Summer Volunteer Opportunities
For those who can’t commit to working a full summer at camp, or just want to dip a toe into our community to see if it’s a good fit, we have plenty of volunteer opportunities! As a small non-profit, we depend on our dedicated volunteers every summer to help make the summer possible. And we try to show our appreciation by making sure that volunteering at Unirondack is an unforgettable and rewarding experience!
There are many different capacities in which you can volunteer. All volunteers are given a volunteer orientation and are expected to uphold our professional and community standards while at camp. Below you can read about the different ways you can volunteer and fill out the Volunteer Application,
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Intersession Weekend Coverage (2-3 days):
For staff alumni, come spend a weekend at camp and offer light programming and supervision for our intersession campers. This may include offering field games, supervising during meals, watching a movie with the campers, and doing arts and crafts. Coverage begins at noon on Saturdays and ends at 2pm on Sunday. Intersession volunteers are encouraged to come up to camp on Friday nights to enjoy the Friday camp activities and are also welcome to stay until Monday morning to have some quality personal time at camp on Sunday evening.
Days/Times:
Saturdays - Noon to 10pm/Overnight
Sundays - 8am - 2pm -
Artist in Residence (1-2 weeks):
For those with specialized skills in music, theater, visual arts, dance/movement, or crafting, the Artist in Residence progran might be the perfect fit. Artists in Residence run a once-daily 75 minute workshop for five days teaching interested youth about their specialized skill, or helping them to complete a project. Artists in Residence should be comfortable working with youth, and be prepared to help out with supervision and occasional other camp activities with campers throughout the day. The rest of the time is free to spend enjoying our boats, art shop, waterfront, hammocks, and beautiful Adirondack trails!
Days/Times:
Monday - Friday 10:30am to 11:45am
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Kitchen (1 – 2 weeks):
It’s true, our kitchen relies on more than magic to make our incredible meals happen. If you are coming without any previous work experience we encourage you to apply to work as a dishwasher. If you have worked in professional kitchen settings before, consider applying to volunteer as a prep cook or working with our baker. We generally expect that kitchen volunteers are willing to work for at least one week.
Approx. Meal Prep/Dish Times
Breakfast - 7am to 9am
Lunch - 10:30am to 1pm
Dinner - 4:30pm to 7pm -
Maintenance (1-2 weeks):
If getting dirty, lighting campfires, and sweating outside are your interests, consider volunteering on our maintenance crew. Some previous experience in carpentry or landscaping is strongly preferred but if you are open and willing to learn and work hard we are willing to teach crew members. Being willing to work for a stay of 1-2 weeks is expected.
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Program Staff (1-2 weeks):
Must be at least 18 years old. Volunteering for program staff can take many forms and is informed with a conversation with our Program Director. For staff alum it is possible to be a cabin counselor provided staff can commit to at least a full session. For other folks looking to volunteer for program staff we have workshops and one-shots that can be co-lead with our counselors as well as plenty of opportunities for activities supervision and community involvement.
Days/Times:
6 to 10 hours daily, varies greatly
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Morning Program Leader (1-6 days):
One or two mornings a week, our campers enjoy an engaging social justice program experience with an outside presenter. If you have expertise in a social justice topic that you’d like to share, apply to be a morning program leader! Programs slots are 75 minutes each, and presenters can use one or two slots for their program. When not hosting their program, morning program leaders are encouraged to enjoy the camp community and surrounding areas at their leisure, and can stay for up to a week. You are welcome to use our boats, waterfront, artshop and more, and room and board for presenters and their accompanying guests are provided for the duration of your stay.
Days/Times:
Tuesday, Wednesday and/or Thursday 9:15am to 10:30am