What are the responsibilities and job description for the Summer Camp Collaborator (Counselor) position at Institute for Applied Tinkering?
Explore your curiousity with kids at Tinkering School Summer Camp. FT and PT positions are available.
Description
Tinkering School Summer Camp Positions
Do you like kids? Do you like building? If so, we invite you to apply to join our team of Collaborators (camp counselors) at our Tinkering School Summer Camps! We work closely with kids ages 8-15 to build amazing things, like a 16’ ferris wheel, a giant moving jellyfish, gravity-powered go-karts, and whatever else kids can dream up, design, and build in a week! At our Tinkering camps, kids use real tools and real materials to build projects bigger than themselves. For more information, check us out! www.tinkeringschool.com/jobs.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Our Collaborators are people who are as comfortable with a chop saw as they are with cleaning skinned knees and navigating the social-emotional needs of eight-year-olds. Our Collaborators curate and shape a camp environment that tilts towards engagement, following children’s lead as they explore, build, and bring their imaginative designs to life. We can teach you how to use tools and you can learn to build alongside the kids, but it is essential that you firmly believe children are already whole people with important things to say. We are as eager to talk to bombastic college students as we are to educators with 35 years of experience. We seek to create a well-rounded group of adults that children of all inclinations can relate to, build relationships with, and trust.
Candidates will say “That’s me!” to any combination of the following skills:
- Tool Master. You can handle a drill press with ease but can also comfortably guide eight-year-olds through their first cuts on the chop saw.
- Kid Whisperer. You can hold space for a nine-year-olds’ unbelievably fascinating tangential story and talk to an eleven-year-old with the adult tone they crave and deserve.
- Storyteller. Stories bring us together and make us a tribe. They can teach and set examples. They can enliven a mealtime and make a campfire the perfect ending to a long week at camp.
- Listener. Some kids are shy and don’t usually get a lot of attention. You know how to find those kids, figure out what makes them tick, and can get them engaged.
- Outdoor Adventurer. You always know the right knot to tie, can effortlessly spot the difference between blackberry bushes and poison oak, and help spread excitement about living in the woods.
DATES AND HOURS
Tinkering School will be in operation from June 16, 2025, until August 14, 2025. We hope that you will work the whole summer, but will also consider hiring partial-summer staff.
Training Week - June 16-20
Session 1 - June 23-27
Session 2 - June 30-July 3 (closed on the 4th)
Session 3 - July 7-11
Session 4 - July 14-18 HOURS
Session 4 - July 14-18
Session 5 - July 21-25
Session 6 - July 28 - August 1
Session 7 - August 4-8
Reset Week - August 11-14 (4 days)
Mon-Fri: 8:45a - 5:30 pm, FT and PT opportunities available.
COMPENSATION $18.67 - $27/hr DOE
APPLY Apply to join our team by emailing hiring@tinkeringschool.com with a PDF copy of your resume, cover letter, and documentation of a cool project you’ve worked on.
1. Your resume (PDF format only, please)
2. Answers to the following questions:
a. What is your experience working with young people ages 6-16? Or, if this is your first experience, tell us why you want to work with young people.
b. When was the last time you witnessed someone struggling with a task and how did you respond?
c. At Tinkering School, the plan can change dramatically, swiftly, and often. Tell us about your comfort with and ability to improvise.
d. What else do you want us to know about you? Is there anything you would like to share with us?
3. Feel free to also email us photos of some cool project(s) you’ve worked on (not required). Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.
Tinkering School is an equal-opportunity employer and makes employment decisions based on merit. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, pregnancy, and breastfeeding), sexual orientation (including heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality), national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, age, medical condition, genetic characteristics or information, military and veteran status, and physical or mental disability, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state or local laws.
Salary
$18.67 - $27 per hour
Salary : $19 - $27
