SUMMER PROGRAM SPECIALIST JOB DESCRIPTION
Revised January 2013
Responsible to Program Director
POSITION OBJECTIVE: To provide mature and professional leadership to specialized camp programming. To supervise campers, guests, volunteers, and staff during specialized programs to ensure standards of operation, safety, creativity, and structure are implemented. Model a commitment to the Christian faith and demonstrate patience, enthusiasm, self-control, and a sense of humor with all members of the Camp Shalom community.
SKILLS NECESSARY:
Must hold current certification in 1st Aid and CPR through a nationally recognized organization and have completed a 10-day training specific to Camp Shalom covering emergency procedures, personnel policies, and program supervision.
Must have completed specific professional training in the area of specialization.
Possess a desire and love to work with people of all ages, especially youth.
Possess a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and a willingness to share this faith in an enthusiastic and appropriate way with campers, parents, and staff.
Ability to use positive behavior management techniques with campers and an ability to adapt to difficult situations with a sense of maturity, safety, tact, and poise.
Possess the ability to subordinate personal desires to campers’ needs and interests.
Possess the ability to make sound decisions and be a leader in enforcing safety standards.
PRIMARY DUTIES:
To assume the leadership of a designated program area and all activities connected to that specific area.
To ensure that standards of safety, rules of risk management, and structured activity are implemented in your specific area of supervision.
Work cooperatively with leadership, counselors, and support staff to make the summer program run safely and effectively.
Abide by camp personnel policies and implement camp goals by modeling a Christian and ethical lifestyle.
Assist in leading other programmed activities where and when necessary without compromising specific area of supervision.
Assist in “all-camp” activities as assigned by the Program Director.
Develop a familiarity with the camp property, facilities, and surrounding areas.
Be responsible for the safe and proper handling and storage of camp equipment.
Be responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of campers in general, and specifically campers assigned to your program area.
Assist in other camp activities as assigned by the Program Director.
DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS:
To supervise any program area requires a high level of maturity, responsibility, and supervision. At Camp Shalom, we are increasing our level of adventure, which means our level of supervised safety must also increase. As a program specialist it will be expected that you educate, enforce, and model safe practices regarding specialized programming. As a Christian camp, one needs to accomplish these things with a sense of grace, fairness, and joy. Camp is more than just fun, so all staff need to possess a sense of maturity in judgment, patience, self-control, and strength to lead people. We also desire a sense of spiritual direction and the ability to demonstrate the presence of God in our lives.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Staff Training is a 10-day event beginning on or around Memorial Day Weekend.
The summer staff is given approximately 45-hours off at the conclusion of each week session. During each camper session staff members are given a one-hour break daily. At these times the staff member is not directly responsible for campers or activities.
Each staff member will be assigned to work one ‘Special Event’ weekend during the summer (i.e. Family Camp, Group Retreat, etc.)
All staff are to remember that they are visual representatives of Camp Shalom whether they are on site or not. We ask staff to behave appropriately both on and off duty.
Any “weekend off” event done as a staff is regarded as a camp activity. Therefore, all camp policies apply.
A staff person's commitment to the summer program at Camp Shalom ends when the Maintenance and Program Directors feel the camp is properly closed for the summer season. Program Specialists may serve as a counselor one or more weeks during the summer as necessary or as mutually agreed upon with the Program Director.
