Commitment to Steve & Kate's Camp

Congratulations and welcome to the Portland team at Steve & Kate's Camp! You were chosen because we believe you will be a great role model. You demonstrated flexibility, a positive attitude, excitement, and enthusiasm to work in a fast-paced team environment. We are now asking for your full commitment to this position. You are difficult to replace. There are many people now depending on YOU this summer including myself, your teammates, and most importantly, the kids whose lives you will positively impact. If you decide for any reason to decline the position, we expect to be notified immediately.

Availability (This does not apply to substitutes)

Since this is a full-time, temporary position where we rely on each staff member's presence in order to run our programs, it is imperative that you are available for the full summer. Any schedule conflicts must be addressed during the offer process, after which no time off requests will be accepted. While I understand emergencies happen during summer, I expect to be notified as far in advance as possible so that I might find coverage in your absence. If for any reason you decide to decline the position, please let me know immediately.

Please confirm your availability HERE.

Camp Dates

Camp move-in will be June 17-June 19

Camp will run Monday-Friday from June 20-August 26 (*we will be closed on July 4th*)

Camp move-out will be August 27

Work Hours

All staff will be scheduled for work hours and breaks based on their roles and responsibilities. You will be expected to stick to those agreed upon start/end times and breaks. During the first and last weeks of camp, you will likely work longer hours while we set up and break down camp. You will receive an email with your shift hours and camp assignments/responsibilities a little closer to the summer. Please fill out the survey below so that I can give you assignments and responsibilities you would be excited about.

Studio Counselors vs Camp Counselors

General Camp Counselors will be either assigned to a specific area of camp, or will be floating around to help anyone who needs assistance. These staff members have a focus (such as helping our youngest campers adjust, camp food, or taking photos and videos during the day). They will be responsible for many different aspects of the camp day.

This person is a master of all things camp and is ready to jump in and help anyone at a moment's notice. They can be useful in any studio and are happy to take on new roles and responsibilities with little to no notice. They are super flexible, calm under pressure, organized, can follow a complex schedule with ease, and have a blast helping campers have fun and make new friends. Flexibility and a positive attitude are a must in this role.

Studio Counselors will be in charge of running one of our specialty studios. While their studio is open during the day they will be located there running activities in their space with any campers that stop by. When their studio is closed they will be assigned other responsibilities or given prep time to clean/organize their studios and plan for activities within them.

This person is a master at their studio topic and is familiar with everything in their area. They are excited to plan projects, activities, and engaging games for campers visiting their studio. They are able to maintain a very clean and organized space during the camp day and are the "clean as you go" type. They believe in our philosophy of letting kids choose their projects/activities and are willing to be resourceful to make campers dreams come true. They are flexible, calm under pressure, and can help multiple campers on projects at once.

These positions are considered equal and both are "camp counselors". They require different skill sets and are equally important to making camp run smoothly for kids and for our team as a whole.

Please fill out our preferences survey HERE so we can assign you roles and responsibilities you'll be excited about.

We have a pretty big team to serve the Portland area this summer. I am so excited to work with each and every one of you! You can find the breakdown of all of our camp positions, and how many staff are assigned to them below.

Camp Director (1) - That's me!

Assistant Director (2) - Payton Mannen, Sierra Burch

HQ Office Manager (1) - Maddie Morris

Recreation Manager (1) - Olivia Dumas

Camp Counselors (18)

Substitute Camp Counselors (10)

We will all work together this summer to create the best possible experience for each other, and also for our kids and families!

You'll receive emails from me in the coming weeks walking you through the whole onboarding process, and I'm always available for questions or help!

Other requirements:

CPR Training

You are responsible for getting certified in pediatric, CPR/First Aid BEFORE camp. Online classes are accepted this year due to covid. I recommended The Red Cross, and the link is below, if you need help finding something, please reach out. You are welcome to do your own research and pick a different provider if you'd like. You will be asked to upload your certificate before the start of camp.

https://www.redcross.org/local/oregon/take-a-class/cpr-portland-or

Covid-19 Vaccination

You are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to work at Steve & Kate's Camp this summer. To be fully vaccinated you must have received your 2nd dose of the vaccine 14 days before camp begins (or one dose with J&J). You will be asked to upload your vaccine card before the start of camp.

Signed Staff Agreement

Please sign our 2022 staff agreement that can be found HERE.

Pay

Pay is non-negotiable. Paydays are every other Friday. You can find your pay stubs and tax documents on Time Express once you're set up in the Bright Horizons system.

