Every summer, we have many parents who help us at Woodward Tahoe. A parent's motivation for being involved in camp may vary: some are looking for a way to subsidize their child's tuition, others may want to bring a young child who may be leery about their first full week away from home. Whatever the reason, we're always looking for people who can help make camp a great experience for kids!
What camp parents should expect:
- A rewarding experience
- Exhaustion!
- To be a parent to up to 14 kids
- To sleep in a bunk bed
- To be available for other duties
- To enforce camp rules
- To meet children different from your own
- Memories to last a lifetime
What camp parents should NOT expect:
- To have time for personal obligations
- To spend every waking minute with your own child
- To sleep in the same cabin as your child
- To interfere with your child's camp experience
Parents are hired as counselors, drivers, and canteen workers. You'll be asked to list your order of preference on the application. All parents sleep in camper or staff housing, even if they are not officially counselors.
All camp parents MUST arrive by 9:00 a.m. on the Sunday of your child's session. NO EXCEPTIONS. Late arrivals will jeopardize their employment for the week. You will attend a mandatory training session covering all aspects of your job.
Your work week will end the following Sunday at 5:00 p.m. If you are bringing other children home with you, they will each incur a $140 fee for staying an additional night and their own parents must arrange for accommodations in advance (your child is not charged).
For each week a parent works as a camp parent, a $300 discount will be applied toward the balance of one camper's fees. Your child must be registered for camp before you can be considered for employment. If your child's enrollment is dependent on you being hired, please put a note on his or her application, which will NOT be processed until and unless you are hired.
All parents, even those who were not hired as drivers, must be prepared to drive in case of emergency. Consequently, we ask all parents applying to provide driver's license information.
We also hire CAMP NURSES for each week. Full tuition discount is offered in exchange for medical services. Please review the job description and necessary qualifications. Camper's registration form must accompany employment application.
Hiring typically begins in March. Submit your employment application with required letters of recommendation as soon as possible.
DRIVERS
Camp drivers must be at least 25 years old and have a clean driving record for the past year. A camp driver is typically responsible for transporting campers, staff, and special guests to and from airports, bus stations, or medical facilities with camp vehicles. Drivers have scheduled work times and are also on-call during their entire stay in case of emergency. Drivers are our first priority for camp parent hiring.
MINI MOMS & DADS
A mini parent typically works with children aged 7 to 9 and is the counselor for these children all week. There could be up to 14 children in your cabin. Your role is to be a parent to these young children all week, to eat meals with them, make sure they get to activities on time, help them to call home, etc. As a counselor, you'll have specific duties related to keeping the cabin clean, helping campers check-in and orient them to camp, enforce rules, participate in recreation activities, etc. A comprehensive training upon arrival will provide detailed information. Mini Moms and Dads are our second priority for camp parent hiring.
CANTEEN PARENTS
The social center of camp is our canteen. We've found it valuable to have extra adults present during our busiest times. Be prepared to scoop ice cream, pour sodas, clean tables, sweep floors, etc. Canteen parents have scheduled work times. Canteen Parents are our third priority for camp parent hiring.
