Summer Camp Counselor

Be a part of a uniquely positive community this summer. 

 

Mayhew is a not-for-profit organization that challenges and helps at-risk New Hampshire boys to believe in themselves, work well with others, and find their best.   

 

At our summer facility located on Mayhew Island in beautiful Newfound Lake, New Hampshire, the boys are challenged to help create a positive, supportive, and sustainable community both within their cabin groups and in the greater Island community as a whole. 

 

"Hey, wait a minute," you might be thinking, "that sounds like a summer camp to me. I don't want to be a camp counselor." 

 

Yes we’re a summer camp looking for counselors, but WAIT! We’re not your typical summer camp. Sure we have lots of fun, but we’re a place with a serious mission as well. 

 

What makes Mayhew different? 

 

THE BOYS WE SERVE: Mayhew boys all come from disadvantaged backgrounds (low-income, single-parent homes) and participate tuition-free. Some boys are referred to Mayhew because they’ve demonstrated questionable behaviors at home and at school that make them at-risk for more serious problems in the future. Other boys simply lack opportunities to participate in the sorts of activities that Mayhew offers. Still other boys are referred to Mayhew simply because they can benefit from the boost in self-esteem that Mayhew often provides.   

 

Regardless of the reason for their referrals, all Mayhew boys must make their own decision to join the Mayhew community and to strive to live up to its ideals and expectations. 

 

OUR YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING: We’re called the Mayhew Program because we’re much more than a summer camp. Mayhew begins for the boys on the Island, but the support Mayhew offers lasts throughout the year with our community outreach program. We employ 6 full-time staff members who visit with the boys in their home communities throughout the school-year.   

 

OUR AMAZING LOCATION: Mayhew’s summer program is lucky enough to call Mayhew Island home: an idyllic private island in Newfound Lake, New Hampshire. 

 

OUR SMALL SIZE: With a counseling staff of 20 charged with working with just 42 boys during each of two summer sessions, you’ll be an integral part of uniquely supportive and cohesive community. There’s a genuine camaraderie and shared sense of purpose among everyone at Mayhew. 

 

OUR WELL-HONED PHILOSOPHY: Mayhew’s been around since 1969 and over the past 40+ years we’ve managed to create a very well-defined, well-practiced, and effective approach to working with the boys of the program. Everything we do is centered on the notion of working for the good of the group and the community. We emphasize the ideals of Respect, Responsibility, Community, and Challenge in everything we do. 

 

Mayhew offers great training in learning to work effectively with young people: an invaluable experience for anyone interested in teaching or working in the social services. 

 

OUR FOCUS ON CREATING AN UNRELENTINGLY POSITIVE COMMUNITY: Mayhew strives to be an overwhelmingly positive and supportive community for boys and staff alike. That’s not to say that we ignore negative behaviors, but our primary focus is on recognizing the positive contributions of the boys, no matter how small. By recognizing and reinforcing good behaviors, we’re in a much more effective position to confront any negative behaviors.  

 

Qualifications 

 

First and foremost, we look to hire good people. 

 

We seek individuals who are interested in living in an intentional community, individuals who are willing to be selfless and to sacrifice their own interests for the good of the boys and for the program. 

 

We seek individuals of strong character, maturity, adaptability, and personal responsibility who naturally model the sorts of behaviors and interactions we hope to promote in the boys of the program.   

 

A good sense of humor, creativity, patience, a strong work-ethic, a willingness to learn, a commitment to purpose, a readiness to live and work within a highly structured and disciplined setting, and a strong ability to work well with others are also tremendously important.   

 

With the extraordinarily demanding environment we like to create on Mayhew Island, we hire only the most capable and resourceful applicants each year.   

 

Collegiate area-of-study is not important (past staff have included English, Philosophy, Sociology, Economics, and Sports Science majors).   

 

Past experience working with children is ideal but not required. Interest in working with at-risk youth is vital. 

 

Finally, candidates must be available for the full ten-week commitment from June 10, 2023 until August 15, 2023. 

You can apply through Handshake, or online at https://www.mayhew.org/employment-application