Camp Director at Washington DC Middle School Outdoor Adventure and Mythology Summer Day Camp
Camp Director at Outdoor Adventure and Mythology Summer Day Camp
Title: Summer Camp Director
Employment Status: Exempt/Seasonal
Company Summary:
Plato Learning operates outdoor mythology-based day camps for kids ages 7-15. We create a world where monsters, myth, and magic transport kids out of the mortal realm into one where they are empowered to develop new skills, take risks, solve problems, and ultimately become Heroes. With sixteen locations spanning from NYC to California, Plato Learning uses actors, live-action role-play, and physically and mentally engaging activities to bring myths to life.
Camp Jupiter is where pre-teen and teenage campers face smarter, tougher challenges in a Roman-centered camp. They’ll build complex STEM projects, like artillery and take part in an action-packed live-action role-play. We are looking for team members with a compassion and understanding for the behavioral needs of middle schoolers–they are navigating and their relationship with the world, history, politics, gender, sexuality, and building their opinions and values.
The World Needs Legends! Will you answer the call?
Job Summary:
We are hiring energetic leaders to serve as summer Camp Directors at several camp locations. Camp Directors are responsible for creating exciting, engaging environments for campers and staff to explore their love of stories and adventure using Plato Learning’s play-based literacy model. They guide the experience with their Leadership Team and Counselors to keep Camp running at its full potential, and set a heroic example through service-leadership. Camp Directors act also as the Health Supervisor and maintain all the material resources for camp, keeping the adventure running safely and smoothly for all ‘demigod’ campers and staff that come to Plato Learning for intense physical play, epic adventures, and unforgettable other-worldly experiences.
Job Responsibilities:
Guide the Camper (Demigod) Experience. Camp Directors keep camp running smoothly by maintaining the courageous standards for self expression and community well-being that have come to define our camps’ environment and culture by uplifting our provided curriculum materials. We encourage physical, intellectual, and social-emotional growth for our campers, while also adhering to Plato Learning’s safety policies and procedures.
Empower Your Staff. You’ll imbue your staff with resiliency and programming knowledge through training that allows them to develop the growth of our campers. In addition, you’ll provide on-going feedback and mentorship that supports them as leaders in the camp space.
Build a Community of Heroes. From supporting camper recruiting and retention, to hiring and managing a staff of ~6 members , you’ll work to organize, launch, and run your local camp program bringing stories to life for campers and staff alike.
Work in Partnerships. As the leader of your local program you’ll build relationships with parents, park officials, and community partners. Working with the team at headquarters, you’ll manage your camp’s online registration database and communicate with any outside vendors.
Act as Health and Safety Supervisor. Keep the Health Area clean and well-stocked for any demigod injuries, while swiftly administering first aid to 30-50 campers and 6-9 staff members so they can return to adventuring. A master of procedure, the Camp Director is prepared for any scenario, running safety drills on a weekly basis to ensure staff and campers are prepared when unexpected or extreme circumstances occur.
Track Camp Resources, Materials, and Storage Spaces. Responsible for ordering and tracking camp materials, the Camp Director consolidates materials needs for every part of camp and replenishes supplies weekly. Camp Director orchestrates campsite set up and break-down, ensuring everything is in its assigned place.
Steel your Resolve. Our Camp is an energetic all-outdoor environment that requires staff and campers alike to embrace exciting new challenges. As Leadership Staff are the first people our Demigods look to in times of challenge and uncertainty, we are looking for courageous individuals excited by the discomfort in adventure, and who do not shy away from responsibility, even during a heat wave.
The Hours:
- 3-6 hours/week of remote training and prep-work from mid-Feb-May to create the best season possible (program size informs weekly hours)
- In-Person Leadership Summit Weekend (Friday-Sunday) scheduled for 2/24-2/26
- Facilitate 40 hour In-Person Training week, the week before each program’s start date
- 45-50 hours/week in-person at your camp location (8 weeks)
- Camp does not operate on June 19th, or the week of July 4th, but Camp Directors may run 1-2 training days TBD that week (not the 4th)
What are we looking for?
- Experience working with children K-8 in schools, after school programs or other structured capacities
- Leadership Experience setting and maintaining standards for high performance, inspiring others, delegating responsibilities
- Strong conflict resolution, and communication abilities with a team-player attitude
- Strong collaborators/delegators, who are compassionate, curious, and enthusiastic
- Strong organizational, problem-solving and procedural skills, while maintaining flexibility and agility
- Ability to maintain stamina and endurance over the course of the Camp Season
- Excitement about working in an outdoor fast-paced environment in the summer
- In a team, able to lift 25-50 lbs of camp materials without injury
- Comfortable driving a 9-foot sprinter van
- Camp experience is a bonus, though not required
- Courageous Commitment; we find that Camp Directors benefit from a 3 year relationship with Plato Learning (at minimum). We find our Camp Directors at a variety of places, including: school teaching, after school programming, coaching, camp counseling & leadership, grad school programs, and entrepreneurs hoping to learn skills to run a service-oriented business.
Plato Learning would like to put forth this statistic. While men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and other underrepresented people often only apply when they match all criteria. Even if you don't meet every checkbox in the job description, but you think you have what it takes, we encourage you to apply.
Benefits and Compensation:
Financial Reward. A first year Camp Director earns approx $9- 10,000 over the course of 7 months, This includes:
- Pre-Season Work/Training (Feb-May): 3-6 hours/week at $20 an hour
- During Camp and Staff Training Weeks: $1200/week for your program’s 8 weeks
- Referral Bonus: $50 bonus for any referred applicants who are hired for a seasonal position
Opportunity for Advancement. As Plato Learning grows, we’re continually looking within our talented seasonal staff to fill full-time opportunities within the company.
Community. Containing hundreds of creative-minded heroes, the Plato Learning network carries authors, podcasters, performers, dungeon masters, and many others ready to chat and create.
Free Camp. If you have children, you will be provided with free camp sessions for up to two children. If you don’t have children, you can gift one week of free camp to someone else.
Available Summer Camp Locations:
- Rock Creek Park- Washington, DC.
- June 26th-August 18th
COVID-19 Notice: Our COVID-19 Policies and Procedures will be updated periodically to reflect all mandated state and federal health & safety regulations. All camps operated successfully in 2020, 2021, 2022 and will operate in-person in 2023. We do highly encourage staff to be up to date on their COVID Vaccinations.
Ready to Send an Application via Iris Message?:
Please visit https://camphalfbloodbklyn.com/careers/ to fill out an application. Only candidates selected for an interview will be notified of next steps.
Hesitation of Hermes: