The Trainee Program
The Trainee Program at Camps Airy & Louise is designed to do much more than just grow the next generation of staff. The program is intended to teach the critical leadership skills your child will need to compete in the 21st century. Skills like being able to work well with others in team situations, manage conflict resolution as a manager and as a peer, and how to best communicate with co-workers of all ages. Camp facilitates a unique professional experience few other career fields offer. Learn why camp is the ultimate internship here.
It begins as an ST (campers who have completed 9th grade), expands as a CA (campers who have completed 10th grade) and continues as a CIT (campers who have completed 11th grade). In fact, our leadership training even applies to counselors on staff – which is why so many return for multiple years. Even if your child may express little interest in becoming a counselor (although we’d certainly hope they do!), the Trainee Program provides life-lessons that are difficult to gain in any other setting.
But rest assured, our Trainees are still campers and get to experience all the fun they anticipate each summer. They participate in their own bunk activities, experience cross-trips with their peers at each camp, and go on overnight trips outside of camp with their age group and bond as a unit. What makes the program extra special is that as the campers age as a group, the intensity of their bonds increase. Campers who go through the Trainee Program together, often become friends for life.
Learn more about some of the specific skills our trainees and counselors learn through our leadership program:
Trainee Division
(ST’s, CA’s, and CIT’s)
Rising 10th/11th/12th Graders
Spend your summer among the oldest campers at Airy & Louise and learn what it means to lead with purpose. Practice and develop your own unique leadership capabilities, as you learn to utilize your own personal strengths to be the best that you can be. Gain skills in activity programming, camper care, communication, and teamwork. Over three summers, these campers develop lifelong leadership skills that will serve them well throughout their time at Camp and in the future. As an added benefit, if campers complete grades 10-12 in our Leadership Program, they will have completed over 200 hours of mentor/volunteer requirements for school!
Levels of Leadership
| Level | Grade | Camp Length | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Trainee (ST) |
Entering grade 10 | 3-4 weeks | The first Introduction to leadership training – ST’s help with overseeing Oneg on Shabbat and help run programs in camp. |
| Counselor Assistant (CA) |
Entering grade 11 | 3-4 weeks | CA’s work directly with younger campers, lending a hand with planning activities and serving as mentors, gaining bunk and activity experience. |
| Counselor In Training (CIT) |
Entering grade 12 | All summer (7 weeks) | During CIT summer, campers have bunk experience on a regular basis and are assigned specific departments in which to work gaining specific training and certifications. |
Staff
College and Beyond
After completing these Trainee summers, you will be fully prepared to become a camp counselor, one of the most rewarding and impactful jobs a young adult could have. Take the valuable lessons learned at camp and apply them to any other area of your life. Camp leaders learn skills that are highly valued by businesses and organizations in all fields.