Summer Paydays:

June 24

July 8

July 22

August 5

August 19

September 2

Be feedback-oriented. You can expect to give and receive both positive and constructive feedback. We aim to constantly improve how we approach our work and feedback is an integral part of our growth. This goes for me too. My hope is that you feel comfortable approaching me with feedback while we work together.

Be flexible. We work in a fast-paced environment where things can change on a minute-to-minute basis. In order to meet the needs of our campers, their families, and each other, we must be nimble when it comes to change. If something doesn't turn out the way you expected, I expect you to say, "Great, no problem. I can work with that" and keep moving forward.

Be collaborative. As a team, we must have each other's backs. This means you must be willing to jump in and help the team if there's a need. Once you learn the camp schedule, you'll be able to anticipate your team's needs and you'll take initiative to help out. Your management team will love it if everyone volunteers for a task as opposed to no one. Be participatory, take initiative and be collaborative.

Be solution-oriented. If you're having a hard day and you need to vent, talk to me or another member of the management team that you feel comfortable with. In those conversations, however, I am going to encourage you to bring solutions to the table. It's one thing to complain and it takes a solution-oriented person to complain and identify solutions to their problem so that they may keep moving forward. On that note, it is my strong preference that you voice any dissatisfaction about your job to me as soon as it comes up for you. We can see all of the moving parts on our team and are efficient partners in problem-solving!

Be responsive. During your onboarding process and as we get closer to camp, you can expect a lot of communication from me, Bright Horizons, and our HR team. Please respond promptly (within 24 hours) to any requests requiring your attention. If you find yourself swamped, please let us know when you will be able to respond. Clear and constant communication will help us help you.

Refer-A-Friend

While you'll make new friends this summer, why not work with the ones you already have? If you'd like to make a recommendation on behalf of a friend, send me an email with their name and information after they apply for the position.

Social Media

We use social media channels to highlight the incredible work our team does! Stay up to date with Steve & Kate's on all of our platforms! Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.

Future Opportunities

Steve & Kate's Camp is growing quickly (we are opening a TON of new sites this summer), which means a lot of future opportunities for staff. We hold 9-10 week camps in the summer, 2-week camps in the winter, and 1-2 week camps in the spring. If you're a college student looking for seasonal work when school is out, we've got you covered! If you're a professional who works with youth and are looking for a career change, we open new sites every year and are looking for full-time year-round site directors to run those programs. After camp, please feel free to keep in touch with me about future opportunities, and you can always check out our open jobs at Steve & Kate's Camp Open Positions.

Relax and celebrate your new summer job! I am so excited to have you on the Portland team!

Make sure to open all e-mails from Steve & Kate's Camp & Bright Horizons, as they will contain important next steps in the coming months. Communication is key to success with Steve & Kate's!

Bright Horizons and Steve & Kate's Camp have worked together for many years on various projects and products. In 2020, it's no secret that the summer camp industry (as well as many others) took a huge hit from the pandemic. In early 2021 Bright Horizons bought out Steve & Kate's Camp, and we couldn't be happier. While giving us the resources and cash flow we needed to double our size this summer, they have also allowed us to maintain our individual identity and keep our full-time, year-round staff, as well as our philosophy and programming intact. They have welcomed us into the Bright Horizons family with open arms and are trusting us to continue doing what we do best, run amazing camps. We will remain Steve & Kate's Camp, but we are now under the Bright Horizons umbrella. You will get emails from both Steve & Kate's Camp and Bright Horizons for your hiring and onboarding process.

I work for the year-round team at Steve & Kate's Camp as the Portland Director. I have a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and have worked professionally with youth and families for over 11 years as a camp counselor, teacher, camp regional manager, and program director. I LOVE camp and am working hard to make sure that we all have the best summer ever. During my free time I enjoy traveling, hiking, cooking, and binge-watching Netflix with my wife and dog during the PNW rainy season. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. I love to hear from you!

Fun Fact: I worked as a camp counselor for Steve & Kate's Camp in 2012!

Email: lauren.light@steveandkate.com
Website: www.steveandkatescamp.com
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Phone: 614-974-0054

I graduated in June 2021 with a degree from Central Washington University in Family and Child Life. I worked as the HQ Office Manager at Portland S&K during summer 2021, and as the AD at S&K Bellevue Winter Break Camp with Lauren and am so excited to step up into the AD role in Portland this summer! I’ve been working as a receptionist and a waitress at a retirement home for the past couple of months but I’m ready to be back at camp! I enjoy reading, quilting, hanging out with my hamster, and spending time with my boyfriend, Derek! I also enjoy watching hockey and shopping!

Fun Fact: I own over 50 pairs of shoes!

Email: mannen.payton@gmail.com
Website: www.steveandkatescamp.com
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Phone: 503-803-8506