Lead Camp Counselor

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF DENVER•Denver, CO

2d•$21 - $23•Onsite

About The Position

Camp Shai is the JCC in Denver’s premier Jewish Day Camp serving children entering Kindergarten through 6th grade. Individuals of all backgrounds, faiths, and families are welcome. At Camp Shai, we offer a little something for everyone with a variety of engaging and fun activities. From sports to theater to engineering, our campers are building their skills, bolstering their confidence, and creating magical summer camp memories. At Camp Shai, we place an emphasis in our programming on the universal values of kindness (chesed), respect (kavod), community (kehillah), courage (ometz lev), and good attitude (ruach). This is a seasonal position: Start Date 6/1/2026 – Tentative End Date 8/14/2026. Camp is the perfect environment for campers to develop their skills outside of the classroom and build their confidence – and yours too! Your work will make a difference in supporting campers to improve their ability to make and maintain friendships, increase their confidence to try new activities, and create a safe space for everyone to be themselves, campers and staff alike. Being a staff member at camp helps you to gain the skills you want from an internship in a concrete, hands-on, and fun way! We are seeking individuals for the Lead Counselor role that are adaptable, goal-oriented, and excited to work in a fast-paced and fun environment where everyone is welcome. Lead Counselors must submit at least 460 hours of verifiable childcare experience in order to be termed a Lead-Qualified Counselor. Our Lead Counselors work directly with campers each day to guide them through their summer activities, provide mentorship and support as campers develop their skills, and create a fun and supportive environment where kids want to come back again and again! Our Ideal Candidate You are passionate about working with kids and creating a welcoming, creative, and fun environment that celebrates learning and growth. You are flexible and excited by challenges that require creative problem-solving and determination. You enjoy working in a dynamic environment and are ready to bring that camp energy this summer, whether you are dancing across the stage in a silly costume or face painting with campers during downtime. You want to grow your skillset, and you are ready to both give and receive feedback. You are a team player that relishes opportunities to collaborate with your colleagues. You exercise patience and empathy when dealing with others and exude positivity. You are available to work a minimum of six consecutive weeks throughout the camp season.

Requirements

Must be at least 18 years of age
Must hold at least 1 year (460 hours) of verifiable experience working with children
Must obtain First Aid & CPR certifications before the start date of camp. Opportunity for certification will be made available through the JCC prior or during Staff Orientation. Certifications must be conducted by a Division of Early Care and Learning approved training vendor.
Staff must obtain the required certifications set by Colorado Early Childhood Care Licensing, including PDIS (Professional Development Information System) certifications, before their first day of work.
Must be able to fulfill requirements for employment at the Staenberg-Loup JCC, including background screening, three professional references, documentation, and compliance with CDHS (Colorado Department of Human Services) law

Nice To Haves

Previous experience working with school-aged children in either a school or camp environment
Completion of some relevant college coursework or a bachelor's degree in relevant field

Responsibilities

Support your co-counselors with camper care and supervision; prioritizing the physical, social, and emotional health, safety, and well-being of each individual camper
Contribute to and participate in all activities at camp including, but not limited to, swimming, specialist activities, camp-wide community rituals, traditions, and programs
Ensure that inclusive practices are being implemented to make camp accessible for all campers as prescribed by Camp Shai’s inclusion team
Complete documentation of camper notes as requested
Manage camper behaviors using positive behavior management techniques, enforcing appropriate safety policies, emergency procedures, and camp rules
Organize and facilitate age-appropriate activities for camper groups
Responsible for ensuring that health and safety guidelines and expectations around cleaning, sanitization, and risk mitigation as outlined by current JCC and Camp Shai policies are followed
Participate in weekly staff meetings either before or after camp hours as determined by Camp Director
Perform duties in before or after care at least twice during the summer, as assigned by the Camp Director
Perform other related duties as assigned by Camp Leadership