Salary: Ranges from $200 to $265 weekly - room and board included
Start Date: April 30, 2013
End Date: June 14, 2013

Situation:

Operating since 1902, YMCA Calgary serves the Calgary community from six branches and over 65 program delivery sites.  There are four membership branches (Eau Claire, Crowfoot, Shawnessy and South) as well as Community and Camp Chief Hector YMCA.  With a budget of $25 million, YMCA Calgary offers programs and services in the following areas: membership, childcare, camping, employment, education, youth leadership, outdoor education, and school based community programs. 

Camp Chief Hector YMCA runs an Outdoor Education centre for students from the Calgary area. All spring staff members live and work at our site located near Exshaw, Alberta.  Counselors work with a co-ed activity group of 10-12 students, and reside in tipis with an overnight group of nine students.  Sunship Earth staff will also supervise students overnight in dormitories. Meals are eaten with students at each activity group's table in Bowfort (SSE) or Hector (HSS) Lodge.  Hector Spring School activity groups will pack out and eat one lunch on the trail during a Day Hike.  Teachers from each school attend Outdoor School with their students.

Nature and Scope:

Reporting to a Coordinator and/or Manager at Camp Chief Hector YMCA, Hector Spring School and Sunship Earth counseling positions are open to individuals with interest and previous experience in working with children and youth in an outdoor environment.   Counselors work with students in Grades 4-6 who come to Camp Chief Hector for a 4-day residential experience.  These students are ready to learn in a hands-on environment and require a leader who is actively involved in facilitating a positive, engaging outdoor school experience for all. Counselors enjoy the company of their students while providing them with appropriate expectations and clear boundaries.

By the end of the five-day pre-camp staff training, counselors need to feel comfortable with taking a leadership role and participating in all activities and aspects of outdoor centre life. Counselors need to be creative, flexible and approachable, be open to learning and teaching new skills, and be ready to facilitate great learning adventures for students.

General duties for HSS and SSE counselors include leading students through a curriculum-based program and providing safety, comfort and 24-hour supervision.  Counselors instruct students in areas such as environmental education and nature, outdoor living skills, teambuilding, communication and problem solving.  Outdoor School programs at Camp Chief Hector YMCA are designed to support students in making connections to landscapes, to each other and to their classroom learning. 

Responsibilities

• Provide fun, positive and active leadership to students and teachers
• Be a friend and mentor to students
• Support Camp Chief Hector YMCA risk management rules and guidelines
• Create a caring, supportive environment where students feel that they can take risks and learn new things
• Model and support the values of Camp Chief Hector YMCA and YMCA Calgary
• Work as an active and positive member of Camp Chief Hector YMCA's staff team
• Manage personal energy to perform excellently each week with a busy schedule

Certifications and Experiences
People who have found success in this position have...

• Previous experience and positive references related to working with children/youth
• Clearly demonstrated a positive attitude and teamwork in prior work/volunteer situations
• The ability to provide comfort and guidance to students who are often away from home for the first time
• Comfort with and enthusiasm for teaching and learning
• Standard First Aid and CPR 'C' or Wilderness and Remote First Aid (24 or 40 hour course)
• A clean criminal background check including a vulnerable sector search

• SSE and HSS counselors must be 18 years old by the start of their spring contract

Competencies:

Commitment to the Vision and Values: Demonstrates and promotes a personal understanding of and appreciation for the mission, vision and values of YMCA Calgary     

Service Attitude/Customer Focus: Identifies needs and wants of campers and their families as priority and responds in an effective and timely manner to enhance every person's Camp Chief Hector YMCA experience

 Leadership: Ability to adapt to working with different people in a dynamic environment

 Communication: Ability to maintain open, clear, honest rapport with campers and co-workers

 Self Management: Ability to adapt personal job expectations and maintain desire for professional growth

 Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with others to provide memorable camp experiences for children and youth

 Flexibility/Managing Change: Ability to initiate and respond effectively to changing conditions

 Diversity: Appreciate that people with varying opinions, backgrounds and personalities bring richness to the YMCA

 Commitment to Health and Safety: Acknowledges the importance and understands how to manage and educate others of risk management and harm reduction

 To Apply:

For prospective staff new to Camp Chief Hector, please apply with a cover letter, resume and three references who can attest to your character and previous work or volunteer performance.  At least one of these references must be from a position where you were working or volunteering with youth.

 For prospective staff members who have worked at Camp Chief Hector, please apply with a cover letter that answers the following questions:

1. Why would you like to work at CCH for the spring and/or summer of 2012?
2. What have you been doing since you last worked at CCH?
3. What positions are you interested in for 2012? Why do you think that those positions are a good fit with your skills and experience?
4. Why do you think that those positions are a good fit, given your job performance and feedback from the last season that you worked at CCH?

For prospective staff members applying for both spring AND summer positions, please indicate this on your cover letter.  It is necessary to send in only one cover letter and/or resume for both seasons.

Hiring is ongoing until all positions are filled.

Please send application packages to: Nikki Thomson (nthomson@calgary.ymca.ca)