JUNIOR COUNSELOR PROGRAM

Junior Counselor Applications open on January 9th here. Interview offers go out on January 30th.

This program is perfect for teens ages 13-17 to gain valuable leadership experience while having a great time! Junior Counselors (JCs) will assist the adult leaders in the daily activities of camp as they learn about working with kids, leadership styles, outdoor skills, and being a strong role model. To give them time to build on learning and feedback, JC sessions are two weeks long. They will receive mentoring from camp leaders, develop fun and rewarding connections with the young campers, and bond with each other. Each Junior Counselor will leave camp with professional written feedback, contacts for jobs and references, and 60 hours of child care experience. Due to their valuable assistance, they receive a discount on camp registration fees.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE for Junior Counselor positions. To apply, visit our scholarship page and fill out an application. Scholarships for summer camp open January 9th.

Responsibilities

  • Attend a 3-hour in person training prior to the first week of camp (Saturday May 30, 2026, 9am-12pm). If you absolutely cannot attend this day, contact us to make alternate arrangements.

  • Take part in the daily staff meetings and weekly professional development along with the adult counselors, before and after camp. This accounts for the extended camp hours of 8:30am-3:30pm for Junior Counselors.

  • Complete a self-evaluation of your leadership skills prior to camp

  • Incorporate constructive feedback from adult counselors to improve your leadership skills throughout the two week session

  • Participate with enthusiasm in all parts of the camp day

  • Help lead younger campers during lessons, crafts, games and nature exploration

  • Show initiative in assisting with preparation, supplies, and clean-up

  • Model a positive, flexible attitude and cooperation skills

  • Help younger campers get along with one another and follow the rules

  • Appreciate and respect the outdoors

  • Discuss an in-depth evaluation of your leadership skills with your adult counselor partner at the end of each week, to reflect on the lessons you take away from the experience and how you would like to continue growing

How To Apply

Step 1: Find an adult who is willing to be a reference for you. You should tell them a little about this program, and that they would be asked to fill out a 5- to 15-minute online survey about your strengths and weaknesses. Please choose an adult who knows you well, but who is NOT a family member (for example, a boss, teacher, coach, or parent whose children you babysat). You will just need their permission, full name, and email address in order to move on to Step 2.

Step 2 (Starts January 9th, 2026): Complete and submit the 2026 Junior Counselor Application (Opening January 9th), including your basic information, responses to three short-answer questions (3-5 sentences each), and the name and email of your adult reference. Once you submit this, let your adult reference know that they should be receiving an email from Bluff Lake. That email will include a link for them to complete an online reference survey for you, and when they submit it, their responses will come directly back to Bluff Lake. We will email you when we receive your complete application/reference survey.

Step 3 (Begins January 30th, 2026): We will begin emailing out interview offers to schedule a quick 10- to 15-minute interview in which we will get to know you, talk about our program, and hopefully answer any questions you have! Depending on the number of applicants not every application may receive an interview offer.

After the interview, the Bluff Lake education team will make a decision regarding the status of your acceptance into our program. This will take no more than 1 week, and we will email you with the result either way. If you are accepted, we will include the camp registration link, and you will be able to choose your own session from all the spots that are left and register yourself right away.

Step 4: If you are accepted, please plan to attend the 2026 Junior Counselor training. It will be on Saturday May 30, 2026, from 9am-12pm at Bluff Lake. This training is required, please contact ben@blufflake.org to coordinate if you cannot make it. Please also make sure that you and/or your parent/guardian watch for emails from us during the spring. We will begin sending out details about the summer as soon as all of the Junior Counselor positions have been filled.

*Junior Counselor applicants MUST submit an application and be approved before registering through CampDoc. Bluff Lake staff will inform you when you are permitted to register.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Bluff Lake Camp Director Ben Jacques at ben@blufflake.org.

Thank you for considering the Bluff Lake Summer Camp Junior Counselor Program. We hope to see you in 2026!