Summer Camp Program Coordinator

Program Summary 

Hidden Villa is a non-profit organization with a 100-year history, focusing on environmental education, land stewardship and community building. We use our organic farm, surrounding wilderness and community to provide opportunities to learn about the environment and social justice. Hidden Villa stretches over 1600 acres of open space in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 40 miles south of San Francisco.

Hidden Villa is committed to creating an environment where all people are welcomed and feel a sense of belonging while here on the farm. This approach opens the door for formative experiences for our campers as they enjoy this beautiful place in nature and build connections with the people and world around them.

Each day, campers embark on adventures through the farm and wilderness preserve. They are challenged to try new things and find confidence in their individuality as they strike up friendships with the other youth in their group. Our staff are trained on how to maintain an empathetic and compassionate learning approach while they facilitate thought provoking activities and discussions around social and environmental issues. 

Position Description

Hidden Villa Summer Camp is seeking a Program Coordinator to help maintain an organized flow across all camp schedules. This position requires strong communication skills to work collaboratively with all staff to plan evening programs, as well as coordinate daily use of shared resources. This Coordinator will need to be both flexible and organized. This is a supervisory role as our Activity Specialists will report to the Program Coordinator for check-ins, program support and evaluation. 

The Program Coordinator is responsible for continuing programs that are a part of Hidden Villa’s rich tradition as well as being innovative and committed to introducing new activities for our counselors to lead. As the Program Coordinator you will have an instrumental role in all of the silly, wacky and fun happenings around camp!

About the Position 

Position Title: Program Coordinator

Reports to: Camp Director and Assistant Camp Director

Exempt/ Non-Exempt: Exempt 

Benefits: $900/per week. Living space & meals provided.

Duration: May 28th - August 3rd, 2024

Essential Job Duties

• Plan and coordinate evening programs and camp-wide events with Unit Leaders and counselors. Gather necessary resources and facilitate the set up and breakdown of such programs.

• Work closely with all Unit Leaders to ensure that daily schedules are coordinated and that there is no conflict in shared resources, spaces or staff.

• Communicate with Specialists to make sure everyone knows where they need to be and at what time.

• Manage activity specialists to ensure that they are being utilized as much as possible.

• Help Activity Specialists and Unit Leaders work within a budget to acquire necessary resources for their program areas.

• Fill in for the Health Care Manager when they are on break.

• Primary support for Bay to Sea Unit Leader and trip guides.

• Staff Meal Attendant chart and ensure meal-time compost is managed

• Ability to communicate and work with groups of all ages and skills levels. Provide necessary instruction and communication of safety procedures to staff and campers.

• Ability to observe camper and staff behavior, assess its appropriateness, enforce safety regulations and emergency procedures, and apply appropriate behavior-management techniques.

• Participate in Director on Duty shifts

• Meet regularly with Director Team and Camper & Counselor Coordinator 

• Live on site for the duration of the summer contract. 

Key Responsibilities

• Be the go to person for questions, solutions and concerns as it pertains to the programmatic side of camp. 

• Ensure that all American Camp Association regulations concerning program area are adhered to, including supervision ratios.

• Submit a written report at the conclusion of the summer evaluating the current season and making suggestions for the following season.

• These are not the only duties to be performed. Some duties may be reassigned and others assigned as required.

Candidate Qualifications

• Previous camp experience is required

• Ability to work autonomously while maintaining a level of organization that allows for multitasking

• Willingness to supervise near peers with maturity and respect

• Ability to work well in a team environment with little supervision

• Strong communication skills

• Desire and ability to work with youth in an outdoor setting

• Current First Aid and CPR certifications preferred

• Lifeguard certification and ropes course facilitation or willingness to be trained

• Valid Driver’s License and clean driving record (no major infractions) required

• At least 21 years of age

• Flexibility and patience

• Ability to use given time off to take care of personal needs

Physical Requirements
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This job operates in an outdoor setting. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. Camp can be a high energy environment where noise and stimulus can reach overwhelming levels. While performing duties of this job, the employee is required to regularly stand; walk miles at a time on uneven terrain. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Mandated Reporting and Staff Training

Our summer camp staff members are mandated reporters and are required to complete a mandated reporter training.  It is possible that a camper will share information or experiences from their homelife that requires Hidden Villa to file a report with Child Welfare Services. This can be upsetting to some individuals and is our legal and ethical duty to report cases of suspected child abuse.

Summer camp staff training is designed to equip our staff with the skills and tools they need to be effective leaders within our camp. At times staff training will focus on complicated topics such as mental health crises, child abuse, sexual harassment in the workplace, and neurodivergent behavior. While staff can take space when needed, participation in all training sessions is required.

Fill out this form to apply!

Hidden Villa is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and campers.