Lead Counselor (Madrich/Madricha)

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF DENVER

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The JCC Ranch Camp is the Denver JCC’s overnight summer camp and a highly regarded place to work during the summer. As a staff member, Ranch Camp becomes a home away from home, fostering a community where individuals can thrive. Staff members are seen as heroes to their campers, with the opportunity to engage in meaningful work and have fun. The camp prioritizes the staff experience as much as the campers' experience, with the primary goal being to serve children and ensure their safety while they have the time of their lives. All staff members are considered madrichim or counselors. The camp encourages staff to pursue their interests, offering diverse activities such as exploring Colorado's backcountry, climbing mountains, playing soccer, creating art, or even designing innovative projects. This specific position is dedicated to supporting the youngest campers, those in 2nd to 4th grade, throughout the summer season.

Requirements

Strong ability to lead a team and collaborate.
Two years experience in a child care setting or a vested interest in working in a professional child care setting.
Satisfactorily fulfill requirements for employment at the Staenberg-Loup JCC, including: background screening, three references, documentation, and compliance with CDHS law.
Must be high-energy, enthusiastic, creative, and open-minded!
Must be able to attend staff orientations and be available to live at camp for the summer season.
Ability to work at least 5 – 6 weeks of the summer season.
Operative auditory and visual functioning.
Ability to walk upwards of two (2) miles each day, including use of stairs and uneven terrain.
Ability to stand, sit in chairs or on the ground, run, and swim.
Ability to lift or body block campers when necessary.
Ability to work in a fast paced, sometimes stressful environment while maintaining the standard of care.

Nice To Haves

One year experience in a camp environment.
Current CPR and First Aid certification.
Completed some college coursework or hold high school diploma (GED) or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

Take care of your campers by prioritizing their physical, social, and emotional health, safety, and well-being.
Work as a team with your co-staff to make sure every day runs smoothly and to the schedule, and complete daily camper notes.
Create a community that you want to be a part of and that you want campers to be a part of.
Include everyone and make sure everyone is included.
Jump into the camp life: ride horses, swim, camp, play games, sing songs, roast s’mores, be ready to do everything the campers do!
Know where your campers are and what they are doing all the time.
Care for the campers and manage camper behaviors using the tools you learn in Staff Orientation week (We’ll go over positive behavior management techniques, enforcing appropriate safety policies, emergency procedures, camp rules, and more.)
Be flexible and adaptable because things change quickly at camp. You have to be able to roll with it.
Live in a bunk with your co-staff and your campers.
Fill out daily Camper Bunk Notes to track campers’ physical and emotional health, cabin social dynamics, and overall camper wellbeing.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned, such as making campers’ dreams of a beach themed ice-cream campfire song session come true or becoming a legendary Pokémon for an evening program.
Support the youngest campers at camp (2nd – 4th graders) on a developmentally appropriate level for the entirety of the summer.
Work as a team with other cabin staff, ensuring that all campers have an experience of a lifetime that keeps them coming back for years to come.
Ensure everything is functioning as it should in the bunk, including cleanliness/organization, friendships/social dynamic, routines and rituals.
Shape the daily routines and rituals campers follow with their bunkmates.
Support campers in their day-to-day life at camp including helping to facilitate personal care routines, providing programmatic adaptations, guiding transitions, providing sensory breaks, and mediating conflict resolution.
Implement universal supports daily and tier 2 supports as needed to ensure campers’ success in their day-to-day life at camp.
Work on an individual level with campers who have identified needs (cognitive, social-emotional, psychological, physical and behavioral) to carry out camper care plans and ensure accommodations are implemented effectively.
Have flexibility to step in to help other cabin groups who may need extra daily support.
Work directly with Camper Care Coordinators to manage crisis intervention with campers as needed, such as major dysregulation, emotional/mental health struggles, and sensory overload.
Always know what’s happening in their bunk, from recognizing small things like losing a tooth to big things like a negative social interaction between campers.
Attend staff orientations and be available to live at camp for the summer season.
Help develop programming for staff, such as Onegs, staff appreciation, or other events (if previous camp experience).
Help develop all-camp programming, such as evening programs or special days (if previous camp experience).
Work with the SIT (Staff in Training) program as a mentor (if previous camp experience).