Summer Camp Counselor in Estes Park, Colorado

 

Being a counselor is a very important position and the choices they make affect the campers’ entire camp experience. The goal of the counselor is to give each camper a safe, fun, and memorable summer where they learn about themselves and learn to “act spontaneously in the right.

 

We are looking for staff members who are excited to work with youth, have experience working with children or in a particular program area, who are willing to work hard and impact children's lives.

More than 200 people from all over the United States and abroad comprise our staff. We attract people who want to make a difference in the lives of youth and who share a common goal with the Cheley family: to make the summer a fun, empowering, and enriching experience for all our campers.

 

From September to May, we work diligently to create a strong summer team. We interview people from around the country and hire international staff through staff placement agencies. Cheley provides a special environment in which to meet remarkable people. Staff members work together closely and form great and lasting friendships.

 

Our application process includes an online application, interview, three references, and a background check. Once hired, each staff member is required to complete online abuse prevention training as well as program-specific certifications, like Wilderness First Aid and CPR.

 

This job isn’t for everybody. We have high expectations for our team. Focusing on the development of others requires personal sacrifices. Sacrifices like living in rustic, historic buildings; limited personal time, and a structured schedule. The demands are high, the rewards are life-changing. There is nothing more satisfying than developing future leaders.

All staff at Cheley are part of the camp community. At different times throughout the summer, you may be asked to help the community in some way outside of your job description.

·     Counseling staff members are assigned to a specific job (typically, based on activity) in one camp unit. Every counselor is first a counselor involved in the person-to-person relationships of guiding campers, helping them to make the most of their camp opportunity. Support staff members are assigned to a general support position (i.e., photographer, cook, transportation, etc.).

·     Counselors live with and are responsible for a group of campers. They are typically at least 19 years old. They write weekly reports to parents, have meal supervision, maintain discipline, and set a good example. Counselors also help campers with laundry sorting, making beds, homesickness, and personal hygiene. Support staff members live in shared support staff housing and are typically at least 18 years old.

All staff members have one day off and one night off each week with daily shuttles provided to town each morning and afternoon. We are about 10 minutes from downtown Estes Park which has laundry facilities, shops and restaurants, grocery stores, a movie theater, and a bowling alley. We are about an hour from Boulder (home to the University of Colorado) and Fort Collins (home to Colorado State University) and 1.5 hours from Denver.

·     Unit Directors/Assistant Director(s)

Must be 21. Responsible for all aspects of running their unit: Staff development, scheduling, camper experience, writing the newsletter, reviewing camper reports, meal counts, program scheduling, camp unity, camp spirit, parent contacts, staff evaluations, and laundry coordination.

·     Backpacking

Must be 21 and have a valid drivers license. Responsible for preparing and planning backpacks, which are two to five days in duration, and teach cooking on backpack stoves, proper care of equipment, Leave No Trace camping, geology, flora and fauna, and basic backcountry skills. CPR/WFA required.

·     Hiking

Must be 21 and have a valid drivers license. Hiking counselors hike five days a week, which requires excellent physical condition and stamina. CPR/WFA required.

·     HBO (Hiking/Backpacking/Out of Camp Activities)

Will spend time hiking, backpacking, outcamping, and accompanying campers on whitewater rafting and/or stand-up paddleboarding trips, as needed. CPR/WFA required.

·     Horseback Riding

Responsible for teaching the fundamentals of Western riding and horse care. Riding counselors will ride all week with all-day rides, half-day rides in the ring or adjoining ranch, multi-day rides, and horse packing trips. CPR/WFA required.

·     Outcamping

Responsible for the planning, preparation, and leading of two-to-three day overnight trips away from camp to our outlying properties. CPR/WFA required.

·     Mountain Biking

Responsible for teaching proper form and technique to both aspiring and seasoned riders, as well as regular maintenance of our mountain bike fleet. Mountain biking counselors typically ride three days a week and also act as sports counselors. Experience and CPR/WFA required.

·     Sports

Responsible for planning an afternoon games tournament ("Play Day") and directing as well as individual instruction in games, initiatives course, archery, soccer, volleyball, Frisbee golf, and other sports. CPR/FA required.

·     Crafts

Responsible for planning and teaching a variety of projects, including leather craft, woodworking, copper and silversmithing, enameling, tie-dying and other fabric arts, painting, sketching, and pottery. CPR/FA required.

