Camp Voyageur

 

UPDATES: Hiring!

 

Hiring:

 
 
 

Camp Counselors


 

Do you want a meaningful job this summer? While your friends grind away in the city, imagine a fulfilling summer of personal growth and adventure while mentoring boys in the Great Northwoods

Counselors are the worker bees who live, work, eat, and play with campers all summer long. Typically two male college-age counselors share a cabin with 5-7 boys, supervise in-camp sports, assist evening programs, and guide wilderness trips. Counselors will spend about 40% of their time on wilderness trips and 60% of their time at Voyageur base camp.

The dates for this position are May 25th to August 15th, 2023.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  • Manage risks in camp and on trips

  • Help with cabin cleanliness and organization, watch over cabin mates like a mother hen, help your campers adjust to life away from home, and more

  • Lead camp sports and activities, as well as Lifeguarding over aquatics and swimming

  • Lend your talents and interests to lead specific program activities like arts and crafts, aquatics, fitness, sailing, archery, video documentation, and more

  • Lead wilderness canoeing, hiking, and/or kayaking trips for boys age 10-18


Required Qualifications

  • Interested in being a positive role model and making a positive impact on kids’ lives

  • Love of nature, wild places, and working with children

  • Commitment to being screen-free while on duty

  • Hard-working with a good attitude, high energy, and ability to demonstrate sound judgment, patience, and understanding at all times

  • Ability to lift heavy packs and canoes up to 80 lbs

  • Current WFA (we provide) and Lifeguarding certifications. Counselors with both certs. receive a $500 incentive over a 10-week contract in addition to $200/month higher pay

  • Attend two weeks of paid staff training beginning May 25th


Preferred Qualifications

  • Previous experience working with kids or in outdoor education

  • Possess specialties in coaching, teaching, fishing, sailing, photography, media publication, arts and crafts, or other related fields

Benefits

  • $1200+ monthly stipend dependent on experience and certifications

  • Certification incentives

  • Travel stipend

  • Bonuses for exceptional work

  • Room and board

  • Use of gear and camp facilities during days off

  • Opportunity to spend 30+ days in the vast wilderness of the Superior-Quetico region in North America

  • Academic internships available

 

Additional Information About Camp Voyageur

Established in 1951 in stark contrast to larger, corporate day camps that feature water slides and bubble blowing, Camp Voyageur is a rustic, family-owned camp with a traditional four-week program designed to cause boys age 10-18 to confront their self-concept and motivate them to explore and exceed what they thought were their limits. Confidence and independence come from this experience and it prepares them for life.

Camp Voyageur’s program offers boys a robust base camp routine of land and water sports, coupled with wilderness trips in the adjacent, two-million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the surrounding region. Kids grow strong in camp playing sports and making friends. In the surrounding lake country, they master wilderness skills. Eventually, teenagers can qualify for Advanced Trips and Expeditions which explore the Quetico Provincial Park, Isle Royale, Apostle Islands, and beyond.

Most staff live on the peninsula with kids in cabins separated by age.  The cabins are basic but comfortable, and only a few steps away from restrooms, showers, a sauna, a basketball court, and the lake.

Staff get roughly one day off per week.  We want our staff to be enthusiastic and recognize that some time off helps to rejuvenate the spirit.  Staff often use their days off to check in with their families, catch up on social media, explore Ely and surrounding areas, swim, sauna, and nap.