The City Kids to Wilderness Project is a nonprofit outdoor education program serving financially challenged inner-city youths, aged 12-18, from metropolitan Washington, D.C. Our program joins youth and staff in a cooperative family atmosphere. We utilize the outdoor, natural environment as a classroom for academic, recreational, and life skills. These are valuable lessons for all individuals. At-risk youth, however, lack the systems-home, school, and community-that can provide children with the necessary experiences, role models, and support. Our program fills this void by offering school-year activities and events, summer camp, job training, and academic scholarships.
The majority of our employment positions are seasonal-working at our summer camp in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Check out Summer Jobs for descriptions of available positions.
Staff and campers live on a beautiful 62-acre ranch complete with swimming pool, log cabins, and lodge. Jackson Hole is a premier summer recreation area that provides many outdoor and social opportunities. Most staffs have private rooms and baths; we serve excellent meals. Our summers are full and we need dedicated, energetic staff interested in working with at-risk youth. However, with only 30 campers, a low 1:4 staff/camper ratio, great activities, competitive salary, and our fabulous location we are an excellent summer job choice. Each staff member gets time-off during and between sessions. Room, board, and laundry facilities are provided. We are a tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drug free work-site. No pets please.
Our Staff
Please e-mail a resume. Interviews are generally conducted by phone with the camp director. The camp director collects references after an initial interview. If you are offered a position, a private investigative firm will conduct a background search. E-mail resumes, requests, or inquiries to lindsay@citykidscamp.org Due to the high volume of applicants each year, we are unable to accept phone inquiries, or to reply to each applicant.
A Note from the Directors
City Kids is a small tight-knit community. We work and live together, sometimes in stressful situations always giving our best. The summer season may be short, but the days are long and intense. We all put our personal needs aside and focus on one goal‹to provide a safe, positive, and enriching experience for each child. Every summer, at least one counselor will say, "I took this job to have fun". We do want your work experience to be personally fulfilling, safe, and fun. As a team we strive to support each other, to share our knowledge and skills, and to grow professionally. However, please do not submit your application unless you are primarily interested in the welfare of our campers.
In choosing individual staff members, We try to create a team that has shared values and a balance of skills and strengths. We look for applicants with proven abilities. We are interested in individuals who have outdoor expertise combined with the appropriate interpersonal skills. If a camp counselor can't relate well to people, they are ineffective in teaching outdoor skills. People come first at our camp; skills and activities are tools or vehicles to reach our goals.
Hiring is an on-going process, so it's best to get your resume to us as soon as possible. Thank you for considering our employment opportunities.
Best wishes in your job search - Cathy Dombi, Executive Director & Lindsay Fallon, Director of Outdoor Services
