Summer Camp Counselor

Camp Chippewa is a nonprofit boys summer camp whose mission is to develop Character through Adventure inspired by Tradition. We’ve been serving boys ages 8-17 since 1935. Our program operates on two fronts: in-camp activities and out of camp canoe trips.

Our in-camp activities include archery, canoeing, fencing, riflery, rock climbing, sailing, soccer, swimming, tennis, trap shooting, and waterskiing. Campers ages 8-13 go on canoe trips in northern MN ranging 1-4 nights. Campers ages 14-17 go on extended wilderness canoe trips in Ontario and Manitoba ranging 6-20 nights.

Location

Camp Chippewa is located at the end of the road on the shores of Cass Lake and Buck Lake in Minnesota's Chippewa National Forest. We are 20 miles east of the city of Bemidji, and 15 miles north of the town of Cass Lake. With the mighty Mississippi running through Cass Lake (and the Mississippi headwaters only 80 miles upstream), adventure is never too far away!

Job Description

As a counselor, you will be placed in a cabin with one other staff member and 4-8 boys of the same age group. Daily duties include wakeup, supervision during family-style meals, aiding in cabin cleanup, 4 hours of activity instruction, (staff receive 1 hour of time off from activity instruction each day), approximately 3 hours of free time supervision, put to bed, and sleeping in your cabin overnight. We hire staff who have graduated high school and have completed one year of post-secondary education or professional work experience.

Time Commitment

Camp Chippewa’s season begins in early June and ends in mid-August. A contract for the summer of 2024 begins on June 1 and ends on August 9. The 10 weeks are broken down as follows:

June 4 – June 17: Staff Orientation and Lifeguard Training

June 18 – July 14: First Session (with campers)

July 15: Bemidji Day (day off)

July 16 – August 11: Second Session (with campers)

August 12: Camp Cleanup and Staff Depart

Staff receive 2 days off and 2 nights off during each of the two sessions. Staff also receive an evening off and a day off during staff orientation, and a day off between sessions. Daily duties are described above, and a sample daily schedule is available upon request.

Compensation

Salary for a successful completion of the 10-week summer program begins at $2,400. Additional salary is offered to applicants with other camp or counseling experience; wilderness medicine certifications (WFA, WFR, WEMT); Water Safety Instructor certification; and certifications in instructing archery, climbing, fencing, firearm sports, tennis, and waterskiing.

Camp Chippewa provides 2 weeks of staff training that includes a Red Cross Lifeguard certification course. Room, board, and laundry service are provided for the entire 10 weeks with an estimated value at $550/week. Camp Chippewa also provides Minnesota Worker’s Compensation. There is no WiFi access on camp property, and many staff elect to use their cellular data plan alongside coffee shop WiFi in Bemidji during days off.

Ideal Applicants

We are looking for applicants who, though developing relationships and connections, want to make a positive impact on a young boy’s life. Camp Chippewa serves a wide variety of boys, but everyone is in need of disconnecting from technology and screens and immersing themselves in a beautiful, healthy, outdoor environment. As a counselor, you will be the one guiding our campers and helping them focus each day on engagement, resilience, confidence, and leadership.

Applicants must be 19 years of age or older. Staff are expected to be able to carry heavy objects up to 40 pounds, be on their feet for up to 4 hours at a time, and be away from their phone from 24-96 hours at a time. Camp Chippewa is a smoke-free environment. We have a zero-tolerance policy with respect to possession and consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs on camp property and intoxication on camp property. Staff must agree to cover any profane, sexual, or gory tattoos.

Application Process

Please contact us via phone or email if you are interested in applying! You can also complete a staff application available on our website (www.campchippewa.com). Upon receiving your application, we will review it, contact your listed references, and then determine if we would like to schedule an interview. After a successful interview, we will send you a contract.

The deadline for submitting all necessary forms after signing a contract is May 31, 2024.

Fun Facts

Camp Chippewa prides itself in a high staff retention rate. Of the two dozen counselors we hire each summer, an average of only 6 are brand new to Chippewa each summer. Our staff keep in contact for many years after working at Chippewa, and you can travel to almost any state in America (as well as England, Ireland, and New Zealand) and have place to stay with a Chippewa alum.

Camp Chippewa is a smaller camp. With around two dozen counselors and eighty campers, you will know everyone by name in days. This serves to promote a tight-knit community that supports each other in ways you just can’t get with a larger camp. The friends you make here will last a lifetime.

Camp Chippewa offers premier wilderness canoe trip experiences. Few camps in America go on longer, more remote trips to experience pristine wilderness. We are also located only hours away from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, which covers over one million acres of wilderness and contains over one thousand lakes.

Job Types: Contract, Temporary

Pay: From $240.00 per week

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Professional development assistance
• Referral program

Work Location: In person

Salary : $2,400