What are the responsibilities and job description for the 2025 Camp Lifeguard & Activities Assistant position at Caldera?

At Caldera, we believe in the power of creativity. Our mission is to inspire and support youth from underserved rural and urban communities by awakening the potential of their creative voice. We do this through a unique fusion of art, environment and mentorship. Our Youth Program provides students from Portland and Central Oregon with long-term relationships with caring adults, which nurtures individual creativity, beginning in sixth grade and continuing into young adulthood.

As part of Caldera's summer learning team, you will gain leadership, communication, and collaboration skills and unparalleled resiliency while building meaningful relationships with young learners and adults. You'll have daily opportunities to expand your own creativity and sense of adventure, upheld in a supportive community full of networking opportunities. During your time off, you'll be centrally located in Oregon's playground for play in the Cascade Mountains, sampling local flavor, or simply relaxing on Caldera's 116 acres of awe-inspiring property.

Position Title : Lifeguard & Activities Assistant

Supervisor : Adventure Team Supervisor

Compensation :

Salary / Rate of Pay : $109 / day with current certification, $99 / day if certification is needed, with 1% increase for each year of experience working at Camp Caldera (not to exceed 7%)
Training Salary / Rate of Pay : $50-75 / day
Room and board provided during days with programming; room only during non-programming days. A light dinner will be provided on staff arrival days. Brunch is served on the last day of each session.

Location : This is a seasonal position at our Arts Center- 31500 Blue Lake Drive, Sisters, OR 97756 (transportation not provided).

Choose one or more sessions; placement is dependent on availability & scheduling (must be available for all dates in session(s) chosen). Must be available for training dates and on the following dates and times to start each session :

PORTLAND Staff Training June 23-26

SISTERS Staff Training July 1-2

Arrive between 1 : 00-2 : 00 pm July 6

for the Immersion 1 (High School) session July 7-16

Arrive between 4 : 00-5 : 00 pm July 19

for the immersion 2 (High School) session July 20-28

Arrive between 4 : 00-5 : 00 pm July 31

for the Discovery 1 (Middle School) session Aug 1-8

Arrive between 4 : 00-5 : 00 pm Aug 11

for the Discovery 2 (Middle School) session Aug 12-19

Indicates Half day compensation

Sample Daily Schedule :

8 : 00-8 : 30 Breakfast

8 : 40-9 : 20 Community Circle

9 : 30-12 : 30 Break or Assist with Activities

12 : 40-1 : 20 Lunch

1 : 20-1 : 50 Staff meeting

1 : 50-3 : 10 Lifeguard Duty : free time

3 : 10-5 : 30 Break or Lifeguard Duty

5 : 30-6 : 20 Set-up for Evening Activity

6 : 30-7 : 20 Dinner

7 : 30-8 : 45 Lead Capture the Flag or other evening activity

8 : 45-9 : 45 Assist with Campfire

10 : 30-11 : 30 Night Duty (roughly one night per session)

Position overview :

The Lifeguard & Activity Assistant oversees planning and delivery of waterfront activities that are safe, fun, and appropriate to campers' age and abilities. They will provide management to the physical operation of the waterfront's facilities and equipment. The Lifeguard & Activity Assistant also supports set up, organization, and facilitation of other camp activities such as games and campfires.

Requirements

Specific Responsibilities :

Evaluate aquatic abilities of campers and staff on first day of session

Plan and deliver creative swimming and watercraft program activities

Train staff in appropriate waterfront rules and responsibilities

Set up waterfront area prior to and during staff training

Teach and monitor proper use of equipment

Maintain organization and safety of marina supplies and equipment such as boats, life jackets, and water toys

Conduct initial and end-of-season inventory and store equipment for safety

Conduct a daily check of equipment for safety, cleanliness, and repair. Work with Camp Manager to submit necessary work orders

Survey waterfront area daily and keep the area free of hazards and debris

Collaborate with staff to coordinate, set up, and / or lead free time and other activities

Alert supervisor to relevant camper issues

Other duties as assigned

General Responsibilities :

Serve as mandatory reporter, working with Youth Impact Manager to report instances or suspicion of child abuse. Caldera has a zero tolerance policy around child abuse, and any negligence will result in immediate dismissal

Promote program understanding and involvement through Caldera's goals and agreements, participation agreement, and responsibility process

Actively participate in all aspects of camp life including : camper orientation, community meetings, evening activities, campfire, free time, etc.

