Summer Staff

Leadership: Serve as the leader of one of the many areas of camp. The leadership team is responsible for planning and implementing the summer programs and supervising a team of peers on summer staff. 

• Day Camp Leads 
• Kishwauketoe Leads
• Pier 30 Leads
• Alpha Counseling Team 
• Resource Leads
• Under 18 Team Counselor
• Activity Lead 
• Admin Lead (Parent)
• Media Lead 
  • Media Lead will also be responsible for one of the media positions listed below under operations; AV, photo or worship.
• Waterfront Lead 

Operations: Covenant Harbor is known for managing multiple summer programs smoothly, efficiently, and safely. The operations team is responsible for the wide variety of activities and functions of summer camp including things such as arts and crafts, big games, specialty activities like target sports, skate park, waterfront, worship and office administration. 

• Activity Team
  • Activity Team
  • Jr. Activity Team
• Media Team
  • Media (AV) Team
  • Media (Photo) Team
  • Media (Worship) Team
  • Jr. Media Team 
• Admin Team
  • Admin Assistant (Overnight)
  • Admin Assistant (Day Camp)
• Lifeguarding Team
  • Waterfront Team
  • Jr. Waterfront Team
• Student Nurse 

Programs: Covenant Harbor has programs for children of all ages. As a part of the program team, you’ll have the opportunity to work with a variety of campers of all ages from diverse backgrounds. The program team is responsible for caring and supervising campers in the Day Camp program for 1st-6th graders, the overnight Kishwauketoe, for 2nd-4th graders, and Pier 30, 4th-9th grade, overnight programs. 

Program majors consist of: 

• Overnight Counselor: Grade groups range from 2nd-4th, 4th-6th, and 7th-9th
• Senior Counselor: The lead counselor for a certain summer program 
• Day Camp Counselor: Day summer program for grades 1st-6th  
• Resource Counselor: Specializing in campers who may need extra support or one-on-one attention  

*Program placement will be determined for each week and staff members will spend a majority of the summer in their major program placement but will rotate throughout the summer at the discretion of the Program Team.  

Make your summer job an internship. All summer positions have the ability to fulfill college internship requirements.  Internships can be available for a wide variety of college majors. Let us work with you and your college or university to help your internship meet all the requirements. 

• The goal of the Youth Ministry team is to love kids and share Jesus. We aim to accomplish this goal through the following:  
  • Let them be kids 
  • Open to who they are 
  • Very focused on health and safety
  • Earn the right to be heard 
  • Seek Jesus ourselves
  • Healthy relationships 
  • Able and Willing
  • Rely on the Gospel
  • Encourage opportunities for growth

Summer Staff are an integral part of making camp possible. Our philosophy for summer staff is: 

1. Equip – Being a part of summer staff is hard work, but it is our priority every year to train, uplift and encourage staff for the job they are called to do. Staff will learn significant skills that not only will equip them for the summer but also for whatever career or school comes next for them. 
2. Share – Every staff member, counselors or not, get the opportunity to love kids, share the gospel with them and encourage their growth in Christ. This investment in serving others inevitably leads to personal spiritual growth. The spiritual growth experienced by staff members just by learning how to communicate simple Gospel truths to campers is profound and will impact the rest of the faith stories.     
3. Serve – Staff are called to a big position at camp. They are placed here on purpose because the Lord trusts them. With big responsibilities staff are asked to serve not only the campers here but also wherever the Lord leads next in the world and their lives. Staff learn first hand what Jesus meant when he said that he came to serve not to be served. 

Make friendships that will last a lifetime, develop leadership skills, gain ministry experience, grow emotionally and spiritually, get to know kids and build relationships with them. It’s your job to roast marshmallows, tell and listen to stories, play outside, sing songs, play games, and talk about Jesus. What a better way to spend your summer! 

Covenant Harbor sits on over 1,100 feet of frontage on the shores of beautiful Geneva Lake. What makes our camp unique is that we are located just about 5 to 10 minutes from downtown Lake Geneva and many stores like Walmart and Target. Tourists flock from all over the place to spend time in the area during the summer, and Covenant Harbor has an all-access pass to enjoy all the best parts of lake life right here at camp. 

