If you’re passionate about changing the world and positively impacting a child’s life, aren’t afraid of hard work, and want a job that is fun, exciting and energizing then there’s no better way to spend your summer than working as a Girl Scouts of Alaska camp team member!
We hold our staff to extremely high standards because our goal is to bring together a team who can change the world. If you work at a Girl Scouts of Alaska camp, you will work together with others who are passionate about positively impacting children’s lives and making the world a better place.
Explore the Extraordinary Adventure of being a camp team member below!
The Camp Staff Experience 
Below you’ll find some of the key tasks you’ll do this summer. They aren’t all the responsibilities you’ll have but the list will give you a good idea of what you’ll do this summer.
Changing Lives
Everything you say and do has the potential to change a child’s life so:
- You’ll put the needs of your campers ahead of your own wants
- You’ll take primary responsibility for the emotional, physical and mental well-being of your campers
- You’ll recognize problems before they occur and problem solve them when they do
- You’ll help campers build real relationships with each other and model this by working in partnership with the whole staff team
- You’ll help your campers to develop their character strengths
- You’ll challenge your campers to learn from failure and help them experience success
- You’ll think outside the box and always look for a new approach to connect with campers
- You’ll step up and embrace challenges
- You’ll empower girls to try things for themselves, be courageous and confident
All of Camp is Program
Everything we do at camp from walking down the road or cleaning the latrines to canoeing or tie-dying is programming for girls so:
- You’ll work with your assigned group of campers for the entire time they are at camp
- You’ll create and lead original, age appropriate activities that totally engage your campers
- You’ll guide your campers in fully and successfully participating in camp programming
- You’ll enforce camp health and safety policies and procedures
- You’ll supervise all aspects of your campers’ day including wake up, meals, rest hour, getting ready for bed and night time
- You’ll maintain appropriate boundaries with campers, keeping your personal life personal
- You’ll actively communicate with your staff partner and camp director about impending and ongoing camper issues
- You’ll partner with parents to discuss what their child has learned and how they have grown during their time at camp
The Logistics
There is always a lot going on at camp so:
- You’ll prepare for, and actively participate in pre-camp training and staff meetings
- You’ll meet regularly with your camp director to let her know how things are going with your campers and your staff partner and to make plans to move forward
- You’ll turn in all paperwork on time
- You’ll follow all camp rules and policies
To learn more about each of our camp programs click on the links below:
- Resident Camp
- Day Camp
- Traveling Day Camp
Your Life as a Staff Person
Whether you work at resident camp or day camp you’ll be giving 100% of your attention and efforts to your campers. While you are at camp, many of the comforts of home are gone but you’ll gain so much:
- You’ll be surrounded by a team of co-workers and supervisors all working towards a common, life-changing goal
- You’ll impact every girl who attends camp whether you know it or not
- You’ll create memories that will last a lifetime (for yourself and your campers)
- You’ll gain valuable, marketable life skills that will help you succeed in any future endeavor
There’s more to learn about the Extraordinary Adventure of being a camp team member! Keep exploring:
- What you Gain from a Summer at Camp
- Staff Expectations/Standards
- The Application Process: Becoming a Camp Team Member
Questions? Contact Chief Mission Officer Amanda Block, 907-273-0316
What You Gain from a Summer at Camp
It’s not just campers who grow from going to camp. Working at summer camp is one of the best ways to gain real life experience that will serve you for the rest of your life. Here are some of the critical professional skills you’ll gain:
Character Strengths
Often called life skills or soft skills, we define character as the ways an individual acts, thinks and feels that benefit them as well as the world as a whole. Character strengths like grit, gratitude and self-control are not only essential to being a successful camp staff person but are life skills that all employers are looking for. These life skills will serve you no matter your life goals!
Direct, Honest, Effective Communication
Our camps believe in communicating directly and honestly with peers, supervisors and campers. This means that drama, gossip, cliques and mean girl behavior are not tolerated. We don’t talk about other people behind their backs and don’t engage in passive aggressive behavior. You’ll handle problems directly and help campers do the same.
Leadership
Girl Scouts is the premier leadership organization for girls. It’s not just girls who gain leadership skills by attending camp. Everything you say and do, the way you interact with your peers and supervisors, your attitude when things get tough, your ability to be kind and compassionate and see things from other people’s perspective; all these things contribute to leadership. You’ll call on these skills as a staff team member and develop them alongside campers.
