FAQs

We are looking for enthusiastic staff to help our campers learn and grow. Your main job will be to oversee that the campers are having fun and staying safe. Counselors also double as activity instructors. You will have a bunk of your own campers with a co-counselor, however, during the day you may be teaching various age groups. If you are assigned to our youngest campers you will travel to activities as a group. River Way staff are held to a high standard of role-model behavior with campers and each other.

All of our counselors are required to be 18 years old on their first day of work. If you are under the age of 18 and still interested in working with River Way Ranch Camp in some capacity, please check out our C.I.T. (Counselor In Training) program.

Staff are contracted anywhere between 9-11 weeks (including training). Your contract also depends on the number of campers enrolled. Your training date is set based on your position and training needed for your position.

In addition to the eight-week summmer, all of our counselors are required to attend a comprehensive staff training including activity instruction, child psychology, behavior modification, and camp operations. The majority of our staff will be certified, on-site, as an American Red Cross Lifeguard and in CPR/First Aid. Additional Specialty Training: Ropes Course belay certification, Paintball facilitation, Equestrian instruction, waterfront training, Moto-X, Archery, ATV’S, and Go-Carts.

The video component of the application is NOT mandatory. However, as we do receive hundreds of applications each year, we do encourage the supplemental video to help us get to know you a little bit better. When making the video, please make it fun and exciting and make sure that it shows off YOU! Show us your interests, your teaching abilities, and your personality.

Dress Code and Grooming Practices:
While no set uniform is in place for staff members of River Way Ranch Camp, the following are minimum guidelines that shall be followed by all employees:

• Clothing should be tasteful and camp appropriate and reflect positively on the organization at all times, on camp, at camp functions and events and in the community on staff time off.
• Clothing with offensive language, inappropriate advertising, slogans, images or references is prohibited.
• A fully grown-in, well-maintained beard, or goatee is permitted unless otherwise restricted by regulatory codes and standards. Beard or goatee must be fully grown in prior to arrival and may not exceed 1/4 inch in length. Should any of the mentioned be in violation of allowed code, the staff member will be asked to be clean-shaven.
• Five o’clock shadows are not permitted.
• Staff members without a beard, or goatee are expected to be clean-shaven every day.
• For clarification on whether your beard or goatee is acceptable, please consult the Camp Director.
• Hair should be neatly combed and arranged in a classic, easy-to-maintain style. Natural hair styles only. Extreme styles are not permitted. e.g. partially shaven heads, shaven designs in hair.
• Male employees’ hair length should not exceed their shoulders.
• Shaving of the head or any portion of the head or eyebrows is not permitted.
• Artificial hair is permitted if it looks natural and meets all of the above requirements.
• River Way does not permit extreme hair dyeing, bleaching or coloring. If the hair color is changed, it must be natural looking and well maintained and only changed in between camp sessions and not in the middle of one. Subtle highlighting or frosting is permitted, as long as it creates a uniform look over the whole head and meets all of the previously listed guidelines.

Some of our best staff members have tattoos and piercings! We do require, however, that all tattoos are covered at all times by clothing or tape when you are at camp and during camp-sponsored events. Your tattoo cannot show at all. This is not because we believe they are bad, but simply because children are incredibly impressionable and not old enough to comprehend the commitment of a decision to display body art.

• Male staff members are permitted to wear no more than ONE earring in each earlobe
• Female staff members are permitted to wear no more than TWO earrings in each earlobe

Any other piercings need to be removed while on camp property or during a camp-sponsored event.

Cell Phones and Wi-Fi Devices
There is nothing more special than human connection and the connection to nature. Our philosophy is that our campers and counselors will talk and make memories without interruption from technology. During your employment with River Way Ranch Camp you may not use your cell phone or cellular device while “ON-DUTY.” On-Duty time refers to any time a staff member is required to supervise or care for children. Staff are provided breaks. During these times, in designated locations, staff may use their cell phones and similar devices. Staff phones and/or any Wi-Fi accessible devices must be kept in a provided locker in the designated Staff Lounge. If the campers become aware of staff cell phones or Internet use, it could result in termination. The camp reserves the right to change the designated storage location of all cell phones and similar Wi-Fi-enabled devices at the Director’s discretion. Office phones and management phones are available for emergencies.

Staff are granted a 24 hour day off each week which allows you to leave the camp facility. We are located centrally to many outing options, which makes it easy to plan a fun, and restful day off.

It’s great! Our chef works year-round preparing high-quality meals for events such as weddings and conferences during our resort and corporate season. When camp is in season, you will find two separate buffets in the dining hall each with different options. There are plenty of healthy choices such as salad, vegetables, and oatmeal as well as the staples like scrambled eggs, tacos, and burgers. In addition to our provided meals, the camp store is also available to staff for purchasing beverages, snacks, and swag! Coffee and tea is provided in the staff lounge daily.