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Galileo

Substitute Summer Camp Counselor/Assistant Instructor

Overview

Love working with and having an impact on kids? Do you thrive in new environments and love supporting the needs of a team? Ready to take your group management skills to the next level in an amazingly fun summer camp counselor job?

Substitutes fill in for absences lasting a day, a week, and sometimes longer, and are scheduled to work only when regular staff members are absent. The Substitute Summer Camp Counselor role is the perfect opportunity for those inspired by the idea of a Galileo summer, and who are open to or require a shorter summer commitment. Learn more about this role and working at Galileo in our
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We value having divergent thinkers who bring various experiences and viewpoints to the table at Galileo. We strongly encourage members of underrepresented groups to apply.

ABOUT GALILEO

Galileo’s mission is to develop innovators who envision and create a better world. We know it’s bold. We also know that we can’t achieve it without asking staff to be role models of an innovator’s mindset—visionary, courageous, collaborative, determined and reflective. It’s not always easy. Camp staffers work hard. Very hard. You can expect days in which there’s a ton to get done and not a ton of time to do it. But part of what makes our culture great is that no one is too proud to complete any task that needs doing. Our camp staffers bring camp magic to life—for campers, and for themselves.

 

This isn’t your average summer recreation gig. Galileans are expected to take ownership of their own performance and make this place better every day. People with a can-do attitude thrive here and those with a victim mentality don't. We manage to keep this level of performance expectation high in a relaxed environment; we take our work, but not ourselves, seriously.

 

Being a Galilean means jumping into action to bring camp magic to life. Depending on the day, that could mean donning a tutu for a skit, creating a gorgeous sign that highlights the Galileo Innovation Approach, or playing a board game with two campers to build connection. You’ve got to know what it means to be a vital part of a team. You’ve got to want to grow. You’ve got to like to have fun at work. You have to smile—a lot—and you have to like to laugh. After all, we run summer camps. You get the point.

 

SHARED VALUES AND EXPECTATIONS

  • Serve as an ambassador of Galileo, demonstrating our mission and values in a positive and professional manner and acting as a role model of the Galileo Innovator’s mindset
  • Commit to building a safe, child-focused community
  • Demonstrate professionalism and accountability
  • Take initiative to analyze and solve problems
  • Treat others with courtesy and respect
  • Respond to camper, family member and colleague needs
  • Strengthen our relationship with host site by upholding facility policies and embracing host site employees as partners
  • Maintain a high standard of ethics, integrity and confidentiality

 

REQUIREMENTS

  • Commitment to educational programming for children
  • Flexibility to meet changing work needs and demands
  • Ability to work collaboratively on a high-functioning team
  • Openness to feedback and desire to grow professionally
  • Ability to handle multiple tasks efficiently and accurately
  • Strong organization skills and attention to detail
  • Ability to communicate clearly, maturely and compassionately with families
  • Ability to maintain an excellent work ethic, a high level of energy and exceptional enthusiasm all day, every day, for the duration of the summer


 

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

  • Some college, or equivalent experience
  • Demonstrated leadership experience
  • Experience working with kids or in a camp setting a plus
  • Eighteen years of age or high school graduate by first day of camp’s operation

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Travel to multiple sites within a geographic region, providing support in whatever way most benefits the specific camp team with whom you work on any assigned day
  • Lead teams of up to 20 campers to art, science and outdoor rotations
  • Become familiar with curriculum for majors in which you will assist
  • Assist Lead Instructors in delivering curriculum, learning skills necessary to be an effective and successful educator
  • Fill in for Summer Interns, supporting smooth camp operation through a variety of tasks that vary from lesson material preparation and clean up to sign making and lunch organization
  • Provide general support at camps with additional needs and/or higher camper enrollment
  • Provide leadership, energy and camp spirit for campers, constantly assessing group dynamics and the needs of individual campers
  • Cover for Summer Camp Counselors & Assistant Instructors in the classroom during daily ten-minute breaks, fulfilling their role while they are out
  • Assist Summer Camp Counselors & Lead Instructors in the classroom, working with campers individually and in small groups
  • Set, work toward, and achieve measurable professional development goals
  • Support camper check-in and check-out processes
  • Provide excellent customer service to families by communicating with them on a daily basis about their camper’s experience
  • Write daily updates to parents and weekly camper certificates
  • Assist with daily set up and clean-up of camp and assist Instructors with lesson preparation
  • Support morning and afternoon extended care program including check in, check out, and leading camper activities
  • Contribute to and participate in daily opening and closing ceremonies, all-camp activities, and snack & lunch supervision and programming

WORK HOURS AND DATES

The camp environment is demanding, requiring intense dedication and work ethic from each staff member. Depending on the time of summer or the specific week or day, the needs of camp and resulting staff hours may vary. We seek and make offers to staff who we believe are capable of thriving in this environment and contributing to camp’s success.

 

General Camp Staff Hours Information:

  • Staff may work anytime between 7:30am and 6pm, Monday through Friday. Number of hours and start/finish time will vary by site, position and day
  • Staff meetings: During regular work hours before or after the start of programming
  • Before setup days begin, complete between 2-12 hours of online training
  • Training and setup days: Participate in two mandatory training and setup days in the days before camp starts
  • Camp cleanup: Participate in cleaning and packing up camp for an additional 5-10 hours, typically an extra 1-2 hours at the end of each day during the final week of camp. On the last day of camp all staff stay on site until cleanup is complete, which will be 6pm at the earliest

 

Position-Specific Hours Information:

For Substitute staff, the work environment (including the physical location and the staff team) changes from day to day and week to week. Depending on the time of summer or the specific week or day, the needs of camp and resulting staff hours may vary. The camp day runs, on average, 8-9 hours for Substitute Summer Camp Counselors and Assistant Instructors. Substitute Summer Camp Counselors and Assistant Instructors typically work 7:45-4:15, with some also working Extended Care hours until as late as 6pm

 

COMPENSATION

We are committed to competitively compensating staff. Regarding compensation:

  • Substitute Summer Camp Counselors and Assistant Instructors are compensated at a regular hourly rate of $11.00-15.00 per hour
  • Staff will be compensated at a different hourly rate (training rate) for 2-10 hours of online training to be completed before camp, and for 2 days on-site setup/training.
  • Summer staff positions are temporary, seasonal positions and do not include health benefits or paid vacation time
  • Overtime will be paid at 1.5x the regular hourly rate in accordance with state and federal requirements
  • Payroll is processed weekly; payments will be issued and paystubs made available the Friday after each camp week

 

SUPERVISION GIVEN/RECEIVED

General supervision, ongoing observation and evaluation is provided by Camp Directors, Area Directors, and the People Operations Team.

 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • Some lifting and carrying up to 60 lbs.
  • Typing, writing, reading
  • Seeing, hearing and speaking, both nearby and at a distance
  • Use hands and fingers to help with classroom supplies and operate equipment
  • Frequent sitting
  • Standing, walking, kneeling

Job ID: 12078270
Employment Type: Other

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