Forehead sweating… Legs aching… Kids yelling… And loving every second of it!

Counselors from around the world get together each summer to share excitement, the tears, the achievements, and the challenge. We’re hoping that you can be one of them!

News Facts

• The 2009 Camp Staff application is now live. We are officially accepting applications for next summer!

• We hire staff members with a wide range of experience in some pretty amazing fields. Some of the more interesting programs and classes that we offer at our camps include environmental science, culinary arts, fashion design, orienteering, leadership, video editing, digital and dark room photography, ropes course, nutrition and agriculture.

Work At Camp

• Fresh Air Fund Needs Counselors for Summer 2009!

You love working with children, and that’s probably what we like most about you. Running across the ball field, washing off the glitter glue, or swimming in the lake – with your cabin group laughing around you – you’ll be in your element.

Are you going to be the counselor the children learn to paint with? The one they play soccer with? The one they want to hang out with? Or perhaps the one they read a bed-time story with? Whatever your role becomes, you’ll thrive on the challenge and commit yourself to the cause.

You’ve got to be 18 or over by June 20th to apply, and you’ll usually have completed at least one year of college by the summer. Any previous work with children should always be included on your application.

The experience you’re about to apply for will be like no other, and it’s going to take patience, flexibility, creativity, and a whole lot of self-motivation. But the rewards will be great… overcoming challenges, meeting new friends, playing games in the sun, jumping into the cool lake, painting face masks, hitting a home run, telling stories around a camp fire…

…and then seeing that smile brighten a child’s face.

We’re looking for counselors and program staff for all five of our summer camps – but places fill fast, so get your application in today.

We are now accepting applications for the 2009 season.

Camp Life

General Counselors live in cabins with a group of children or in cabins next door. Other camp staff live either in camper cabins or staff housing. Facilities at Camps ABC, Hayden-Marks and Tommy are rustic. Many cabins do not have electricity and bathrooms are located a short walk away. Camps Mariah and Hidden Valley have more modern conveniences. Campers and staff eat meals together at their camp dining halls. A vegetarian menu option is offered at every meal. Staff members are permitted to have cars at camp. Each camp has a staff lodge available for use during time off. The staff lodge provides an opportunity for socializing, movies, snacks, games and relaxation. Free laundry facilities are available in a central location on the reservation, and regular van transportation is provided for trips into town.

• Diverse Camp Staff

Fresh Air Fund camp counselors are young adults from all over the United States, representing diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In addition, many international students spend their summers as Fresh Air Fund counselors. The most admirable quality in a Fresh Air Fund camp staff member – wherever they’re from – is a commitment to work with inner-city children.

The Fresh Air Fund welcomes international staff who wish to apply for our program directly through our Web site. We are dedicated to assisting international staff with obtaining visas for summer work in the United States.

Camp Dates

The Staff Arrival Dates for 2009 are:

Waterfront Staff: June 14, 2009

Administration, Village Leaders, Head Counselors, Program Staff, Instructors, Farmers and Ropes

Course Staff: June 16, 2009

Nurses: June 16, 2009

General Counselors: June 20, 2009

Transportation was provided from Manhattan to camp on June 14th, 16th and 20th at 3:00pm.

The Encampment Dates for 2009 are:

Camps Hayden-Marks Memorial, Tommy, ABC & Hidden Valley
Session 1 Monday, June 29 – Thursday, July 9
Session 2 Monday, July 13 – Friday, July 24
Session 3 Monday, July 27 – Friday, August 7
Session 4 Monday, August 10 – Thursday, August 20

Camp Mariah
Session 1: Monday, June 29 – Wednesday, July 22
Session 2: Tuesday, July 28 – Thursday, August 20

Employment is for the whole summer only, ending on August 20, 2009.

Available Positions

The Fresh Air Fund offers competitive salaries. Staff who have prior experience working at residential camps or certifications in areas such as CPR, Lifeguard Training and Standard First Aid are eligible for additional compensation. Small travel allowances are available for staff members traveling over 300 miles to New York City.

General Counselors

General Counselors are guides and role models to a group of 12 campers as they explore the great outdoors. Counselors are required to provide 24-hour-a-day direct supervision of campers, as well as participate in vigorous outdoor activities such as hiking, boating and athletics. Apply now!

Senior/Special Staff Positions

The Fresh Air Fund hires summer staff in supervisory positions and for jobs requiring special skills. The remaining positions are examples of our current senior/special staff positions.

Village Leaders:

Village Leaders maintain active communication with the administration, counselors and campers.They also guide and evaluate counselors assigned to the village, as well as plan and supervise village activities.

Waterfront Staff :

The waterfront staff is responsible for maintaining waterfront and boating facilities to comply with all safety codes. Whether obtained through our on-site course or elsewhere, a current American Red Cross Lifeguard Training certificate and a current CPR certificate are required.

Note: You do not need to be certified in order to apply. We provide training and a certification course before camp begins. However, you must be a strong swimmer.

Program Specialists:

Program Specialists plan activities such as arts and crafts, nature, photography/video, music, ceramics, athletics, drama, dance, fashion design, pioneering, boating, outdoor living skills, woodshop, sign language and creative writing. Specialists are responsible for developing and teaching four to five one-hour activity periods each day, ordering and maintaining equipment and supplies, and keeping the program area clean.

Camp Nurses:

Camp Nurses are responsible for health education teaching and maintenance; emergency care; referrals to camp doctors; nursing care of campers and staff requiring short-term bed rest; communication of pertinent medical information to The Fresh Air Fund office, parents and city agencies; keeping records and filling out accident reports.

Ropes Course Staff:

Ropes Course Staff teach three two-hour classes each day on the Teams and High Ropes Courses. The Ropes Course Director is responsible for the overall supervision of the Ropes Course program. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have experience as an instructor/facilitator on both the Teams and High Ropes Courses.

Farm Staff:

Farm staff must enjoy teaching children and feel comfortable working with farm animals. The primary responsibility of staff is teaching the farm program. Other duties include, morning and evening chores (feeding, cleaning, milking), garden upkeep (weeding, planting, harvesting), daily compost pick-ups from dining halls morning breakfast program and general cleaning of the farm facilities.

Nutritionists:

Nutritionists create and conduct one-hour classes in which they emphasize the importance of diet and good health and teach campers the nutritional value of foods, while campers make healthy snacks.
CIT Directors:

CIT Directors oversee six to 12 Counselors-In-Training, ages 16 to 17, who live at camp for the entire summer. CIT Directors are responsible for supervising CITs in their daily activities as well as working with camp staff to develop workshops and other learning experiences for the CITs.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

The Diva Network proudly supports that Fresh Air Fund and we hope that you do too.

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