·     Riflery

·     Campfire

Responsible for all the details of planning and directing the regular evening programs, plus special evenings, and a wide range of social activities, including square dances, skits, final banquets, all-camp campfire, Chapel, vespers, and choir. During the day, campfire counselors are on program. CPR/FA required.

A Note on Certifications: Acquiring the required certifications prior to the start of summer camp is the responsibility of the staff member. If hired, you will receive a list of ACA-approved certification providers.

Housing and meals are provided, and staff members are expected to live at camp. The paycheck schedule varies, typically with paydays being after staff training, after each term, and then weekly for pre-camp and post-camp.

 

We also provide a travel allowance and bonuses for relevant certifications, including WEMT/EMT, WFR, Teaching, CDL, ACCT, CWI, High Ropes Levels 1 & 2. While working, staff members have access to “pro-deal” discounts and discounts throughout Estes Park.

Cheley Colorado Camps is a family-owned, co-ed, residential summer camp that was started in 1921 by Frank H. Cheley. We are youth development professionals focused on having a positive lasting impact. Comprised of outdoor adventures, horseback riding, athletics, target sports, fine & performing arts, and aquatics, "We build the lasting character and resiliency of young people, creating unique life experiences in a challenging and nurturing natural environment."

A summer at Cheley Colorado Camps means spending time hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, rafting, paddleboarding, mountain biking, and playing in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Wake up each morning to the fresh mountain air, views of peaks that soar to 14,000 feet, and the laughter of fellow campers and staff. Since 1921, Cheley Colorado Camps has welcomed more than 50,000 young people from every state and more than a dozen countries, including many second, third, and now fourth generation Cheley campers. Offering two traditional 4-week terms, a 5-night program for younger campers interested in a taste of camp, a family camp, and more, Cheley hosts over 1,200 campers each summer with ~220 seasonal staff and a small team of year-round staff.

People choose Cheley because they know they can expect an experience of exceptional richness, quality, and consistency in a community that celebrates the individual interests and needs of each participant. Camp lies 75 miles northwest of Denver on the 750-acre Land O'Peaks Ranch south of Estes Park, surrounded by the snow-capped peaks and forests of Rocky Mountain National Park, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, and the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Cheley operates its backcountry program on permits from the National Park Service and the Forest Service. In addition to the Land O'Peaks Ranch, Cheley owns five more locations totaling approximately 700 acres. Two of these locations are the site of two additional camper units – the Trail's End Ranches, where campers sleep in covered wagons – while the other three locations serve as overnight camping spots. No matter how many years you come to camp, it's tough to see it all.

In Rocky Mountain National Park alone, more than 600 miles of trails wind through sunlit meadows of wildflowers, cool forests, brilliant snowfields, and vast boulder fields to high country lakes, ponds, glaciers, and rivers, and alpine peaks. Cheley's facilities include five horseback riding rings, a climbing wall, a gymnasium, a fleet of 40 mountain bikes, a low and high ropes course, a grassy amphitheater with a lighted stage, a soccer field beside an aspen grove, a fishing pond, and facilities for working with leather, paints, ceramics, and wood. Camp buildings, much like the Cheley Experience, are rich in tradition and steeped in memory. Handsome lodges and snug log cabins dating to the 1920s merge gracefully with the rocky landscape, offering stunning views at every turn. The facilities and grounds are constantly improved and scrupulously maintained for the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of campers and staff. 

Cheley Colorado Camps has survived wars, economic depressions, natural disasters, and pandemics, truly withstanding the test of time. Following our Centennial in 2021, we know our challenge as leaders in youth development is to protect and preserve the rugged, rustic character of their experience while providing opportunities for growth, personal responsibility, and self-reliance. This is what makes Cheley a top-rated summer camp and we intend on improving every year.

Cheley Colorado Camps is accredited by the American Camp Association, the Western Association of Independent Camps, the Camp Owners and Directors Association, and is a Leave No Trace partner.

We live by our core values and beliefs, which embrace harmony, honesty, integrity, unselfish love, and concern for human dignity. The Cheley Experience thrives on creating an environment where everyone is comfortable bringing their authentic selves to camp. All are welcome and encouraged to apply!