Model appropriate camper behavior at all times

Perform duties with consistency and integrity

Set and respect personal boundaries while acting as mentors, guides, and allies to campers

Oversee health and safety of charges in fire drills and emergency procedures

Maintain cleanliness of living and common areas and help with clean-up at the end of each session

Qualifications :

Current Lifeguard and First Aid / CPR Certification required (attach copy)

At least 1 year of experience working with middle and / or high school youth

Ability to operate a small, motorized rescue boat

Ability to understand our racially diverse student population's perspective, either through lived experience, previous qualifications, or work experience

Ability to navigate through potentially triggering and challenging conversations and situations while maintaining focus on the wellbeing of youth

Familiarity with culturally responsive and anti-oppression frameworks and experience working with racially and ethnically diverse staff and youth

Strong organizational and time management skills

Ability to set appropriate boundaries in a proactive and positive manner

Willingness to live in a camp setting and work irregular and long hours. Additionally, you must have the ability to deal with limited cell and internet service and daily exposure to outdoor factors such as sun, heat, bugs, bats, snakes, etc.

Living Conditions :

Requires on-site living in shared staff quarters.

A vegetarian option (that may include eggs and / or dairy) will be available for all meals. We do our best to accommodate other dietary restrictions; however, employees with special dietary needs should plan to bring food to supplement or replace provided meals. Please address specific needs with your supervisor.

Typical days are 10 hours in length, with sessions that make for up to 10 straight days of work without a full day off. Each staff member will have at least 1 night off per session.

Alcohol and drugs are not permitted on campus, even in personal living quarters.

Working Conditions :

Must be physically able to move around 116 acres of camp property with varied terrain

Must have visual, perceptual, and cognitive ability to recognize and respond quickly to health and safety concerns of students and appropriately re-direct any behavior that is misaligned with Caldera agreements

Employee must carry out their duties regardless of inclement weather, which can include but is not limited to, heat, rain, wind, cold, and smoky or dusty conditions.

Moments of quiet and non-activity are few and spread out

Creating a cohesive staff environment round the clock can be challenging. It is crucial that staff see youth and adults through a strengths-based lens and prioritize creating the best possible youth experience at all times, despite what challenges may arise at the staff level

Physical Demands (which can include bending, stooping, hiking, climbing and stretching) are : 5% Sitting, 45% Standing, 30% Walking, 25% Lifting / Carrying / Pushing / Pulling Pounds 5 -80 lbs.

To Apply :

Complete the application and questions and provide a reference, ideally from each of the following categories : a youth serving organization, a family member, and one other professional reference

Equity & Inclusion

We recognize that Caldera communities face many societal inequities. We recognize the history and ongoing impacts of racism in our country, state, and institutions. We acknowledge that we will always have room to grow as an organization and as individuals in our understanding of racism and oppression.

We commit to continually examining our role in both perpetuating and combating institutional racism. We also commit to ongoing alignment of our policies and practices to advance racial equity, inclusion, and freedom of expression.

We commit to integrating equity and inclusion into all areas of our work to better serve our mission; when we do, we get closer to the world that we want for our youth. To ensure our own accountability, we will 1) seek deeper relationships with and feedback from our larger community; 2) use our Equity Plan to guide ongoing work; and 3) apply our Equity Lens to decision-making. We will also seek inspiration from artistic and cultural traditions.

Caldera is an equal opportunity employer encouraging applicants of all backgrounds and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

We encourage people of color and Caldera community members to apply.

Salary Description

99-109 / day

Salary : $50 - $75

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2025 Camp Lifeguard & Activities Assistant

What are the responsibilities and job description for the 2025 Camp Lifeguard & Activities Assistant position at Caldera?

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