Working at Camp
Opportunities to serve Scouting by being a member of the Heart of New England Council Camp Staff are available to outstanding members of Scouting America. The requirements are stiff; the job demanding; the experience exhilarating! Apply to join the camp staff today!
Why Work at Summer Camp?
The life of a camp staff member is a tough yet rewarding experience. Camp staff work for 8.5 weeks each summer to deliver a high quality program to the Scouts of New England. Staff members come together for one week of physical set up and staff development before opening Camp Wanocksett for 7 weeks of program. At the conclusion of the summer, camp staff spend half a week putting things away for next year.
Through it all, you’ll make lifelong friendships with Scouts from across the area. Living, eating, and working with friends is the job of a lifetime for many.
Should get an internship instead?
Internships are valuable, but the skills and lessons you’ll learn at camp usually outweigh those of an intern being asked to fetch coffee orders each day. You’ll have the time of your life
- Why Camp Counselors Can Out-Parent Parents – NY Times
- Camp Belongs on Your Resume: Highlighting the Professional Development Value of Working at Camp – American Camping Association
- The Camp Counselor vs. the Intern – NY Times
- This One Time at Summer Camp: Why I’ve Never Had a Summer Internship – The Huffington Post
Life of a Camp Staff Member
Camp staff live and work at camp from Sunday at 1PM through Saturday at 11AM. Staff compensation includes a competitive wage, provided with 17 meals per week, housing, and a staff uniform shirt. First Aid & CPR/AED training are provided free to all staff. Nights out of camp for supervised trips into town are allowed once a week for junior staff under 18 and twice a week for senior staff over 18. Time off is available to staff with ample notice to the administration prior to the start of camp. Staff are also encouraged to take advantage of the development opportunities available to them to complete advancement and merit badges.
Apply Today!
The process to hire a camp staff for the upcoming summer begins almost 10 months before. An online application is available during the months of October and November with a submission deadline of November 15th. Interviews for accepted applications take place during two times; late November for Senior Staff positions (over the age of 18 for the upcoming summer), and late December for Junior Staff positions (under the age of 18 for the upcoming summer). Accepted applicants will be contacted about an setting up an interview. Submitting an application does not automatically grant you an interview. If selected for an interview, you will be contacted by email. Senior staff applicants will be contacted after November 1. Junior staff applicants will be contacted after December 6. All applicants must be age 15 before the start of staff set up week in late June (June 23). Questions can be directed to info@campwanocksett.org
The staff at Camp Wanocksett have earned an enviable reputation over the past years by providing Scouts with a quality summer camp experience. Every year the council seeks to recruit the finest youth members to participate in the Counselor in Training (CIT) Program. Many if not most staff members earned their wings as CITs before becoming paid staff members, and were influenced to become CITs and staff by a staff member or two that they looked up to as campers. Scouts become CITs because they love camp, and want to give back to the program that gave them their memorable camp experiences.
The CIT program builds upon the leadership skills learned via the Scouting program. Through the CIT program, Scouts will become further prepared to take on leadership roles back in their units and communities. Additionally, CITs will learn the foundation for what it takes to be a camp staff member. The CIT program provides scouts with staff experience and helps them develop the skills necessary to deliver a quality program to future generations of campers.
As CITs, Scouts have the opportunity to do the following:
- Live in the picturesque CIT village right along the shores of the Thorndike
- Earn 2-3 merit badges a week as part of their daily schedule
- Participate in CIT-oriented trainings, including occasional out-of-camp high adventure-type programming
- Participate in The Wanocksett Adventure Team (COPE Program)
- Work in different programs areas every day, and help area directors and junior staff in running programs
- Teach merit badges if invited back for extra weeks (subject to work performance)
Scouts will participate in the program for 4 weeks:
- All Scouts will participate at Camp Wanocksett during training & camp set-up from June 19th – 25th. (School Snow days can be worked around)
- Scouts will then participate in three other weeks in the program of their choosing (any combination of weeks is fine) during the summer (Scouts may do weeks back-to-back, but must go home over the weekend).
The total cost of the program for 2027 is the early bird cost of 1 week of summer camp; 4 weeks for the price of 1. This includes all room & board. This amount is not due until acceptance to the program has been confirmed. Fees will be collected on the first day of staff week.
The CIT Program is an excellent experience for developing leadership skills, for both summer camp staff, troops and crews and beyond. It is a rewarding experience, and the friends and memories you make last a lifetime. The requirements are stiff; the job demanding; the experience exhilarating!
CIT Qualifications
- Be a registered member of Scouting America
- Be at least 14 years of age by the start of the camp season
- Be at least a First Class Scout or Venturer and uphold the ideals expressed in the Scout Oath and Law.
- Have not previously participated in the Camp Wanocksett CIT program.
Application Process
- Complete the CIT Application
- Applicants will sign up for an interview after an application has been submitted. Interview sign-ups will be made available in early January after your application has been submitted.
- Attend an interview (will occur on a rolling basis in February, March, and April) via video conference. Interviews will be scheduled by the CIT Director.
- A CIT orientation meeting will be held for accepted CITs in May (exact date TBD).
- The program fee will be collected when you arrive at camp; this fee includes professionally prepared food throughout the program, exceptional leadership training, and a CIT T-shirt.
Questions can be directed to the CIT Director, via email at cit@campwanocksett.org
