Does anyone know if a 17 year old can be a sleepaway summer camp counselor?

[Anonymous]

The internet seems to imply 18 but my 17 year old is interested (and frankly I could use a break from the teen drama). Thanks for any info you can share! Anywhere in the country would be fine.

[Anonymous]

I worked at a sleepaway camp and 17 year olds were counselors in training with past history at the camp. 18 and graduated from HS was the minimum to be hired as a paid counselor.

I don’t know if this is standard everywhere, but it was in my New England sleepaway camp circles.

[Anonymous]

DD was a sleep away counselor at 17, after having been a trainee at the camp at 16. She'd gone to the camp since she was 9. I don't know that they'd hire under 18 from outside camp alumni.

[Anonymous]

Because most camps are now licensed by child care, probably not, but some camps hire teens as junior counselors. Your best bet is CIT, or send the kid to camp and pay for it. There are camps with great teen programs. Look on the American Camp Association website.

What about teen Outward Bound trips? The kid has to want to go to any camp, though.

[Anonymous]

There are some at my kids’ camp. Don’t know their titles, but they are de facto counselors who sleep in the cabins with the kids.

[Anonymous]

DD was a junior counselor at a Girl Scout sleepaway camp last summer. She had similar duties to the regular counselors, with limitations on the ratio and ages of campers she supervised. And they slept in their own cabin away from the campers’ units, because they never had night duties.

The only drawback was she had to come home every weekend, but fortunately there was a bus.

[Anonymous]

Check some of the all girls sleepaway camps in the NE.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the camps. Some have 12 year old counselors and advisors.

The general rule is the counselor is older than the kids being watched.

[Anonymous]

I was a counselor at a sleep away camp when I was 17, but I had just graduated from high school and was turning 18 later that year.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but most did their hiring in January. Best chance is to contact a camp they attended and ask

[Anonymous]

My DD (17) will be a CIT this summer for 9 weeks. She’s unable to stay overnight between camp breaks (because she is under 18), we have family in the area that she will stay with during those times (typically a Saturday night into Sunday morning). Otherwise, she will be there FT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD (17) will be a CIT this summer for 9 weeks. She’s unable to stay overnight between camp breaks (because she is under 18), we have family in the area that she will stay with during those times (typically a Saturday night into Sunday morning). Otherwise, she will be there FT.

Do you pay the camp a fee for her to be a CIT?

[Anonymous]

Typically you do pay for CIT summer.

[Anonymous]

Most younger counselors have had a history of going to the camp and have done the CIT program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD (17) will be a CIT this summer for 9 weeks. She’s unable to stay overnight between camp breaks (because she is under 18), we have family in the area that she will stay with during those times (typically a Saturday night into Sunday morning). Otherwise, she will be there FT.

Do you pay the camp a fee for her to be a CIT?

The camp my daughter goes to, you pay half the rate of a camper. Their rationale is while you are providing the camp work and service, they are providing you with leadership training.