The job of working at Camp Newaygo is a demanding and rewarding one. It requires a great deal of stamina, enthusiasm, interpersonal skill and patience. Staff members must be receptive to the campers and take very seriously the responsibility of nurturing these children in a safe and interactive environment. The staff’s number one priority needs to always be the campers in their care. Camp Newaygo & our camper parents expect our staff members to be positive role models for our campers. We strive to create a staff community with diverse perspectives and life experiences. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Camp Newaygo is now hiring for the Summer 2024 Season!
Have a life-changing summer while developing transferable skills and experience. The leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills you build while working at camp look phenomenal on any resume. We are currently hiring camp counselors, wilderness trip lead counselors, leadership staff, culinary interns, and support positions.
Steps to getting hired for a summer role at Camp Newaygo:
- Complete the online application
- Have three references complete this online reference check form
- Have a ZOOM interview with our program directors
Open Seasonal Positions at Camp Newaygo:
Summer Camp Counselor
- Must be 18 or older and have graduated high school.
- May 28th – Aug 3rd (option to extend to Aug 18th)
- For Girls’ Overnight Camp: Live in cabins/tents with campers ages 7-16
- For Co-ed Day Camp: Live separate of campers ages 7-12
- Lead camp activities & programs
- Over 2 weeks of staff training, including Red Cross Lifeguard Certification
- No previous camp or outdoor experience required
- Benefits: $500 weekly salary, lodging, meals, and extensive training
Don’t take this job if: you don’t love kids & the outdoors
Camp Counselor & Trip Lead
- Must be 18 or older and have graduated high school.
- May 28th – Aug 3rd (option to extend to Aug 18th)
- Live in units with campers ages 13-16
- Lead camp activities & programs including weekly wilderness trips
- 2 weeks of staff training, including Red Cross Lifeguard Certification
- Previous outdoor experience required in backpacking, tent camping, and paddling
- Benefits: $525 weekly salary, lodging, meals, and extensive training
Don’t take this job if: you don’t love sleeping on the ground, eating food cooked over a fire, being outdoors all day, and working with teen girls.
Arts & Crafts Director
- Must be 18 or older and have graduated high school.
- May 1st – Aug 18th
- Plan arts programs for overnight, day camp, and shoulder season groups
- Facilitate arts programs including: ceramics, dark room photography, textiles, watercolor, and more!
- 3 weeks of staff training, including Red Cross Lifeguard Certification
- Benefits: $575 weekly salary, lodging, meals, and extensive training
Don’t take this job if: you don’t love art, kids, cleaning, and space organization
Ropes Course Director
- Must be 18 or older and have graduated high school.
- May 1st – Aug 18th
- Oversee operations, safety, and programming of the high ropes course and zipline
- Assist with wilderness trip pack-outs
- Previous experience and certification preferred
- 3 weeks of staff training, including Red Cross Lifeguard Certification
- Benefits: $575 weekly salary, lodging, meals, and extensive training
Don’t take this job if: you don’t constantly consider safety, have great organization skills, and think well on your feet
Waterfront Director
- Must be 18 or older and have graduated high school.
- May 1st – Aug 18th
- Facilitate waterfront programs including: swimming, windsurfing, paddleboarding, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, , and more!
- Coordinate a manage a team of lifeguards and instructors for all activities
- 3 weeks of staff training, including Red Cross Lifeguard Certification
- Benefits: $575 weekly salary, lodging, meals, and extensive training
Don’t take this job if: you don’t love kids, water, the outdoors, organization, and staff support.
Health Officer
- Must be 18 or older and have graduated high school.
- May 1st – Aug 18th
- Assist the Camp Nurse with physical and mental health needs of campers and staff
- Assist with med call, paperwork, organization, and sanitization of the Health Office
- Benefits: $575 weekly salary, lodging, meals, and extensive training
Don’t take this job if: you don’t have a passion for supporting mental, emotional, & social health needs of the camp community.
Leader-In-Training Director
- Must be 18 or older and have graduated high school.
- May 1st – Aug 18th
- Support the Leaders-In-Training by leading the Pictured Rocks Backpacking Trip, a week-long training, and LIT evaluation throughout the summer.
- Benefits: $575 weekly salary, lodging, meals, and extensive training
Don’t take this job if: you don’t love the camp counselor experience, and feel prepared to coach young leaders through what it takes to be a great camp counselor
Tripping Director
- Must be 18 or older and have graduated high school.
- May 1st – Aug 18th
- Plan and execute the logistics of the camp wilderness tripping program including schedules, transportation, equipment, and menus.
- Support camp counselors in the trip leading experience so that campers experience a safe & empowering wilderness trip.
- Benefits: $575 weekly salary, lodging, meals, and extensive training
Don’t take this job if: you don’t love logistics, problem solving, teaching wilderness skills, and organization.
Culinary Intern
- May 1st – Aug 18th
- Assist the Chef Team in preparing, scooping, panning, knife work, etc.
- Assist with special events catering as directed by the Chef Team for events such as weddings, corporate retreats etc.
- Benefits: $500 weekly salary, lodging, meals, and extensive training. *hourly, commute-in positions also available*
Don’t take this job if: you don’t love cooking, learning new skills, and being part of a hard-working team
Housekeeping and Grounds Staff
- June 1st – Aug 18th
- Assist the Housekeeping director with daily and weekly cleaning responsibilities
- Assist with gardens, lawncare, and other outdoor tasks
- Benefits: $12 per hour, flexible schedule
“I grew up going to Camp Newaygo and made some of my fondest memories along its trails. Camp Newaygo is a place where young women are given the opportunity learn from and love the outdoors, to grow into confident, strong, warm, and driven young adults, and to experience summer camp in all of its fun-filled glory. I still look back on my years at camp with a happy and grateful heart. Thank you, Camp Newaygo!” – Emily Reichard
“The expectations of a woman in the “real world” are substantially different than those at camp. After eight glorious summers at Camp Newaygo I have formed my own expectations of woman both in the “real world” and at camp. Early on, I was taught that beauty was mascara, shoes and expensive clothing. Not until I was welcomed into the world of camp did I realize these values did not hold true for many women, certainly not me. At Newaygo the sunscreen with the highest SPF holds the equivalence of the most expensive foundation in the “real world”. Bug spray is our perfume, our freckles act as concealer, friendship bracelets as our diamonds and the paint on our hands from the marshmallow paint war the day before is better than any nail polish. Our sun kissed skin and mosquito bites tell stories of the beauty that we all have on the inside, rather than the beauty that society expects us to grasp. Now, I have realized that being a woman is ultimately about being beautiful as you see it, not how the status quo does.” – Karol Kane, Camper, LIT, Counselor