Camp Counselor

The main responsibility of counselors is to involve campers in the program through active, responsible and continuous participation. Counselors are role models, leaders, organizers, substitute parents, motivators, and friends who, through their thoughts and actions, exemplify positive character and values.

Counselors will live with four to ten kids on a platform. Camp’s living areas have no electricity, and electronics of any kind are not allowed. One of our goals is to provide campers with a respite from technology and encourage personal interactions between campers of all ages and backgrounds.

In addition to supervising a group of campers, counselors are responsible for a program area that aligns with their interests, skills and experience. Counselors design activities for each day, and campers can choose which program areas to participate in. The full list of programs we offer can be found here .

Counselors supervise swimming as a lifeguarding team, and all counseling staff must have current CPR/First Aid, Lifeguard Training and Wilderness First Aid Certification. All of our staff will also be required to demonstrate proof of having received a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Bar 717 Ranch is committed to core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Working at Camp can be one of the most rewarding jobs of your life! We look forward to reading your application.

Special Benefits

Come live with us on the ranch!

• Housing, meals, and laundry service are provided
• Lifeguard Training and Wilderness First Aid training offered
• Access to beautiful camping and wilderness experiences on time off

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Minimum age 19 by June 4, 2023 and completed at least one year of college (by start of camp) OR have equivalent work or volunteer experience
• Passion for working with youth
• Quick learner with strong problem solving skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and collaborative attitude
• Accepting of diversity in culture, race, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, and ethnicity
• Ability to seek and accept supervision and guidance
• Enthusiasm, good judgment, patience, adaptability and self-control
• Ability to complete Lifeguard Training/CPR and Wilderness First Aid Training (courses are offered at camp prior to staff orientation)
• Able to be a resident at camp from June 4, 2023 to at least August 6, 2023
• All camp staff must demonstrate proof of receiving a COVID-19 vaccination

Why work here

The staff experience is best captured by our recent staff themselves. Here are a few of the things they had to say about working at Bar 717 Ranch:

"This summer was my first on the ranch, although I know now it will be far from my last. Arriving as a new counselor I was apprehensive at first, but from the moment I stepped foot on the beautiful property and took a deep breath of the fresh air, I knew I had arrived somewhere very special. As I got to know my new Bar 717 family of counselors and staff, I soon came to know the true meaning and feeling of community that so many have come to love and appreciate about the ranch."
- Alyssa W.

"I spent the summer working with the younger boys, and I got to witness first-hand how camp changed them. I watched them become fine young men, who not only learned new skills like woodworking but also became more conscientious, sensitive, and responsible. The independence we fostered in them while they were under our watch gave them room to develop themselves and mature, and the close, family-style way of living strengthened their character. These were kids who volunteered to clean up after themselves, who looked after each other if one of them was struggling, and who could hold a friendly conversation with any random person on camp." - David S.

"The time spent away from the modern-day demands of a fast-paced world gave me the chance to dig my hands down into the soil every day, share a living space with interesting people from around the world who I can now call my friends, listen to the sounds of the birds and crickets, and—quite literally—smell the roses. Bar 717 Ranch and the gardens within it hold a warm place in my heart, and I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to spend my summer as part of such a lovely community." - Hollyn H.

"The summer that I spent at the Bar 717 Ranch has definitely been one of the best of my life. Having grown up in a fairly built-up area in the UK the scale and sheer beauty of the ranch took my breath away from day one, and that was just the start of it. As someone training for a career in education, the ranch changed my perspective on a lot of things. I saw children learn more through the enjoyment of the wonderful environment here than in many classrooms I have been in. It has certainly made a big impact on how I plan to approach my life as a teacher. More than that, the experiences here changed my outlook on life in general and I have taken the attitude of pitching in and working together as a big family to make things the best they can be back to my home life." - Alex K.