Day Camp Unit Leader

Camp Shai is the JCC in Denver’s premier Jewish Day Camp serving children entering Kindergarten through 6th grade. Individuals of all backgrounds, faiths, and families are welcome. At Camp Shai, we offer a little something for everyone with a variety of engaging and fun activities. From sports to theater to engineering, our campers are building their skills, bolstering their confidence, and creating magical summer camp memories. At Camp Shai, we place an emphasis in our programming on the universal values of kindness (chesed), respect (kavod), community (kehillah), courage (ometz lev), and good attitude (ruach).

Camp is the perfect environment for campers to develop their skills outside of the classroom and build their confidence and yours too! Your work will make a difference in supporting campers to improve their ability to make and maintain friendships, increase their confidence to try new activities, and create a safe space for everyone to be themselves, campers and staff alike. Being a staff member at camp helps you to gain the skills you want from an internship in a concrete, hands-on, and fun way!

We are seeking individuals for the Unit Head role that are adaptable, goal-oriented, and excited to work in a fast-paced and fun environment where everyone is welcome. Unit Heads will provide mentorship, supervision, and direct support to the camp counselors in your unit. Think of thisposition as a coaching boot camp with practical, meaningful, hands-on experience from day one! Unit Heads will also serve as the primary lead of 3-5 groups of campers in a given week and collaborate with their team to create a fun and supportive environment where kids want to come back again and again!

Our Ideal Candidate

• You are passionate about working with kids and creating a welcoming, creative, and fun environment that celebrates learning and growth.
• You are flexible and excited by challenges that require creative problem-solving and determination.
• You are excited to provide support to a team of camp counselors and share best practices related to behavior management.
• You are a strong and effective communicator.
• You enjoy working in a dynamic environment and are ready to bring that camp energy this summer, whether you are dancing across the stage in a silly costume or face painting with campers during downtime.
• You want to grow your skillset, and you are ready to both give and receive feedback.
• You are a team player that relishes opportunities to collaborate with your colleagues.
• You exercise patience and empathy when dealing with others and exude positivity.
• Role and ResponsibilitiesPhysical Demands and Working Environment
• Directly supervise and mentor a group of 8-12 camp counselors
• Serve as the lead in consulting with counselors about camper care issues within your unit, including, but not limited to behavior management, group dynamics, self-care, health, and safety
• Use a coaching/mentoring approach to provide feedback to seasonal staff within unit as well be open to feedback from Camp Leadership team
• Demonstrate best practices for positive behavior management, conflict resolution between campers, and the fostering of a positive culture within units
• Communicate, as needed, with families of children in unit regarding issues including but not limited to minor injuries or illness, missing or lost items, and behavioral challenges
• Support before and aftercare (sunrise & sunset) programs including managing staff and campers, preparing materials, and coordinating snacks.
• Support the Camp Leadership team during Staff Orientation and subsequent staff trainings
• Contribute to and participate in all activities at camp including, but not limited to swimming, specialist activities, camp-wide community rituals, traditions, and programs
• Provide coverage for staff in camper groups as needed
• Ensure that inclusive practices are being implemented to make camp accessible for all campers as prescribed by Camp Shai’s inclusion team
• Participate in weekly staff meetings either before or after camp hours as determined by Camp Director
• Responsible for ensuring that health and safety guidelines and expectations around cleaning, sanitization, and risk mitigation as outlined by current JCC and Camp Shai policies are followed
• Perform other related duties as assigned by Camp Leadership team
• Physical Demands: This job requires personnel to have operative auditory and visual functioning. Employees must also be able to walk upwards of two (2) miles each day, including use of stairs and uneven terrain. Employees may also stand, sit in chairs or on the ground, run, and swim. Mental requirements include, but are not limited to, the ability to concentrate, effectively cope with stress, adapt to, and stay alert in a professional environment, as well as an ability to problem solve and de-escalate crisis situations and challenging behaviors. Reasonable accommodation may be granted for qualified applicants.
• Work Environment: Working conditions may include being in indoor, open classroom spaces and spending extended time outdoors under the sun.

Qualifications

Qualifications and Education Requirements

Basic Qualifications

• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Must hold a minimum of 4 years of verifiable experience working with children in a school or camp environment
• Must obtain First Aid & CPR certifications before the start date of camp. Opportunity for certification will be made available through the JCC prior to Staff Orientation. Certifications must be conducted by a Division of Early Care and Learning approved training vendor.
• Must be able to fulfill requirements for employment at the Staenberg-Loup JCC, including background screening, three professional references, documentation, and compliance with CDHS (Colorado Department of Human Services) law

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in education, social work, or another related field
• Previous experience in a leadership or supervisory role a plus

Additional Notes

Advantages of Working at Camp Shai

• Specialized Leadership Training Prior to Orientation (May 18th May 19th, 2024)
• Comprehensive One-Week Orientation Before Camp (June 3rd June 7th, 2024)
• Support and Mentorship from Camp Leadership Team
• Ongoing Professional Development and Individualized Performance Feedback
• Fitness & Aquatics Membership During Time of Employment
• Involvement in a Fun-Loving Community of Camp Professionals

Benefits Overview

This is a seasonal job and is ineligible for benefits.

Note:This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive statement of every duty and responsibility which will ever be required of an employee in this position; however, the employee will be held responsible for all duties assigned.

The Jewish Community Center values diversity and inclusiveness and is an equal-opportunity employer.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $3,640.00 - $4,594.00 per month

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• Denver, CO 80246: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person