Apply for 2023 Summer Staff
Thank you for your interest in applying for Summer Staff at Camp Shalom.
Camp Shalom is a Christian summer camp located on a beautiful 130 acre property just south of Cambridge. At Camp Shalom, we provide day and overnight programs for children in grades 1-12 and offer the largest Christ-centered program for adults with special needs in Ontario! For over 50 years, the dedicated staff at Camp Shalom have been impacting the lives of thousands of campers through the power of Christ. Our team has witnessed firsthand the positive transformation that occurs in the hundreds of summer staff members who have served at our camp.
As a Summer Staff member at Camp Shalom, you will have the chance to:
- Share your faith in Christ with others
- Develop spiritually and socially
- Make a meaningful impact on the lives of others
- Receive training in leadership skills
- Enhance your resume by working with children and individuals with special needs
- Form lifelong friendships.
All applicants must be at least 16 years of age by Dec 31, 2023.
All positions are paid. For more information about salaries email Ryan.
If you have any questions see the Frequently Asked Questions below or email Ryan.
Click below to Apply Now!
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God showed me that I can work for Him in all places. I learned to care for others before myself more this week. If I had a choice, I would do it again.
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So many heart-warming moments with the guests. Especially Daniel & Brian. Their joy filled my heart & it was a joy to be around them. God encouraged me so much by their lives.
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So, this week I had a super independent cabin for special needs week. Three of my campers all came from the same home and they were hilarious. They were always goofing off and playing jokes on each other. While watching them I can appreciate their joy and how God has blessed them.
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I had a really great week. I learned about humility and love from the guests. I loved seeing Jay dance and all the good bible tales that Frank could tell me. All in all this was a really great week and I don't think I've laughed this much in one week in a long time.
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Special needs weeks are my favourite weeks at camp. Being able to get to know the guests and learn their personalities is a privilege.
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This week was a building stone upon Week 1 and working with Special Needs for the first time. I learned so much more about what it takes to support them and not only help them, but that they are no different. The amount you can learn and learn about yourself is the joy of working for them. The amount of humour and need to rely on God was a huge part of my week. I felt the guests showed me how God works in mysterious ways through me and the fellow staff. Another memorable week that will forever be cherished.
As a Summer Staff member at Camp Shalom, you will not only gain invaluable experiences and be a part of a unique community, but you will also receive compensation for your time and hard work. The starting salary for Summer Staff who is in high school and has no camp experience or certifications is $1750. High school students can earn additional income through bonuses for referring friends, or gaining relevant work experience, and/or education/certifications. College and University students receive significantly more salary for the additional experience that they possess.
Additionally, all of our staff will be provided with free housing and meals for the duration of the summer. You can check out the financial options outlined below for more information.
Example 1
Jenny is currently in Grade 11, has her lifeguarding certificate, but has no previous work experience.
Jenny receives $1750 as the base salary for first year staff members
Jenny is given an extra $300 because of her lifeguarding certificates
Jenny receives $2050 in salary, $1500 in room and board, bringing the value of her earnings for the summer to $3550
Example 2
Joey is in grade 10, and is excited to start his first ever job here at Camp Shalom!
Joey receives $1750 as his base salary
Joey receives free room and board valued at over $1500 for the full 10 weeks.
Joey receives a total financial value of $2250 for the summer.
Example 3
Timmy is a first year student at a local university, and has worked at a different summer camp before!
Timmy receives the base salary for first year staff members, which is is $1750
Timmy is given a $200 bonus for his experience at another summer Camp and $500 for being in university.
Timmy referred a friend to work for us and received $150 once they are hired
Timmy received free room and board for the 10 weeks he works at Camp Shalom, saving him at least $1500 in rent and groceries
Timmy receives a financial value of $3650 for the summer, or $4650 if he is awarded the Countryside Camp scholarship.
Countryside Camp is excited to offer two post-secondary education scholarships.
Two $1000 scholarships will be awarded to Camp Shalom summer staff members from the current year.
The Board of Directors understands and values the sacrifices made by staff choosing a position to serve others at camp during the summer. Camp Shalom is committed to hiring and retaining great staff. By offering this scholarship we can help eliminate the financial barriers for students to work at Camp during the summer.
