Our summer camp volunteer program for 16 year olds

01/01/2018

For former in-Training program participants that are not yet old enough for employment (age 17 for overnight camps), we have a volunteer program available.

Who is this experience for?

Individuals who completed the CiT/AiT program the summer before
Individuals who won’t make the age cutoff to be a Junior Counselor (17 years old before their first day of employment)
Individuals who are passionate about being mentors, teaching, and working with youth.
Individuals who believe in Frost Valley’s 8 cores values of Caring, Community, Diversity, Honesty, Inclusiveness, Respect, Responsibility, and Stewardship.

What will this experience entail?

4 week program (1^st half and 2^nd half of the summer)
Living in supervised housing separate from campers and CiTs
Supervised by Activities Team
Will be instructed by members of the Activities Team (A-team) on the process of instructing a class from start to finish (beginning with lesson planning, progressing through to shadowing instructors, finishing with team teaching). These individuals will also be an integral part of planning and preparing the All Camp theme day in the middle of each session.
Volunteers will be in the Frost Valley office for part of each day, learning the behind the scenes logistics that go into running a summer camp. They will get in depth knowledge of the paperwork required of a staff member which will benefit them greatly in future summers.
Volunteers will be adopted to a village, just like all other members of the A-Team, getting the opportunity to interact and bond with campers, while also learning the ins and outs of the in-cabin counselor position.
The goal is that individuals will learn creative programming and logistics that will make them strong staff members in future summers, as well as giving them experience working with children.

Stipulations

Volunteers will be treated as campers in the Rule of 3 equation (must be supervised and can’t be alone 1-on-1 with a staff member or another camper).
Volunteers will not have days off as they are not staff, but they can go home for holdover just like any other participant.
Volunteers will have a curfew of 11pm
Volunteers will not be allowed in the Blum House. Furthermore, they will not have access to wifi while they are in the program. They will have use of the computers in the A-team office where they can send emails.
Volunteers will be interviewed by a year round director and must be accepted into the program, it is not a guarantee that if you meet the criteria outlined above you will be accepted.
Volunteers are are not allowed to have any romantic interactions/relationships with campers, CiTs, or staff members.
Even though these volunteers are valued, they are not staff. There is no compensation for the time for their time at Frost Valley. Volunteers will not be charged for the program, housing or food. Volunteers are here to contribute to the greater good of camp. Volunteer hours are available, any necessary forms or signatures are available on request.

If interested, please complete the online volunteer application. Space is extremely limited in this program. Preference towards a particular session is not guaranteed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dan Weir

Dan Weir
Director of Camping Services
campdirector@frostvalley.org
845-985-2291 ext 270

Growing up in New Jersey, Dan Weir knew Frost Valley YMCA as the place his family loved. Now Dan has 21 summers working at Frost Valley YMCA under his belt. He has progressed from junior camp counselor to Director of Camping Services, overseeing Frost Valley’s overnight summer camp programs. Dan holds a Master’s Degree from Stony Brook University, specializing in youth development and technology affecting youth, and a Bachelor’s Degree from George Washington University in Psychology. Dan lives year round at camp with his family.