Are you someone who has the compassion, curiosity and creativity to work with children with special needs? Do you have a sense of humor? Do you have patience, empathy, and compassion? Are you adaptable and flexible? As a Counselor for Children with Special Needs, you would guide and motivate children as they participate in various fun and exciting activities at Camp Grossman, including beautiful lakefront swimming, fishing, and boating, as well as arts, drama, sports, games, and more. Camp Grossman, a day camp located in Dover, MA, offers free camp bus service from over 20 communities in the Greater Boston area, making it possible for staff to receive transportation from their home communities! If you live in the Greater Boston area or have a place to stay in the area for the season, we would like to hear from you!

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 backgrounds. 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.

This position will pay in the range of $5,288 - $5,769 for the full regular season, including Orientation. The salary offered will ultimately be determined by the hours employees will work, the scope of the position, the candidate’s relevant experience, and internal equity.

Orientation takes place the week of June 17th and ends with Visiting Day (a pre-camp visit for all campers and families to meet staff) on Sunday, June 23. The regular camp season begins June 24 and ends August 16 (with the option to work the following “9th Week” for additional pay). The camp day runs from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with 3 staff meetings on various Monday evenings. Counselors and staff also work 1 or 2 additional family nights or overnights, depending on their position in camp. While we prefer staff who can start Orientation Week and work the entire regular season, we are happy to consider quality candidates who may have conflicting obligations.

Requirements

• Responsible for caring for assigned campers, including leading group activities and supporting the group at all events (sports, theater, climbing wall, etc.). Supervise campers throughout both structured and unstructured periods of time
• Ensure the safety and well-being of campers
• Create a fun/joyful dynamic
• Work in partnership with peers and Camp Leadership to provide a happy, safe, and memorable summer for the children
• Senior Counselors communicate in writing daily with campers’ family

QUALIFICATIONS

• Must have completed 10th grade (or equivalent) and be at least 15 years of age
• Senior Counselors are high school graduates or equivalent
• Models maturity, reliability, flexibility, and patience
• Experience with young children with special needs is helpful but not required
• Leadership skills
• A love of children and a strong desire to make a difference every day
• Positive, proactive, and kind approach while concentrating on providing children with a pleasant and safe camp experience
• Strong organizational skills, including teamwork, relationship-building skills, the ability to multitask, the ability to manage situations effectively and diplomatically
• Ability and 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.

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/

To Apply

JCC Greater Boston welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds who meet the requirements specified above. If you want to share your talents with a great team, co-creating a thriving, dynamic organization which is devoted to community building and lasting impact, please send a resume to Camp-hiring@jccgb.org or complete the staff application: https://bostonjcc.campintouch.com/ui/forms/application/staff/App .

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.

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
• Strong culture of staff appreciation
• Opportunity to earn more money by referring friends and/or doing extra jobs