Camp counselor 1
Juniper Hill Ranch Camp
2022 Lead Camp Counselor
www.juniperhillranch.com/summercamps
About Juniper Hill Ranch Camp
At Juniper Hill Ranch Camp, we think being outside and having fun while building confidence and compassionate leadership in girls are the best ways to spend the summer. Grounded in Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots philosophy that every individual can make a difference and that today’s young people are “some of the most compassionate, creative solutionaries our world has seen,” we have curated an incredible summer day camp for girls ages 8 -12. The 2022 summer will be our second year. We operated two weeks of camps in 2019 but canceled camps for 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.
At Juniper Hill, campers will spend their days in three major areas:
- Team-building Outdoor Activities
- Creativity-fueled Maker Corner
- Animal-focused Ranch Life
Being a Camp Counselor
At Juniper Hill Ranch Camp, we offer dynamic, leadership experiences in a fun, girl-power environment for our campers and camp counselors. Our camp counselor is a positive person who is committed to doing her best, working hard and helping ensure our campers have the best summer camp experience. Our camp counselor works directly with the camp director and campers ages 8-12, leading them through a variety of activities. These activities include team-building activities like capture the flag, mastery activities like archery and fun group games to learn more about each other.
But we also do a ton of arts and crafts, so counselors will be trained to teach campers how to make organic chapstick, bath bombs and help them with design and paint a barn mural which all campers will work on and complete during the week they attend camp.
The three weeks at Juniper Hill Ranch Camp will enable camp counselors to develop and fine-tune interpersonal and communications skills, getting experience on how to work with a variety of personalities and needs. We aim for their work with us to lead to increased confidence and stronger leadership skills to equip them for all they do beyond this summer.
Because we are in the business of creating future leaders, we hope our camp counselors and campers leave Juniper Hill Ranch Camp with increased empathy and compassion for people, animals and the environment. As Jane Goodall has said, “A compassionate leader is someone who considers how a decision will impact all creatures and our planet and works tirelessly to improve the lives of others.”
Ensure the Safety of Campers
Safety is critical to the success of our camp. Our camp counselor’s main focus at camp every day is making sure all campers are accounted for at all times, setting clear rules and expectations and being able to address behavioral issues each day of camp. The camp counselor will work closely with the camp director to ensure that all policies and procedures are being followed. Camp counselors are prohibited from being alone with campers and are required to report any inappropriate behavior that is observed by fellow camp personnel or campers to the camp director immediately.
Our Days at Juniper Hill Ranch Camp
We’ll explore different aspects of nature and be active doing everything from team-building games to archery, four-square and treasure hunts. We’ll build obstacle courses, too.
We’ll get in touch with our creative, imaginative selves painting, painting a mural in the barn, making bracelets and doing ranch-based crafts. We’ll learn about fruit, flowers and herbs and use natural ingredients made from all three to make organic chapstick, bath bombs and other natural products. Then, we’ll create labels for our products.
We’ll spend time with our friendly ranch animals, learning about the important roles they play in keeping pastures healthy, as well as how to feed them and take care of them. We have 8 sheep, 9 chickens, 2 roosters and two ducks. Part of the lead counselor’s job will be taking some extra time before camp to learn more about the animals to be able to share trivia, facts and so on with the campers.
Commitment
- We want staff who are excited to come to work every day and make a positive difference in our campers lives.
- Camp counselors need to commit to 2 training sessions: one in May, which will be doing online safety classes required by the state. This will be done on your own time but must be completed by end of May to be filed with the state. The second training will be in June in-person prior to the first week of camp that begins the week of June 6. State Licensing requires all camp staff to acquire 15 hours of camp training before camp starts.
- The camp counselor must be able to fully lead and attend three camps in June:
Week 1: June 6-10
Week 2: June 13-17
Week 3: June 20-23
- Hours of work are 8:40 a.m. -3:10 p.m. Monday through Friday for the first two sessions and 8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. Monday through Thursday for the final session.
Camp counselors should arrive by 8:40 a.m. each morning to fill out the day’s activities on the camp chalkboard and help set up for each activity before campers arrive at 9 a.m.
Camp counselors will stay 10 minutes after campers leave to meet together and with the director to debrief and reflect on each day- what worked, ways we can make the next day better, discuss any camper behavior issues and share ideas for additional team-building moments.
Compensation for Lead Camp Counselor
Complimentary Juniper Hill Ranch Camp T-shirt
$1638 total for 14 days (three weeks) of camp at 6.5 hours a day at $18/hour
$195 for mandatory training and completion of 15 hours pre-camp training and online classes ($13/hour)
Total compensation: $1833
Requirements for Lead Camp Counselor
Be 18 or older
Be an outgoing person
Be reliable and on time every day
Have strong communications skills and feel comfortable enforcing rules
Be able to lead a game, craft or other organized activity with kids
Feel comfortable around animals
Have a positive attitude
Be excited about working with girls ages 8-12
Be able to make decisions based on safety and enforce those decisions
Be willing to help campers solve conflicts and build a team atmosphere
Feel comfortable talking to parents
Have current First Aid and CPR certification
Go through the process and pass Colorado State Background Check and TRAILs check (required for anyone 18 or over. You can do this through Juniper Hill Ranch’s Early Childhood Licensing process)
Complete the online safety classes required by state of Colorado
Understand and adhere to all Juniper Hill Ranch Camp rules
Show proof of being up-to-date with COVID vaccinations
Background on the Confidence Factor
Why is Juniper Hill Ranch Camp only for girls? Studies show that between the ages of 8 and 14, girls’ confidence levels fall by 30 percent. At 14, when girls’ confidence plummets to its lowest, boys’ confidence is still 27 percent higher, according to a New York Times report. And the effects can be long lasting.
We want to help erase this gap. And here’s how. Studies show when girls ages 8-14 try new things, overcome their fear of failing and then master a skill, their confidence shoots up. That’s because girls can spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking about something rather than doing it. The process of taking calculated risks, failing, recovering and mastering is key to building confidence.
In our camp, we keep our group sizes limited to 12 girls a session, so that creating friendships, working together and learning new things in a ranch setting is easy and fun, not overwhelming. Sound amazing? It is. It’s just one adventure in many to help grow compassionate leaders who will change our world.
Contact Tori Peglar, director of Juniper Hill Ranch camp for a job application at tpeglar@gmail.com or 303.444.4041.
Juniper Hill Ranch Camp
8550 North 39thth St. Longmont, CO. 80503
303.444.4041