Conflict Resolution
It’s impossible to avoid conflicts and when you do it means you aren’t standing up for what is right. At camp, you’ll resolve issues by talking, compromising, being empathetic, being kind and compassionate. You’ll help girls gain conflict resolution skills by modeling actions, facilitating conversations and creating an atmosphere where girls can negotiate the ins and outs of relationships.
Teamwork
You’ll have your own individual goals for your time at camp. You’ll also be part of a team working towards the goal of changing children’s lives. Ultimately, you’ll be evaluated on how well you not only perform individually but how you contribute to the success of the team and the camp.
A Paycheck
It’s not the main reason anyone decides to work at camp, but your paycheck does matter. Click on the links below to see the pay rates for positions at each camp. Remember, at resident camp we provide your room and board!
To learn more about each of our camp program click on the links below:
There’s more to learn about the Extraordinary Adventure of being a camp team member! Keep exploring:
Questions? Contact Chief Mission Officer Amanda Block, 907-273-0316
Staff Expectations
The policies laid out below cover some of the most common questions we get asked before staff arrives and during pre-camp training. Some of them may seem unnecessary or silly, but our experience has taught us that this is the best way to meet the needs of our campers and fulfill our mission.
How long is the camp season?
The length of the camp season depends on the camp location and position.
- Camp Togowoods:
- Full season (Program Counselors, Kitchen Staff, Nurse, Driver): May 24 – August 15
- Half Season (General Counselors): May 24 – June 30 or July 6 – August 15
- Camp Singing Hills:
- The season runs May 24 – August 13
- Travel Camp Staff
- The season runs May 24 – August 14
Note for all camps:
All staff should plan to arrive at camp the day before your start date (Either May 23rd or July 5th) to get settled and get a good night’s sleep so you can participate in a full day of training the next day. All staff are expected to participate in training and fulfill their job duties through the end of the camp.
Can I have visitors during the summer?
It can be a lot of fun to have family or friends visit you at camp! There are a couple of things you need to do BEFORE you have a visitor including arranging it with the camp director. When you have a visitor at camp, you are responsible for making sure they follow all the camp rules and policies.
Will I have time off?
Working with kids demands your best. That’s what makes it so exciting and exhausting (and time off necessary).
Depending on whether you work at day or resident camp, time off will look different. If you work at day camp, you’ll have your weekends off and your evenings free after you finish up your day at camp.
If you work at resident camp, you’ll have two hours off each day and at least 24 hours every two weeks. We do everything possible to ensure that your breaks between sessions are longer than 24 hours so that you can re-charge for the next group of campers.
When can I make phone calls, use the internet?
Our camp believes that everything you do and say has the potential to impact a child’s life so we limit our personal phone calls and technology use to time off only. Cell phones and the internet can be used only during time off (unless your job duties require) and only in the staff lounge or staff phone booth.
Camp has a phone and internet connection which are for camp business purposes only. You can give your family and friends the camp phone number in case they need to get in touch with you in an emergency.
Can I bring my pets to camp?
We are committed to providing a safe place for all girls to attend camp. Not only do many girls have health issues related to animals but many girls are afraid of one animal or another. This means that we do not allow staff to bring or keep pets of any kind at camp.
How do I take care of my health care needs during the summer?
There is a designated health care staff at all our camps. At our resident camp, we have a health care director on staff. At both day camps, our camp directors have advanced first aid certification and serve as our health care staff. All our camps work with local clinics to ensure our campers and staff have access to the health care services they need during their time at camp.
You’ll be away from your normal health care providers and pharmacy for the summer. We suggest talking to your normal health care providers to find out how to contact them during the summer. Also ask them how to handle common medical issues like colds, sore throats, and intestinal issues so that you can plan for them. Finally, it is worth checking with your insurance company and pharmacy to see if you can get a 3-month supply of any prescription medication(s) so that you can avoid having to get them refilled during the summer.
How do I take care of my mental health needs during the summer?
Coming soon.
How do I do my laundry?
If you work at resident camp we have a washer and dryer that you can use for free. We’ll even provide the detergent! Camp laundry has priority and you’ll share the machines with your co-workers so you’ll want to bring enough clothes for at least two weeks.