Covenant Harbor is positioned within a shore distance of the metro areas of Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison. This means that kids from all sorts of backgrounds are basically in the camp’s backyard. They are joyfully invited to come together on the common ground of camp. In a typical summer, Covenant Harbor served over 2,500 kids through four programs that run simultaneously throughout the summer, with ample opportunities for siblings and friends to come to camp together, even if they aren’t the same age. Pier 30 is Covenant Harbor’s largest program, hosting up to 200 overnight campers in 4th-6th grade or 7th-9th grade each week. The Day Camp program welcomes about 85 campers weekly and serves both local and visiting kids entering 1st-6th grades. Kishwauketoe, an intentionally small elementary overnight program, serves around 48 campers each week. Alpha, the high school service and discipleship program, welcomes just under 30 campers for around 10 nights at a time. You can learn more about Covenant Harbor summer camp program on our website here. 

All positions have the option to take time off. We want to work with you to make working at camp possible. We ask that all staff work a minimum of 6 weeks of camp. Leadership positions are the only positions that require a longer summer commitment. There are plenty of options to make working at camp accessible to you and your summer schedule. Just reach out and we would be happy to talk through personal options for you! 

All staff and volunteers must be at least 16 years old by the time they arrive at camp. Due to Wisconsin labor laws, there are no exceptions. 

We continue to hire until all of our positions have been filled, so there is no official deadline to apply. However, many of our positions do fill up quickly, so we would recommend applying as soon as you can. 

• We’re excited to meet you, and want to make sure you feel as prepared and confident as possible. Here are a few things you should know:

• • You will schedule a 40-60 minute interview with 1-2 people from our hiring team through an online link within two weeks of applying. We conduct video chat interviews via google meets, and will email you a confirmation email once you have scheduled an interview with a link that will allow you to join the call at the scheduled time.
  • 1-2 people from our hiring team will be conducting your interview.
  • Find a quiet, well-lit place, free from possible interruptions. We want to be able to see and hear you well, since we may not have the opportunity to meet in-person before making a hiring decision.
  • Ensure your internet connection is stable and that your computer’s audio and webcam are working. With that said, we realize that technology isn’t perfect, and will accommodate as needed.
  • Dress however you would dress for an in-person interview. Remember: video chat interviews are more limiting than in-person interviews, so take every opportunity you can to show us who you are and why you might be a good fit for a position at Covenant Harbor.

Yes! All lodging and meals are provided for. We don’t have your typical ‘camp food’ either. Our amazing food service team does an incredible job of keeping things fresh, including accommodating a variety of special dietary needs. Please contact us with any questions about specific dietary needs you might have. 

While the exact duties and schedule of summer staff members depend on their position, all Covenant Harbor summer staff spend most of their time working hard, being with kids, and making the most of the opportunities that camp affords. Most staff are outside for much of the day, leading activities, facilitating discussions to help campers process Bible lessons, guiding kids as they navigate friendships, and making camp a special experience for campers. There are many silly, fun moments and many sincere moments in each day, and God is present and working in all of them.

All summer staff live onsite at Covenant Harbor during the weeks that they are serving, and are housed in shared cabins with other staff of the same gender. Members of the counseling team live in cabins, with campers, the weeks they are working in the overnight programs. Covenant Harbor is located in the beautiful city of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, which has all of the amenities for staff to get what they need throughout the summer.

We have multiple washers and dryers available around camp that are available for shared but totally free use. You are only responsible for your own detergent. 

You must prepare for camp by nourishing yourself spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Spend time in prayer. Read your Bible. Go to church. Join a small group. Eat healthy foods. Take walks. Get some sleep. Talk to a trusted person. Write in a journal once in a while. Spend time getting into the habits that help you to feel like yourself. 

We want camp to be a place that is set apart and different from the rest of our daily normal life and routine. We also want camp to be a place away from distractions which means limited technology usages. However, we do use some limited technology for parts of camp communication. Wi-Fi is available to staff throughout camp. We expect staff to use technology sparingly and responsibly.

If you are hired for summer staff, you will get a full packing list via email.

Working at camp can help prepare you for a career in a variety of fields. Check out this blog post in which a hiring professional shares about the skills he’s looking for that are often fostered at camp, and this document from the American Camping Association that suggests some key ways to represent your camp experience on your resume.

Sure! Covenant Harbor staff would be happy to provide a certification letter for individuals who volunteer at camp.

Absolutely! We know that the healthier our staff are, the better experience campers will have. We will work with you to figure out how to maintain your regular sessions. There are key times of the day that would be simpler or more difficult to have a virtual meeting with your counselor or therapist. Be sure to tell a member of our team after signing your employment agreement, so arrangements can be made prior to your arrival.

Contact Us: If you have other questions we didn’t answer here, let us know and we’ll get right back to you.