Director, Middle School Camp

Freedom Summer Camp Director

United Church of Christ

Purpose: The Freedom Summer Camp Director is a short-term contract position that offers key strategic support to Middle Church in the facilitation of our annual children's summer camp, working to expand our justice work with families in the Lower East Side. As we look to raise socially conscious young people, this role serves as the face of our camp, providing strong administrative acumen, empathetic leadership, and detailed daily execution to our Freedom Summer Camp team and campers.

**Skills Required:**The Freedom Summer Camp Director should have experience of working with children from multiethnic, multicultural, multifaith backgrounds. They should have a strong passion for the work of raising ethical, justice, loving children. They should prioritize the mental health needs of campers and the staff. They should center and cultivate JOY during camp. With the help of the Freedom Summer team, they must be comfortable managing multiple ages and groups at once, including children, teenagers, volunteers, care givers. They must be comfortable holding the attention of a large group of children and successfully moving them through a daily camp schedule. They must understand that children teach and raise us adults and see children as equal participants in their own formation as activists and justice-loving citizens. They should have a background or experience in anti-bias training and application, restorative justice method or similar, and have proven commitment to collective liberation, intersectionality and multifaith community building. They should also understand and be familiar with New York City neighborhoods and life. Is kind, collaborative, candid and has competency in multicultural settings. They should be proficient with Google Suite, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.

Additional qualifications:

• Ability to work remotely beginning August 5th.
• Ability to host and hold a zoom volunteer orientation.
• Ability to work on site in NYC beginning Sunday, August 30th until Friday, September 4th.
• Ability to draft and send emails and include pictures, hyperlinks, and documents in a timely matter
• Comfort working with Google Docs.
• Comply with Middle's background check policy
• Comply with Middle's COVID policies
• Experience working with elementary and middle school aged children.
• Demonstrated passion, desire and commitment for the role.
• Ideal Candidate should have experience working with children from multiethnic, multicultural, multifaith backgrounds.
• Should have a strong passion for the work of raising ethical, justice, loving children.
• Priorities mental health needs of campers and staff
• Centers and cultivates JOY during camp.
• With the help of a full team, must be comfortable managing multiple ages and groups at once, including children, teenagers, volunteers, care givers.
• Must be comfortable holding the attention of a large group of children and successfully moving them through a daily camp schedule.
• Understands that children teach and raise us adults.
• Sees children as equal participants in their formation as activists and justice loving citizens.
• Has a background or experience in anti-bias training and application, restorative justice methodology or similar.
• Demonstrated commitment to collective liberation, intersectionality and multifaith community building.
• Understanding and familiarity of NYC neighborhoods and life.

Position Details:

Supervisor: Minister for Intergenerational Movements

Rate: $40-48 per hour, depending on experience (fine to leave, we are doing 45 for all)

Schedule:

• Works remotely beginning August 5th not to exceed 10 hours per week
• Works on site in New York City beginning Sunday, August 30th until Friday, September 4th

Collaborates closely with:

• Site Mangers
• Junior Counselors
• Campers
• Parents

Key Responsibilities:

Pre-Camp:

• Begin invoicing work as early as July 1.

• • Work July 1 - August 5th will be invoiced once hired and onboarding process is complete.
  • Work pre-camp is not to exceed 10 hours per week, hours before August 1st could be as few as 2-3 a week.
  • If your work is creeping close to 10 hours any week, please contact your supervisor.

• Work with Manager, Producer, Site Mangers, Jr. Counselors as able to brainstorm and finalize theme and daily sub-themes.

• Fully lead communications to families - information will be found in the google registration form.

• Be part of hiring Jr. Counselors. Delete this

• Create and host Jr. Counselor orientation on zoom along with AD. Delete this

• Create and host volunteer orientation on zoom along with team.

• Work with Rev Amanda for supply order.

• Do a site visit as soon as hired and possible to meet the team to get some sense of the space. Ideally this could be by the end of July. But if you need an initial full team meeting via zoom that is ok.

• Communicate with Rev Amanda about deliveries and help as able. Lean on team.

• The Sunday before Camp, prepare for a long set up day with the producer and Jr. Counselors.

• • Begin around 1:30pm and work until complete - ideally no later than 6:30.

During Camp:

• Work hours are approximately 8:00-4:00 daily.
• Arrive on-site no later than 8:15 every morning for any set up needs.
• Holds daily volunteer and staff morning meeting - assign all roles and go over camper / space / weather/updates for the day. This meeting happens at 8:45, just before “doors” at 9:00.
• Primary responsibility is for camper wellness
• Ensure camp continues on schedule.
• Lead all transitions - or appropriately delegates.
• Check on individual campers’ social emotional states and mental health and well-being as able.
• Send brief daily nightly email to parents/caregivers including a few photos from the day, brief summary of how theme came to life, highlights etc.
• Help with daily clean up and re-setting of space.

Post Camp:

• Participates in post-camp evaluation and feedback sessions
• Wraps up administrative details including a final email to caregivers

Additional Responsibilities:

• Thinks strategically with colleagues about all aspects of the ministry of Middle Church, always asking
  • Are we building community?
  • Are we nurturing spirits?
  • Are we retaining members?
  • Are we deploying activists?
  • Are we growing leaders?
  • Are we developing internal and external partners?
  • Are we raising Love to heal souls and the world?

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, skills, and responsibilities needed.

All curricula, webinars, videos, and other media developed by this position collaboratively with other Middle team members or individually as a part of the above scope of work will be Middle Church property, unless a signed agreement is established before the work has begun.