Job Summary and Key Accountabilities:
The Day Camp Unit Leader serves as a professional role model for our campers and counselors by leading through example and guiding campers and counselors through recreational activities that teach life skills, encourage healthy and safe behaviors and create a positive camper experience. The Day Camp Unit Leader oversees and monitors recreational activities in their assigned cohort and serves as an advisor to team members. The Day Camp Unit Leader ensures that each youth has adequate supervision including ensuring that no youth is unsupervised at any time.
Scope of Responsibilities:
Camper Experience
- Promotes the YMCA and provides outstanding customer service by creating an outstanding camper experience for children, parents and families.
- Organizes and directs recreational activities including but not limited to, arts and crafts, sports, social recreation, songfests, nature hikes, archery, and other games and hobbies. Instructs campers using various teaching methods and modifies activities as needed to ensure that campers of all ages and experience levels are engaged.
- Teaches socially acceptable behaviors to campers by serving as a role model and by using age-appropriate positive reinforcement and behavior management strategies.
- Communicates consistently with supervisor and team members to ensure everyone is kept abreast of camp activities and schedule and ensure team members receive appropriate information.
- Communicates with parents as needed to address camp questions, concerns and deliver updates.
- Supports camp activities as assigned by supervisor, including any specialty camp activities.
Counselor Guidance
- Serves as an advisor and coach to his/her assigned cohort of counselors and provides support when there are absences, unforeseen events and other special challenges.
- Supports team goals and performance standards. Coaches, trains and develops counselors to optimize performance.
- Provides expertise to team members to ensure an outstanding camper experience.
- Monitors counselor attendance.
Camp Safety
- Ensures the physical and emotional health and safety of campers by being safety conscious, following all established YMCA standards and critically evaluating situations for potential risks.
- Ensures compliance with established rules and regulations to ensure safety. Monitors campers and counselors and provides corrective coaching and intervention as necessary.
- Sets up facilities and/or equipment for activities and stores equipment appropriately after use. Immediately notifies Program Director of any broken or unsafe equipment or if more resources/equipment are needed.
- Works to keep camp facilities clean at all times.
Child Abuse Prevention:
Supports the YMCA’s commitment to child abuse prevention by:
- Reporting any items that may provide a health or safety hazard to staff, members or guests to your supervisor
- Following all policies and procedures related to keeping children safe in our facilities and programs, including those related to the monitoring and supervision of children
- Reporting any suspicious behavior and violation of policy and procedures to your supervisor
- Completing all child abuse prevention training as required
Commitment to Inclusion:
Supports the YMCA’s commitment to inclusion of all members as required by Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Job responsibilities may include implementing program modifications for persons with cognitive, behavioral or physical disabilities, including but not limited to the injection of medical glucagon to members with Type 1 diabetes in emergency situations. Appropriate training and development will be provided to YMCA team members based on your role and responsibilities.
Minimum and Preferred Requirements:
- Must have a High School Diploma or equivalent
- Must be at least 18 years of age by the first day of camp.
- Must have 1 year or more of prior experience working with youth; Experience in a camp setting preferred.
- Relevant specialty experience for positions supporting specialty camps.
- Commitment to, and passion for, the YMCA of Metro Chicago’s mission.
- Excellent verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly and concisely present ideas and concepts and tailor communication to multiple audiences.
- Passion for working with diverse youth and ability to provide a high-quality of instruction using age-appropriate practices. Ability to observe camper behavior and apply appropriate behavior management techniques.
- Proven ability to establish constructive relationships and interact as a positive role model.
- Continuous learner who leverages opportunities for learning and applies new knowledge and skills.
- Demonstrates evidence of YMCA Y Team competencies in previous experience or practice.
- Meets physical qualifications required as outlined in job description. The YMCA will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities.
Be Part of Our Mission
The mission of the YMCA of Metro Chicago is to develop strong children, families and communities across Metropolitan Chicago through academic readiness, character development, violence prevention, fitness and healthy living. Our network of 20 membership centers, five camps, early learning, school-aged and other programs at 100+ sites in the city and suburbs provides everyone with a safe place to learn, play and grow. In this role, you'll be an integral part of ensuring the YMCA continues to be a leader in making our city a world-class place to live and raise a family. So you're not just impacting a bottom line, you're impacting people and communities all over Chicagoland.
