Advocate Camp Counselor For Children With Special Needs, Camp Kaleidoscope

Laughter. Fun. Making a difference every day. Camp Kaleidoscope, the JCC summer day camp in Newton, draws creative campers interested in the arts, science, and the outdoors. Each summer we serve a population of campers with Special Needs and are committed to fully including them in activities with their peers. Advocate Camp Counselors partner with their co-counselors as a team to create an inclusive group dynamic while facilitating accommodations based on ICPs (Individual Camper Plans) to fully include campers with Special Needs in their peer groups and activities throughout the camp day. Activities include drama, art, science, sports, swimming, and much more as campers develop and build self-confidence. The energy of the camp is lively, playful, and warm, as both campers and staff develop lifelong friendships.

JCC Greater Boston is deeply committed to valuing and celebrating the uniqueness of each constituent. We welcome staff and participants from diverse backgrounds. While being proudly Jewish, we strive in every way to provide an open and welcoming setting for all, irrespective of personal practices, beliefs, or background. We are guided by JCC Greater Boston's core values - Belonging, Joyfulness, Collaboration, and Transformation - which resonate with many who do not identify as Jewish.

The full camp season is June 17 - August 16. While a full summer commitment is preferred for this summer role, there is some flexibility.

This position pays a competitive rate of $4,800 - $5,400 for the summer, with optional additional hours to staff early drop-off and extended daycare. The salary offered will ultimately be determined by the dates employees will work, the scope of the position, the candidate’s relevant experience, and internal equity.

Lower and Middle Camp Counselors work with campers entering grades K - 3. They assist in specialist-led activities and lead fun group games with their campers. They support and nurture campers throughout the day.

Upper Camp Counselors work with campers entering grades 4 - 8. They lead or assist in a variety of activities, including theater, dance, video production, sports, boating, fencing, music, art, costuming, and more.

10 skills you gain while being a summer Camp Counselor:

• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Build your resume with hands-on experience working with Children with Special Needs
• Ability to "think on your feet"
• Social/emotional knowledge
• Problem-solving techniques
• Project management skills
• Leadership skills
• Collaboration experience
• Flexibility
• Fitness
• Fun!

Schedule

June 17 through August 16, 8:30 am – 4:30pm, Mondays through Fridays, Full-time seasonal

Requirements

• Ensuring the safety and well-being of campers in structured and unstructured time
• Creating a fun/joyful dynamic
• Working in partnership with co-counselors to create an inclusive group dynamic and facilitate accommodations to fully include campers with Special Needs with their peers
• Working in partnership with peers and Camp Leadership to provide a happy, safe and memorable summer for the children
• Leading or co-leading activities
• Mentoring counselors in training

Qualifications

• Completed 10th grade (or equivalent)
• Concentration in Special Needs, Special Education, or similar field of study and/or comparable experience preferred
• Experience with children
• A love of children and a strong desire to make a difference every day
• Leadership skills, including teamwork, patience, flexibility, and diplomacy
• Commitment to build strong relationships with campers, co-workers, and camp leadership

ADA Statement: Individuals must possess these criteria for knowledge, skills, and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation and using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Agency Information

JCC Greater Boston is a nonprofit organization with roots in earlier Settlement Houses and Young Men’s Hebrew Associations; JCC Greater Boston today offers a wide range of services and program activities throughout the Greater Boston region (~50,000 individuals annually in 98 communities). The organization provides a variety of programs and services to children and adults in the Greater Boston Jewish community including preschools, day camps, a regional model of Jewish family engagement, a fully equipped fitness and aquatic center, arts and culture classes, performances, lectures, and Jewish holiday celebrations.

Our vision is to create a vibrant and evolving Jewish community where everyone belongs. Our mission is to be at the heart of that community by:

• creating a thriving community that nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships
• welcoming a growing and increasingly diverse set of individuals and families from all over Greater Boston
• supporting the building of unique identities rooted in Jewish values and deeper connections to Jewish life
• nourishing minds, bodies, and spirits through dynamic, innovative, and accessible experiences and expanding engagement by partnering closely with other organizations to ensure the continuing vitality of our community as a whole

JCC Greater Boston takes the welfare and safety of staff, children, and program participants very seriously. On an ongoing basis, we align our operating procedures with guidance from the CDC and the state. In response to current local public health situations, our practices have previously included, and in the future may include, ensuring proper physical distancing, sanitation, hygiene, vaccination requirements, and use of face coverings to promote the health of our staff and program participants.

JCC Greater Boston welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds who meet the requirements specified above. If you want to share your talents with a wonderful community and a great team, apply today!

JCC Greater Boston is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or disability. In a continuing effort to maintain and enrich a diverse environment, we actively encourage applications from women and members of underrepresented groups.

To learn more about what makes JCC Greater Boston a wonderful place to work, please visit our careers page at https://www.bostonjcc.org/careers/

Benefits

In addition to a rewarding position where you care for a community, the JCC Greater Boston provides competitive benefits, including:

• A competitive salary
• A fun, active work culture and community
• Complimentary summer access to the JCC Greater Boston facility in Newton – offering indoor swimming and workout facilities
• Parents working full time may have their child attend camp for free for the weeks they are working
• Outstanding working environment including convenient, free parking
• Camp Kaleidoscope offers free camp bus service from Cambridge, Brookline, Framingham, Sudbury, and Wayland.

Benefits are subject to review and change by the Organization.