Day Camp Counselor

Job Title: Pathfinders Day Camp Counselor

Dates of Employment: May 12, 2025 - August 15, 2025

Reports To: Day Camp Programs Manager

Housing Available: Yes

Compensation: $550 per week base rate, 10% differential (increase) for Spanish speakers, 3% increase for returning camp staff. 

About Keystone Science School 
With the outdoors as a backdrop for learning, Keystone Science School inspires curiosity and critical thinking through the lens of science to change lives and strengthen communities. KSS offers a variety of adventure and traditional camp activities within a structured environment designed to allow each camper and participant to understand their potential. In all programs, campers and participants will create lifelong friendships, explore and learn about the natural world, and gain leadership and wilderness skills.  For more information go to keystonescienceschool.org 

With a staff that cares deeply about social justice and racial justice, we believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds create a rich work environment and enhance our ability to pursue our mission. We are committed to building an organization with raised consciousness in order to impact how we work with clients, as well as how we work together as a team. 

Program Overview and Job Summary

KSS offers day camp programming based out of the KSS campus for local and visiting children grades Kindergarten through 5th. Programming is age specific and full-day, offering educational and recreational activities with weekly science and adventure themes. Each week, campers will participate in hands-on activities, local hikes, arts and crafts, games, leadership, literacy, community building and much more!

Pathfinders is an adventure day camp for middle school aged campers with 3 themes: Rock, Horse, and Water. Pathfinders counselors are responsible for facilitating a wide variety of curricula and activities. Pathfinders counselors are also required to go through KSS’s rock climbing training and must have prior rock climbing experience. Pathfinders counselors are the primary caregiver for each child attending programming, and are responsible for guiding campers in their personal growth and daily living skills.

Main areas of focus:

• 90% Teaching and facilitation

• 10% Support staff duties (e.g. facilitation of meals, setup/clean up, transportation, student free time).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Supervise up to 13 children each day and actively interact with and engage children during KSS programs;

• Prepare, and teach age appropriate activities;

• Maintain high standards of health and safety, and follow Risk Management policies in all activities;

• Oversee the successful execution of logistic and operational tasks for Day Camp programs, which includes but is not limited to: taking photos, check-in/out, etc.;

• Drive a 15-passenger van and successfully complete Van Driver Training;

• Set up before children arrive and clean up after children depart from program campus;

• Maintain storage of all KSS equipment.

• Attend all staff meetings and trainings as assigned;

• Lead rock climbing program while maintaining all KSS climbing policies and risk management.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – Minimum Requirements

• Have an interest in, respect for, and ability to work with children;

• Have an interest in, respect for, and ability to work with people with diverse backgrounds;

• Ability to create an inclusive learning environment for students from a wide range of backgrounds;

• Experience with risk management practices of the outdoor and environmental education industry;

• Ability to be creative, adaptable, and flexible while managing children in a variety of situations;

• Strong work ethic and will work until the job is complete;

• Motivation to contribute positively to the KSS at-large community;

• Multi-task efficiently while managing a high-volume workload in a fast-paced, changing environment;

• Superior customer service skills, with the ability to be creative and think 'outside the box';

• Ability to work in a busy environment with many distractions.

Required Education, Experience, and Certifications

• Candidates will be asked to provide verification of 460 hours of experience working with school-age children;

• Current Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and CPR certifications, from an approved vendor, or the ability to obtain before the first day of employment;

• Must be able to successfully pass a comprehensive background check;

• Age 20+ with an excellent driving record and a valid driver's license.

Pathfinders Counselors will be required to attend the site manager training from May 12th-16th and successfully pass the KSS site manager check-off. Site managers will be the primary person responsible for sport climbing, setting up and cleaning top rope climbs, institutional rappels, managing the crag and, in collaboration with the co-instructor, holding high standards of safety and risk management. Applicants should have a demonstrated history of sport climbing and be confident and knowledgeable to guide outdoor climbing trips for participants ages 5-17. Professional experience and industry specific current certifications are a plus.  

Preferred:

• Demonstrated awareness of safety practices associated with outdoor climbing crags. 

• Demonstrated background in working with youth in an outdoor climbing setting. 

• Teach students basic rock climbing safety and skills.

• Ability to properly inspect software and hardware used for outdoor sport climbing. 

• Familiarity with tying knots and hitches related to sport climbing. 

• Strong ability to manage groups of youth in climbing situations is a requirement for this position.  

• Attend in-house required rock climbing training and, after training, demonstrate the ability to safely teach students how to belay, manage a rock top rope climbing site, lead belay, and coach students on fundamentals of climbing. 

• Equipment familiarity with all aspects of outdoor sport climbing 

• This includes, but is not limited to: 

  •   i.  Harnesses 

  •  ii.  Helmets 

  • iii.  Dynamic and static rope 

  • iv.  Belay devices 

  • v.  Slings and webbing 

  • Quickdraws

• Prior experience sport and/or trad climbing 5.8+, ability to lead climb 5.10 and above is preferred

• Prior experience leading institutional rock climbing and setting up/cleaning top rope climbs

• Familiarity with safe rappel practices. 

• Familiarity, or ability to learn, basic rescue techniques such as belay transfers. 

• Familiarity with climbing crags associated with the KSS climbing program is a plus but not required. 

• Attend in-house required rock climbing training and, after training, demonstrate necessary skills

• Climbing certifications such as an SPI are a strong addition to any application. 

Work Schedule

This is a full-time, seasonal position.  The typical work schedule will require a flexible schedule, including days, nights, and weekends. Counselors should expect to work 60+ hours a week including some evenings and overnights to support day camp meetings and programming. Counselors can expect to be off on weekends other than during staff training. 

Travel Expectations 

In many situations, KSS will provide transportation to satellite programming locations. However, staff may be asked to use personal vehicles to travel within Summit County. Any travel mileage outside Summit County may be reimbursed.