Former CK Campers & CILTs

The 2025 Staff Application is now open!

Ready to Grow into a New Role

Welcome back to camp! You’ve spent your summers at Kinneret as a camper and/or a CILT, and now you feel ready to take the leap and join our staff! During your previous summers at Kinneret, you have explored how to lead an activity, learned how to take initiative, and practiced how to talk to younger campers. Now as a staff member, you are ready to combine the skills you have already developed with a summer of fast-paced leadership training. We invite you to discover how Kinneret can help you grow as a young leader while making an impact on many campers’ lives. 

Why Work at Camp Kinneret?

We’re Committed to Camper Growth (How We Help You Help Campers)

• Camp is a valuable opportunity to coach campers on critical life skills. Here at Kinneret, we strive to nurture five themes of life skills (referred to as the Kinneret Roots) through our program: Independence, Teamwork, Creativity, Friendship, and Community. As the summer progresses we focus on finding creative ways to instill these skills and values in our campers through play and fun.
• We keep our camp groups small on purpose. You will have 10 – 15 campers a day, and at least one high schooler in training or a co-counselor with you and your group throughout the summer. Our small group sizes and teams of counselors and high schoolers ensure that each of our staff members finds moments to connect with each of their campers on a deeper level.
• Our 4- and 5- week session structure allows you to get to know campers over an extended, consistent period of time, which gives you more time to connect with and facilitate growth in your campers. 

We’re Committed to Staff Development (How We Help You Grow)

• Staff attend 5 days of orientation, receiving training in team building, conflict resolution, group management, creative problem-solving, and much more. We believe in active learning, and provide our staff with multiple hands-on opportunities to practice as they learn throughout the orientation program. 
• Our staff attend weekly meetings to receive on-the-job training and ongoing education. 
• Staff receive friendly one-on-one support from a Leadership Team member, who’s there to guide them as they set goals, overcome challenges, and develop skills. We emphasize this relationship as a partnership – Leadership Team members are there to help you in any way you need. 

Build a 21st Century Resume by Working at Camp

The Partnership for 21st-Century Learning has identified the 4 skills (or the 4 Cs) that today’s employers believe are most crucial to success in the workforce: Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Collaboration. Camp work requires you to use and hone each of these skills every single day, all while enjoying a job that gets you outside, gets you laughing and playing, and turns you into a role model for children. 

Here is just a sampling of the roles you’ll practice this summer that will help you develop your 4 Cs: 

• Good communicator – Our staff members are communicating and learning to connect with people across all age ranges on a daily basis. 
• Life-long learner – Our staff members embrace a growth mindset. They know that there’s always room to learn more and improve, and are prepared for any challenges that come their way. 
• Community player – Sometimes our staff members are bombarded with what feels like a million challenges all at once. Staff and the Leadership Team members work together daily to overcome problems, develop new ideas, and best support our campers. Our staff members use their resources like Leadership Team members and fellow staff members to problem solve together and come out stronger. 
• Creative thinker – Our staff members love to add twists to old games and activities to make them new, fresh, and engaging. They learn how to plan out a creative schedule and to think on the fly when things don’t go as planned! 
• Detail-oriented worker – Our staff members are in charge of a group of campers with different needs, interests, and abilities. Our small group sizes allow them to get to know their campers on a deep level and notice when they’re not their usual selves. They watch for little cues and changes in their faces, paying close attention to the details! 
• Leader – Our staff members are responsible for young people, which means that they must practice being responsible leaders that their campers can lean on. 
• Problem solver – Staff members are always problem-solving ways to help their campers grow. What might you do if a camper has a hard time when they lose a game? How about shifting the game’s focus to promote recognition of good sportsmanship rather than winning? Staff members develop the skills they need to efficiently resolve problems expanding their skills and demonstrating problem-solving techniques for their campers. 

Kinneret Staff Positions

At Kinneret, we have two broad themes of staff members: group counselors and specialists. Group counselors spend their whole summer with one group of campers, lead the day and facilitate activities for their group, and work with their Leadership Team member to create a memorable summer for their campers. Specialists spend their summer at an activity (like Ponies or Arts and Crafts), spending time with many different groups each day, and introducing campers to new interests through play-based projects and hands-on learning opportunities. You can learn more about Kinneret’s staff positions here! 

How to Apply

Tips and Tricks for Submitting a Successful Application – Click to Scroll Through!

The 2025 Staff Application is now open!