Counselor

Salary & Dates: $4275, more DOE. Dates for this position are May 31 – August 8, 2026

Job Description: Tawonga counselors live in camper cabins and work with bunks of 12 campers.  Counselors strive to raise self-esteem and foster the bunk group dynamic by actively participating in all camp activities offered by specialists, including: ropes course, backpacking, arts & crafts, Jewish programs, and more, as well as creating programs of their own. Counselors work most sessions as a Bunk Counselor (with a co-counselor in a 12 camper cabin), but may also spend one or more sessions as a Unit Counselor supporting multiple bunks. 

Job Responsibilities

• Parent

• As a parent you must be aware of the physical and emotional well-being of all 12 campers’ at all times. 

• Physical needs: Ensure campers have everything they need to stay healthy at camp 

• Emotional needs: Make sure that the campers are feeling good about themselves, understanding that campers’ identities are multifaceted, and their relationships in the cabin.

• Being a “parent” to 12 kids, 19 hours a day means giving kids plenty of TLC (tender loving care) and forming relationships with every camper in the cabin. 

• Cheerleader

• Be excited and positive about the day’s schedule regardless of what your personal feelings are. Be positive about both the bunk as a whole and individual campers.

• Bring positivity, energy, enthusiasm, and excitement! Make it fun!

• Limit Setter 

• Make sure that the campers are on time and prepared for each activity. 

• Use different tones and energy for different activities such as a sports block versus a  meditation block. 

• Manage camper behavior, enforce rules and hand out appropriate consequences as needed. 

A Day in the Life of a Counselor 

7:00AM – Wake up: get entire bunk of kids up and ready for the day 

8:00AM – Breakfast (followed by song session): ensure all campers are eating and engaged 

9:30AM – Activities Begin: your role is to support the facilitator or facilitate and encourage all campers to participate 

12:30PM – Lunch: make sure the campers are eating and drinking, serve food and talk to kids 

1:30PM – Rest Hour: this is time for campers to clean the bunk, read mail, relax or write home 

2:30PM – Activities 

3:45PM – Snack 

4:00PM – Free Swim or Floats (Floats is a time when campers choose individual activities) 

6:00PM – Dinner (followed by song session): serve food, ensure all kids are eating, talk to kids 

7:30PM – Evening Activities: good time to do stories, yoga, campfires, and mellow activities 

9:15PM – Bedtime: set the right tone, do a closing ritual, put kids to bed 

10:00PM – Counselors are off when bedtime rituals are done. Counselors occasionally have bunk coverage from 10pm-12am

12:00AM – Counselors check in to their cabins and go to sleep with the campers

Additional Responsibilities:

• Paperwork – writing camper observation forms and postcards home.

• Shmira – bunk supervision between 10pm-12am. Counselors have 5-6 shmira shifts a summer.

• Communication with Co-Counselor – working to have a healthy professional relationship with your co.

• Communication with supervisor – Bring concerns or questions to your supervisor, there for support and advice.

• Unit Counselor – Counselors are assigned to be a bunk counselor or unit counselor. A unit counselor lives in a bunk with campers, but rotates between all four bunks in a unit, keeps track of camper medications, and maintains constant communication w/ bunk counselors.

• Ruach Ride- supervising campers on the bus back to the Bay Area, and on the bus up to Camp Tawonga.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to live in a cabin with others, eat meals in a vibrant, communal dining hall, address challenging situations appropriately in a fast-paced, interactive environment required.

• Counselors should be comfortable navigating 4-8 miles daily across a variety of terrain while employed at camp, ensuring access to different program areas around camp.

• CPR and First Aid certification