More information and applications will be shared with our summer staff during the summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
You must be turning 16 at some point during the current year.
There is no deadline. We will continue to accept applications until we have a sufficient number of applicants for each position.
Below is a description of all positions. All positions (unless noted to be otherwise) are 10 weeks long.
Program Coordinator (Adventure Camp and Special Needs) (13 week position) – Organizes & implements Adventure Camp and works with the other Program Coordinator to organize and implement Staff Training, Special Needs Camp and The Quest. Is in a significant leadership role over all other summer staff and volunteers.
Program Coordinator (Munchkins and Special Needs) (13 week position) – Organizes and implements Munchkins (grades 1-3), and works with the other Program Coordinator to organize and implement Staff Training, Special Needs Camp and The Quest. Is in a significant leadership role over all other summer staff and volunteers.
SPEC Program Coordinator (11 Week Position) – Organizes and implements Spec Trek, Spec Sports and Spec Arts programs. Is in a significant leadership role over other summer staff and volunteers.
DISC Coordinator – Design and lead a 6 week discipleship program including a one week mission trip. During the weeks not leading DISC will be a cabin counselor.
Day Camp/Mobile Camp Coordinator – Design and lead our day camp program as well as lead programing at our off-site mobile camp program.
Sr. Healthcare Coordinator (“Nurse”) – Oversees all aspects of healthcare during camp including medication administration and injuries. Must be a 3rd year nursing student or greater.
Jr. Healthcare Coordinator – Assists the Sr. Healthcare Coordinator in all aspects of healthcare during camp including medication administration and injuries. Must be a minimum of first aid certified.
Head Lifeguard – Current NLS required – Please bring a copy of your Certs with you to the interview.
Lifeguard – Current NLS required – Please bring a copy of your Certs with you to the interview.
Sr. Kitchen Assistant – Works under our Food Service Director and is hands on in preparing meals. (11 weeks)
Kitchen Assistant
Tuck Shop and Dining Room Host – Helps with kithchen duties and manages the tuck shop.
Maintenance Staff
Media Coordinator – Taking photos and videos of the week at camp and creating a video to go home with the campers each week, doing daily updates to the website, etc.
Special Needs Counselor – Leads a cabin of Special needs guests by doing the daily activities with them and sleeping in the cabin.
Counselor – Leads a cabin of campers or special needs guests by doing the daily activities with them and sleeping in the cabin. Also responsible for leading a daily workshop/interest group on an activity of your choosing.
Worship Counselor – Leads a cabin of campers or special needs guests along with coordinating the musical worship at camp.
Yes, all of our staff live at the camp during the summer. Staff have the weekends off from Friday around 7pm until Sunday at 4pm.
Although we try to be flexible we cannot grant more than a day or so off during the summer. There may be some more flexibility if you have to miss some time at the beginning or end of the summer.
All summer positions, unless otherwise noted on the staff application are 10 weeks long and in 2023 will start on June 19th with two weeks of staff training and end on August 26th. This will overlap with high school exams. See the next question.
This happens every year and we have created a good system so that you can write your exams and attend as much of staff training as possible. We work with the schools to often write exams early, write exams at the camp, and sometimes you will need time off from camp to write your exams. Please don’t let this discourage you from applying.
All positions are paid starting out at $1750 for the full 10 weeks. Please email Adrian to get a range that your salary might be. We also offer a Countryside Camp Scholarship that you apply for. All of your food and housing is paid for when you live at Camp, which has been valued at almost $2000 for the summer.
It can’t hurt but it is not required.
No, because we have so many excellent applicants every year no one is guaranteed a position. Please take your application and interview seriously.
Yes, for insurance and liability reasons we require references to be done every year.
The Sr. Healthcare Coordinator (Nurse) must be completing his/her third year of school or greater. There is some flexibility on the qualifications for the Jr. Healthcare coordinator.
Lifeguards are required to have their NLS. We can hire assistant lifeguard who have their Bronze Cross.
Try a different internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Some very old browsers may not work, try updating your browser or using a different one. If none of those work, then email Adrian.
You may also want to consider being a Volunteer.
