Our staff are all certified with a current, recognized First Aid and/or CPR certificate. Our staff are screened through an application, interview, and reference process as well as trained during our pre-camp season, on-site, prior to the start of each summer. Staff are trained on a variety of skills such behaviour management, program planning and delivery, and emergency procedures.

Each cabin-group is comprised of 10-11 campers and 2-3 staff. Generally, younger cabin-groups are afforded the priority of a third camp counsellor assigned to their cabin before the older campers. As such, our average ratios are between 1:4 and 1:5.

In addition to staff training pre-season, our primary activities involve an activity leader in addition to our camp staff. Activity leaders are present during large-group programming, arts and crafts, archery, canoeing, and swimming. During camp-staff delivered activities, staff are encouraged to used developed skills in effective scanning, proximity, and engagement, and pre-emptive problem solving to curb any safety issues and maintain constant supervision on campers at all times. In addition, all of our campers are required to be supervised at all times.

We make every effort to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies with an alternative meal without compromising nutrition. It is encouraged to be as specific as possible when filling out your child’s forms regarding any specific dietary requirements or allergies and viable alternatives. If your child has a particularly unique set of dietary restrictions, we encourage you to communicate with us prior to your child attending camp in order to afford us the opportunity to effectively accommodate your child. Rarely, we have asked parents to provide meal components for us to keep on site to ensure the child’s needs are being met.

Our primary method of communication with parents from the camp is by telephone, which is reserved for camp business and emergencies.

Every staff member hired for the season is required to have a current First Aid or CPR certificate, a copy of which is provided to the camp office and kept on file. We have a Health Care Aide on site, who is a student in a registered and recognized university or college nursing program.

We make every effort to follow the Canada Food Guide when preparing meals for our campers and staff.

After campers go to bed, staff members patrol the cabin exteriors in close proximity, being vigilant and aware of any noises or issues within the cabins. After staff curfew, at least one same-gendered camp counsellor (generally the one assigned to the cabin group) will sleep in the cabin until morning.

Our lifeguards are certified through the National Lifeguard Standard (NLS) and have a current certificate on file. Unfortunately, we do not offer certification to campers at this time.

All payments and balance owed are required to be received by head office no later than two (2) weeks prior to the start of the child’s camp date. We provide refunds of all paid funds up to and including two (2) weeks prior to the start of the camp date, minus a $25.00 administrative fee. After the two week portion, we are not able to offer refunds.

Summer applications for the season are generally available around February.

Deadlines will vary based on the position. When we post the applications, we will also post a deadline to go with it. Applications are made online on our website Staff Employment Page.

Generally, positions will begin employment at the end of June and run until the end of August. Staff will be given a training week prior to the arrival of campers to become familiar with policies, procedures, songs, games, and general camp life. You can expect to be employed for approximately 8 1/2 weeks total.

The availability of each position varies based on the number of returning applicants hired from year to year. Generally speaking, we employ 4 kitchen staff, 14 counsellors (7 male, 7 female), 2 Lifeguards, up to 10 Counsellors In Training (volunteer, mixed gender), 1 Camp Director, 1 Program Director, 2 Senior Counsellors, 1 Arts Coordinator, 1 Health Care Aid, and 1 Camp Caretaker.

As a general rule, no specific education or experience is needed (except for the Health Care Aide) beyond a First Aid or CPR course or NLS certificate (Lifeguards). However, education and experience in related fields can only serve as an asset during the application and interview process, as well as during employment. In our ever-changing world, more and more programs, courses, and experiences become available that are relevant to the development and education of children. Camp Vincent aims to select the staff members who will most effectively meet the needs of the campers in their respective positions.

All staff require First Aid or CPR, and a current police background check (less than 6 months old).

Yes. As a condition of employment, you are required to produce a valid, current First Aid *or* CPR certificate, as well as a current Police Clearance no more than 6 months old. We are a residential camp for children, and Camp Vincent chooses to take every reasonable precaution in protecting the children who attend during the summer.

We screen the best applications for interviews, and select the best candidates based on group and solo interviews (varies depending on position).

This year, we are looking to host group-style interviews. This is where candidates will have the opportunity to interact with each other, participate in, and lead various games and activities. There is usually a brief question and answer session, but the true focus is on group interaction (summer camp is all about community building!). The locations have generally taken place in Chatham, Ontario in the past. Occasionally, phone interviews are needed due to distance, travel time, or other barriers. If enough interviewing applicants are from a similar area, we will also consider hosting a session in a more local town. All of this information will be relayed when an applicant is successful in securing an interview.

The wage varies based on the position and experience. Kitchen Staff are paid hourly, while the majority of our camp staff are paid a weekly wage. Because Camp Vincent is a not-for-profit camp providing experiences to all children regardless of financial background, we aim to keep our cost to families as low as possible. We believe the experience earned at camp for our staff is worth substantially more than any wage that might be earned during other summer jobs!

Most of our staff are residential through the week. A few exceptions apply (such as our kitchen staff), and will be outlined in the job description and/or interview. Generally speaking, expect to be residing with us at our camp during each camp week. Because our campers are residential, we have to be prepared to tend to their needs, even through the night!

Yes. We are not set for full-staff residence, and often our camp is rented over the weekends. To accomodate as many people and groups as possible, we ask that staff have their room cleaned and have departed Friday evening.

The very first question any potential applicant should ask is: “Do the potential activities of the position interest me?”. If the position doesn’t sound interesting to you, then it might worth considering applying for a different one! Afterall, we consider working with children to be far more than a “summer job”. This is a passion, an experience, and a chance to change the lives of children (Trust us – it happens every summer!) If a particular position doesn’t make you say “WOW! I would LOVE to do that!”, then consider a different choice!

We accept applications through our online Staff Application portal at this link: HTTPS://CAMPVINCENT.CA/SUMMER JOB POSITIONS
Except for a few specialty positions, the application process is generally the same with the appropriate positions listed right in the application. Of course, if you have other questions or difficulties, you can always contact us and we would be happy to assist you! Our contact email-id is: info@campvinvent.ca