We LOVE having former campers return to volunteer with us! Below are a few questions for you to review and consider when talking to your child about being a counselor in training (CIT). Any other questions not answered below can be directed to campusrecyouth@montana.edu.

 

As a CIT, your child:

  • Is never solely responsible for a single child or group of children.  
  • Will always be with a full-time, adult staff member.  
  • Will be asked to help lead games and activities. 
  • Is there to help make sure all the campers have fun!

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Volunteers must be 12 years old before the first day of camp. No exceptions. Previous campers are not eligible to be full, paid staff members until they turn 18.

Since volunteers are still kiddos, they are not permitted to volunteer more than 20 hours per week. Volunteering with BSYC should not be viewed as childcare, but instead one of the first opportunities your volunteer has in the workforce. 

Parent/Guardians are included in conversations regarding scheduling for their child. A schedule is confirmed before the camp season starts.

Six is our maximum number of volunteers each week.

CIT positions are unpaid but do receive CPR certification training at no charge. 

CIT's are not required to work the max of 20 hours, and do not submit time off requests. We appreciate having the extra help, and do not deny requests to leave early, arrive late, or to go on vacation.

CIT's are assigned to our K-4 grade age groups. Due to the likelihood of being close in age to our 5-6 graders, CIT's are not assigned to that group.  

We do not prevent CIT's from working with groups their siblings are in unless their parent/guardian requests to have them separated or if behaviorally/socially it is a hindrance to the camper.

Even though they are not campers, they are still a child in our care. An adult must pick them up before they leave each day but is not required to drop them off. 

Due to safety, liability, and programmatic reasons, all CIT's are required to attend training. Training occurs in the evenings the week before camp, specific days and times TBD. 

Attendance is mandatory and cannot be made up later.  

Training will include: 

American Red Cross CPR 

Program Handbook  

Healthy Touch for Children & Youth 

This is a modified training we do with adult staff that covers abuse recognition, prevention, and reporting. 

Emergency Action Plans  

Ice Breakers, Games, Crafts 

Just a few things! In addition to these items, parents/guardians are also more than welcome to attend the trainings above with their child.  

MSU Volunteer Agreement Form 

BSYC CIT Registration Forms (allergies, emergency contact, etc) 

These will be online, similar to how campers register for camp 

To ensure both families and CIT's take this opportunity seriously, we ask potential CIT's complete the following steps: 

Submit a letter of interest and an optional resume via email to campusrecyouth@montana.edu. We understand that most volunteers don't have resumes yet; this optional component can include any significant responsibilities they have around the house, in their neighborhoods, or at school. The letter of interest should outline why they want to volunteer, what their strengths are, and why they'd be a great fit.  

Once we receive their application, we will provide families with a handful of interview questions to review and prepare for, with a link to schedule an interview. 

After the interview, we will notify families whether we are offering a spot to their volunteer. BSYC occasionally does not offer a spot to an individual if we feel that they are not yet ready to be a part of camp staff.  

Again, this process is to make sure that the CIT and parent/guardians understand that this is not childcare, but rather a job to be taken seriously.