If you work with our traveling day camps, you will occasionally have access to a washer and dryer in a community you are hosting camp in. Sometimes these machines will be free and sometimes they will be coin operated. Either way, you’ll need to provide your own detergent, and you should have enough clothing for at least a few weeks at a time!
How do I get mail during the summer?
Regardless of what camp you work at, you’ll have limited connection to technology while you are at camp. Writing old fashion letters is a great way to keep in contact with friends and family (and a wonderful surprise to receive during your week). Mail can be sent to our Anchorage office and it will be brought out to your camp location.
First Name, Last Name
Camp Name Staff (Ex. Camp Togowoods Staff)
2000 w International Airport Rd Suite C1
Anchorage AK, 99502
Is there a curfew?
Resident camp staff who are not on time off are expected to be in their units from the start of night time procedures with campers through the end of morning procedures. Staff are expected to remain in their units with campers after lights out.
Are there requirements for physical appearance (i.e. piercings, tattoos, etc.)?
Girl Scouts of Alaska welcomes all invaluable staff members regardless of physical appearance. We place value on characteristics deeper than the surface. That being said, we know that children model everything adults say and do. We also know that first impressions matter and allow us to get to the deeper stuff. This means that if you have a tattoo that is inappropriate, it needs to be covered up at camp. It also means that we don’t talk about our own physical appearance or comment on others'.
What are the policies about drugs, alcohol, and tobacco?
Girl Scouts of Alaska does not tolerate the possession, use, or distribution of any illegal drugs or alcohol at any time on Girl Scouts of Alaska property, in the conduct of Girl Scouts of Alaska business, or off property or during non-working hours if it affects job performance. Violation of this policy will result in immediate action up to and including termination.
Girl Scouts of Alaska is completely tobacco-free including sites that are owned, leased, and/or operated by Girl Scouts of Alaska. This includes smoking, vaping, chewing, and any other form of tobacco.
How does food work?
At day camp, you’ll bring your own lunch and eat it with campers each day.
In the traveling day camp, you’ll either purchase your food in each community or pre-purchase and package your food (during staff training) to be mailed to you throughout the summer. We’ll help you figure out which option is the best fit for you.
At resident camp, your meals will be provided. Camp serves a well-rounded, KID FRIENDLY menu. Staff are expected to sit with girls and eat the same food as campers. Staff who have individual food needs (food allergies, are vegetarian, etc) will be able to select the staff option.
Is there a dress code?
Camp staff are expected to present a clean, professional appearance. Inappropriate (revealing, low cut, extremely tight or short, profane, etc) clothing is not allowed. Camp will provide you will a staff shirt to wear on opening and closing days and other occasions as assigned by your camp director.
You’ve learned all about the Extraordinary Adventure of Being a Camp Team Member! Now, it’s time to learn about applying:
Questions? Contact Chief Mission Officer Amanda Block, 907-273-0316
The Application Process
Before you begin the application, here are a few things to remember…
If you haven’t read the other sections of the website that relate to summer camp, please do so before you apply. These sections help you better understand what working at camp is all about – both the challenges and the opportunities!
The application takes some time and asks more than “yes or no” questions. As you can tell from reading what our camp is all about, we are committed to having invaluable staff. Our camp directors have worked at various camps over the years. We can honestly say that the standards of excellence at Girl Scouts of Alaska summer camps are as high as we have seen anywhere. Our application is the first step in helping us determine if you are a good fit for our camp and our camp for you.
Are you excited by the possibility of joining a team committed to excellence and focused on a mission of “building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place”? Take the next step now:
Here are the steps to becoming a camp team member with Girl Scouts of Alaska:
- Read through the sections of the website that relate to summer camp so you know what camp is all about and what to expect
- Completely fill out the online application (including 3 professional reference contacts). There is only one application regardless of the camp you are interested in working at
- This is the most important part of the process. Interviews are conducted by phone. Again, there is only one interview regardless of the camp you are interested in working at. After the interview we’ll let you know within two weeks whether we’d like you to join our camp team.
- Sign and return the hire paperwork. After we get a verbal commitment from you, we’ll send you a written hire letter. We take this commitment very seriously. For the protection of our camps and our campers, we run background checks on every person we offer a job to. If we receive negative results on the background check or a job reference after we receive your signed contract, we reserve the right to rescind the job offer.
