Camp CREATE Lead Camp Counselor, 2026

Job Description Lead Camp Counselor 2026 For Camp CREATE at Cascades Academy About Cascades Academy Cascades Academy is an independent PK-12 day school with ~240 students located in the beautiful mountain town of Bend, Oregon. The school was founded in 2003 and resides on an award-winning 45-acre campus located on the Deschutes River. The school's unique mission weaves challenging academics with experiential learning within an engaged, vibrant community. Cascades Academy values employees who are committed to our mission, are prepared to engage fully in a learning community, and are excited to bring their authentic selves to work. Cascades Academy's culture is highly collaborative and puts what is best for students at the center of the work. Regularly named one of the Best Nonprofits to Work for in Oregon , our faculty and staff see each other as teammates and feel motivated to do their best work here. Cascades Academy strives to cultivate and maintain a supportive, inclusive community for all employees and actively promotes a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications as described in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and are eager to consider applications from groups traditionally underrepresented in independent school communities.

Program Description:

As an extension of Cascades Academy's uniquely engaging mission, Camp CREATE offers programming for no-school days, spring break camp and six weeks of STEAM and nature based summer camps, from July 7th to August 21st, hosting approximately 85 campers and 5 to 7 CITs per day. Camp CREATE stands for Creatively Redefining Education through Adventurous Teachable Experiences and this is the foundation for how we build and facilitate our eight-weeks of fun-filled, adventure and experiential-based summer camp programs. Each week of camp is based around a different theme, explored through learning modalities such as robotics, STEAM, nature and leadership and art and music. We believe humans learn by engaging their curiosity and wonder through hands-on experiences and exploration. Each week of camp we as leaders strive to ignite, promote and facilitate learning opportunities for students by engaging week-long projects, excursions to places in our community, and collaborating with guest educators, instructors, and peers in completing tasks, team-initiatives, and projects.

Summer Camp Lead Counselor Position:

Our Summer Camp Leaders are the front line in inspiring, encouraging, supporting and developing our campers, and working together as a leadership team to collaborate and produce a camp day that is educational, safe, fun, fluid and positively engages children. We are looking for experienced, responsible and enthusiastic individuals who are excited to spend their summer working with elementary aged children.

Preferred Qualities:

Enjoys working with children and facilitating their wonder, safety and learning through a play based approach Self-motivated, proactive, flexible, enthusiastic and reliable Good time-management and organizational skills Engaging, positive and relates respectfully with people of all background and ages Works well as part of a small and cohesive team

Responsibilities:

Learn and be prepared to facilitate each week's unique curriculum based in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics), robotics, nature and art. Supervise and support assigned cohort of campers based on age group Lead songs, games, activities, and excursions related to our weekly theme Work with co-instructors, counselors in training (CITs), guest educators and partners in teaching activities, guiding field trips, and managing campers Oversee and tend to camper's physical and emotional safety Plan and prepare daily project, equipment and material needs Create an inclusive, non-threatening environment through the use of team-building and other engaging activities Submit all required paperwork to the director Other duties as assigned by the program director

Requirements:

Available July 7th - August 21st, 2026 First Aid/CPR certified (or ability to complete prior to June 30th) At least two years or more of experience working with children in a summer camp, youth recreation, or educational setting Valid Driver's License and insurance and interest in learning and/or experience driving 14-passenger bus •if 21 or older• Clean background check Willingness to complete trainings provided by the program

Compensation:

Instructors are paid at an hourly rate of $19.90-$23.25 based on experience and placement Instructors are also compensated for certification and three to five days of staff training (July 7th-10th)

Application Process:

Please send a resume and cover letter to Camp Director Hannah Nebeker at campcreate@cascadesacademy.org To learn more about our summer employment opportunities, please visit our employment page at cascadesacademy.org/community/camp-create/work It is the policy of Cascades Academy to provide equal employment opportunity, regardless of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, physical or mental impairment, sexual orientation, veteran's status or any other status protected by applicable law. Specifically, employment opportunities are and shall be open to all qualified applicants solely on the basis of their experience, aptitudes, abilities and training; advancement is and shall be based on the individual's achievement, performance, ability, attitude and potential for promotion.