extra cleaning of living spaces, etc)
12. Other duties as assigned by Camp Director, Assistant Camp Director or Head Counselor. 

Essential Functions:

1. Must be able to effectively work with the campers, counselors, supervisors and other staff.
2. Ability to communicate any problems with staff or campers to Camp Director, Assistant Camp Director, or Head Counselor.
3. Ability to assist campers and staff in the transition of camp life.
4. Good physical condition with mobility, visual and auditory skills to maintain control of 8-10 campers in a variety of environments (in the dorms, on hikes, in learning sessions, in the water, etc).
5. Ability to lift, carry and move heavy objects when necessary.
6. Good communication and organization skills are necessary to ensure a good experience for the staff and campers.
7. Ability to properly respond to emergency situations and enforce appropriate safety rules.

Benefits:

1. Housing
2. Full meals at the camp dining hall when the kitchen is in operation.
3. Workers compensation insurance and state disability insurance.
4. Ability to participate in camp programs.
5. Opportunity to live and work in a beautiful outdoor environment.

Salary:

First-year counselors will receive $515.00 per week.    

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Must have completed one full year of college or equivalent experience.
2. Must be at least two years older than the oldest camper age group (oldest camper=17 years old).
3. Past experience working with children - formally (recreational leader, camp counselor, tutor) or informally (babysitting, siblings, etc)
4. Must have strong communication and human relations skills.
5. Certification in first aid and CPR is preferred (not required).
6. Able to accept supervision and guidance and assist in activities where needed.
7. Desire to live and work in remote camp community.
8. Desire to work with children and ability to supervise them in related activities.
9. Good character, integrity, flexibility and adaptability.
10. Enthusiasm, sense of humor, patience and self-control.
11. Must be able to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.
12. Must be fully immunized including the COVID-19 vaccine prior to the start of camp.