JOIN OUR TEAM
A counsellor is one of the most important influences in a girl’s happiness while she is attending camp.
Therefore, Oconto gives a great deal of time and thought to the selection of each staff member.
Counsellors are chosen for their leadership qualities, maturity, natural love of children and their experience with camp activities and instruction.
Unlike most camps, staff at Oconto does not live with their campers. The staff cabins are situated beside a camper zebo or cabin. In the younger sections, the staff lives in the same building but not in the same room as the campers; we like to give campers the independence of living on their own as well as the security of having their counsellor very close by. We also like to give staff privacy so that when they are with the campers they can give 110%.
The staff members of Oconto are especially talented and their job is two-fold. Each counsellor is assigned a group of campers for which they are responsible. During activity periods while the campers are having fun at activities, the counsellors are instructing the activities. Each counsellor is hired to instruct a specific activity.
Our full staff range in age from 18 to 24+ years of age and all must have a valid First Aid and CPR certification. If you are 16 or 17 you can explore or Counsellor in Training Program.
We require instructors for the following activities:
- Synchronized Swimming
- Sailing
- Drama
- Tennis
- Tripping
- Swimming
- Diving
- Low Ropes
- Windsurfing
- Canoeing
- Kayaking
- Arts & Crafts
- Dance
- Pottery
- Archery
- Nature
- Horseback Riding
- Office Manager
- Rockwall Climbing
- Varsity Sports
- Special Events
Application Process
To be considered for a staff position, please submit your resumé via our online application system, e-mail or by mail.
Thank you for your interest in applying to work at Camp Oconto! Here are some key things to keep in mind while preparing and submitting your application. Camp Oconto is committed to employment equity and encourages all qualified candidates to apply. If you require an accommodation at any point during the hiring process please let us know so that we can work with you to meet your needs. All personal information will be handled with strict confidence.
Mailing Address
1126 Camp Oconto Rd.
Tichborne, ON
K0H 2V0
Job Requirements
Camp Counsellor
- Develop a close relationship with each camper in their group and be aware of individual problems and special needs.
- Always be available to help and guide the campers.
- Attend all meals with the campers and see that they enjoy their meal, eat adequately, maintain proper decorum and complete their clean-up chores.
- Participate in evening program and plan an evening program once or twice a week.
- Spend time with the camper group at bedtime, talking and winding them down.
- Be sufficiently skilled and experienced to plan and organize a teaching program for various age groups that develops over a 4-week period in a specific activity.
- Have the necessary qualifications and be certified where possible or essential in the specific teaching area.
Activity Head
- Must possess attributes as above.
- Decide on the program to be used and do the ordering of supplies where necessary an inventory of supplies and a suggested order for the next summer.
- Establish training procedures for the staff before and during camp.
- Develop weekly schedules, oversee the program, supervise the staff.
- Participate in senior staff meetings and the decision making process.
- Handle the administration required to ensure the area functions efficiently.
- Write a complete summary of the summer which includes, recommendations for improvements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Camp Dates
Staff are expected to arrive approximately one week before campers in June (dates depend on the staff’s specific position and will be confirmed in the spring) and leave camp one day after campers depart in August.
For one week before camp opens, an in-camp training program for both old and new staff members gives everyone a chance to familiarize themselves with the camp routines, traditions and innovations. It is a time for discussions, lectures, camp situations, practicing activity skills, and having fun together. The objective of this week is not only to give new staff time to adjust but to ensure that when the campers arrive, staff are working together comfortably and ready to take care of and teach the campers.
Days Off
Staff are given three days off per month (each day off is 24 hours long).
Smoking & Drinking
Camp Oconto is a “Smoke Free Environment”. Smoking is not permitted by any staff member in camp, or out of camp on camp business. Also, the consumption of alcohol and the use of drugs have no place in and around camp. The possession or consumption of alcohol and/or drugs while on camp property, or out of camp on camp business, will be cause for instant dismissal.
Camp Rules & Regulations
Camp Oconto strives to be free of weapons and violence, discriminatory behaviour, theft, bullying and other emotional abuse, vulgar language, drugs, alcohol and pornography/sex, pets and smoking. Rules and regulations, policies and procedures, customs and ideals have been established to ensure that Oconto remains true to its character and ideals.
I am applying to teach a land activity. Do I need to have swim qualifications?
You will be at a disadvantage not having your swimming certificates (i.e. NLS) because you will not be able to take your campers in the water by yourself. This means that you will always have to have a qualified counsellor with you. You will also not be qualified to go on a canoe trip with campers, as we require two NLS certified staff on each trip. So, we can schedule around you, but we really encourage you to have your water qualifications on top of having your first-aid and CPR.
Do staff members sleep in the same cabin as the campers?
At Oconto, unlike most camps, staff members do not live with their campers. The staff cabins usually have electricity and are situated beside a camper zebo or cabin. In the younger sections the staff live in the same building, but not the same room as the campers. We like to give campers the independence of living on their own, as well as the security of having their counsellor very close by. We also like to give staff privacy so that when they are with the campers they can give 110%.
How many counsellors are assigned to each cabin and is that assignment for the entire summer?
We have one counsellor for every cabin, although sometimes we will have a C.I.T. (Counsellor-in-Training) also assigned to the same cabin – C.I.T.s are paired with you to learn from you and to help with the group. Some campers attend camp for two weeks and some attend camp for the whole summer. No matter what, you will have the same campers for two weeks or four weeks depending on the period of their stay. As well, once you are assigned to a specific age group of campers you will generally not be switched into an older or younger section unless we need to do so for administration reasons.
Is there computer or Internet access for staff?
Yes there is, however there is only one staff computer, so access is limited.
2024 Camp Countdown
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