What are the responsibilities and job description for the Garden Camp Counselor position at Gardens of Golden Gate Park?
Job Type
Full-time, Temporary
Description
Position Title : Garden Camp Counselor
Hours : Full-time (Monday - Friday)
Role Classification : Temporary, June 9 to August 8, 2025
Exemption : Non-Exempt
Reports to : Senior Program Manager
Salary : $18.67 - $21.00 per hour
ABOUT THE GARDENS OF GOLDEN GATE PARK
The mission of Gardens of Golden Gate Park is to connect people to plants, the planet, and each other. Gardens of Golden Gate Park is a public / private partnership between the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department (RPD) and the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society (SFBGS) to jointly operate the Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, and San Francisco Botanical Garden. A Lease & Management Agreement between RPD and SFBGS, approved by both the Recreation & Park Commission and the Board of Supervisors, sets the terms of the partnership.
The agreement is a cooperative management agreement that outlines the roles and responsibilities for each partner. Key areas of responsibility for SFBGS include volunteer engagement, education, visitor experience, philanthropy, membership, marketing, and other functions. RPD is responsible for horticulture and facility management and maintenance, master planning and capital improvements conducted with SFBGS, and other functions. Together, RPD and SFBGS collaborate on collections management within the Gardens.
The Conservatory of Flowers is a national, state, and local landmark and a place of exceptional beauty. Built in 1879, the Conservatory was the first formal structure erected in Golden Gate Park and remains an internationally renowned icon, displaying and cultivating unusual plants to heighten awareness of the pressing need to preserve threatened rainforest environments.
The Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest operating public Japanese garden in North America. This garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden and was originally created as an exhibit for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition.
San Francisco Botanical Garden opened in 1940 and is a 55-acre living museum within Golden Gate Park, showcasing 8,000 different kinds of plants from around the world. San Francisco's oceanic climate with cool dry summers, mild wet winters, and presence of fog allows the Garden to grow a diverse array of species from around the world.
POSITION SUMMARY
San Francisco Botanical Garden's Garden Camp program primarily serves children in grades K-5 with all-outdoor programming that focuses on educational and positive social-emotional development with peers in nature. Garden Camp connects children to plants through a combination of structured, themed activities and open-ended time to develop curiosity, initiative, imagination, and creativity. Curriculum will revolve around four main themes : gardening, art, wellness, and ecology.
Counselors are members of the Programs and Partnership Department, report to and are supervised by the Garden Camp Director.
Counselors will be responsible for the care, comfort, and safety of participants. Counselors' primary objectives are to : provide an engaging, fun, educational, age-appropriate, and safe experience for participants; provide excellent customer service to parents and caregivers; work collaboratively within the Learning and Engagement team; lead by example; and inform the development of the Camp programs in seasons to come.
Counselors are expected to follow the program's COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan and other safety protocol, including completing Mandated Reporter and First Aid / CPR training.
The Garden is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and inclusion; experience working across cultures is an asset.
Requirements
RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential Duties
- Provide in-person care for children with a co-counselor in a public setting.
- Build and nourish positive relationships with campers while promoting a sense of nature connection among the participants.
- Enforce camp rules, policies, and safety guidelines consistently, ensuring a safe and secure camp environment.
Content Delivery and Community Building
Camp Group Management and Support
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
ADDITIONAL EXPECTATIONS
RETURNING COUNSELORS
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND TO APPLY :
Gardens of Golden Gate Park is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by law.
Salary : $19 - $21