Teen Village Lead Staff

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF DENVER

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The JCC Ranch Camp is the Denver JCC’s overnight summer camp, offering a unique summer work experience where staff members become part of a community focused on creating a safe and fun environment for campers. All staff serve as madrichim (counselors), prioritizing campers' physical, social, and emotional health, safety, and well-being. The camp encourages staff to engage in activities they enjoy, such as exploring the backcountry, playing sports, or creating art. The Teen Village Lead Staff specifically leads a 21-day trip involving backpacking, whitewater rafting, climbing, volunteering, trail work, camping, and other outdoor adventure activities for a group of up to 12 campers and 2 co-staff. This role focuses on building campers' personal skills, fostering group bonding, and teaching self-sufficiency in camping. Staff must be available to live at camp for the summer season, with a preference for the entire summer but a minimum of 5-6 weeks.

Requirements

Must have a valid driver's license and ability to transport campers using company vehicles as needed.
Two years' experience with group facilitation of teenagers with the ability to instill confidence in and lead others.
One year of prior experience leading and/or guiding backpacking trips or three years of personal experience planning all aspects of backpacking trips.
Current Wilderness First Responder certification (training provided if needed).
Ability to use SatPhone and Spot Device.
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 21 (to drive 15 passenger Turtle Top Bus).
Must be able to attend staff orientations.
Must be available to live at camp for the summer season (at least 5 – 6 weeks).

Nice To Haves

One year of previous experience in a camp environment.
First Aid and CPR Certifications (training provided if needed).
Bachelor’s degree or degree in progress in outdoor education, psychology, social work, education, or other related field 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.
Make your campers’ dreams of a beach themed ice-cream campfire song session come true or become your favorite legendary Pokémon for an evening program.
Make sure that everything is functioning as it should on the trip and at camp- cleanliness/organization, friendships/social dynamic, routines and rituals, etc.
Shape the daily routines and rituals campers follow with their tripmates.
Support campers in their day-to-day life on the trail including helping to facilitate personal care routines, providing programmatic adaptations, guiding transitions, providing sensory breaks, mediating conflict resolution, and implement universal supports daily and tier 2 supports as needed.
Work on an individual level with campers who have identified needs, such as cognitive, social-emotional, psychological, physical and behavioral needs, to carry out camper care plans and ensure accommodations in care plans are implemented effectively.
Have flexibility to step in to help other cabin groups who may need extra daily support.
Manage crisis intervention with campers as needed, such as major dysregulation, emotional/mental health struggles, and sensory overload.
Take the lead role in leading a 21-day trip (9 - 10 days of backpacking and 9 - 10 days of whitewater rafting, climbing, volunteering and trail work, camping, and other outdoor adventure activities) with a group of up to 12 campers and 2 co-staff.
Build campers’ personal skills; bond the group of campers together and give them the tools they need to be self-sufficient while camping.
Assist in assessing trip intensity and adjusting in real time to fit camper needs.
Facilitate meal preparation in the backcountry allowing campers to learn how to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner while on the trail and camping.
Help campers develop backcountry camping and survival skills.
Drive 15 passenger Turtle Top Bus (must be 21).
Assist with issuing and return of gear to ensure gear is in good repair.
Ensure camper safety through conscientious decision making.
Work with your Unit Heads and co-staff to create multiple programs each day for campers on and off the trail that are safe, fun, and memorable.
Run the programs while on the trail.
Act as the primary point person for communication to and from basecamp both summarizing events occurring on trips to basecamp and passing communication effectively to field staff from basecamp.
Always know what’s happening in their bunk, from recognizing something like hiking their first 14er or a negative social interaction between campers.
Attend staff orientations.
Be available to live at camp for the summer season.