Summer 2023 Positions Now Open!
Applications for the 2023 season are being accepted for all positions. Interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis until positions are filled.
View All Positions and Apply at Penn State Careers
Job Descriptions:
Shaver’s Creek prides itself on its highly reputable and well-known summer camp programs that build connections between people and the natural world. Staff members are held to high standards to maintain professionalism and a great camp experience for all.
Available Positions: 9 per summer
Assistant naturalists will glean techniques, skills, and hands-on experiences while serving in a supportive role for the group leaders (naturalists) during the environmentally based summer camp at Shaver’s Creek. This supportive role includes assisting with group management, leading games or activities, singing songs, reading stories, and addressing the needs of campers. Through this experience, you will learn how to work well with children outdoors, design activities or games, set goals, and grow through leadership experiences.
Before the Camp Season Begins
Most pre-season activities are completed remotely.
- Complete Penn State hiring process, which includes obtaining all PA clearances and on-site onboarding.
- Complete all required online Penn State training.
- Read through “pre-training” material that will be sent to you, including natural history information and staff manual.
- Complete forms and return them by the deadlines given.
Weekly/Daily Camp Season Responsibilities
Assistant naturalists will be on-site for all hours for the entire program season.
- Keep everyone safe.
- Uphold all Penn State and Shaver’s Creek policies.
- Always remain within ear and eye shot of another adult while in the presence of minors.
- Be part of a team that assists with things like opening food containers, monitoring water intake, putting away lost and found items, and moving tables under the pavilion when it rains.
- Attend and engage in two full weeks of training.
- Provide medical treatment up to your level of certification and maintain records.
- Set goals, actively work toward them, and check-in with directors regularly regarding progress.
- Maintain energy, engagement, and patience levels throughout entire workday (usually 8:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.).
- Write the LITs in your group a thank you each week.
- On Fridays, work through the family program until 11:00 p.m.
- Weeks when you are working Saturday, engage fully from 6:00 a.m. until weekly clean up has been completed at approximately 10:00 a.m.
- Create and lead one activity of your own design during the summer.
- Arrive to weekly planning sessions with daily leadership options pre-chosen to suggest to naturalist.
- Co/lead something each program day.
- Examples include songs, hiking along a section of trail, reading or telling a story, transitional activities, games, lessons, activities, Camp Stamp Puzzler clues, ambulators, etc.
- Assemble the camper journals (based on input from naturalists) and ensure they were printed; you will be responsible for bringing them on the first day of the camp week.
- Co/lead one part of the night walk or night parent showcase event each week.
- Serve in the “LIT assistant” role when not assigned to be with a camp group on a particular week.
- This includes spending some days assisting with the first-year LIT program by observing and leading or co-leading sessions, helping LITs get to/from designated locations, and assisting with other behind-the-scenes camp logistics. If bussing is available that week, this also includes riding one of the buses to/from Shaver’s Creek each morning to engage campers while on the bus.
- Speak up when you need additional assistance or training to be able to effectively handle a situation.
Benefits of This Position
- Professional development sessions scheduled throughout the season on a variety of topics
- First Aid, AED, CPR and Epi-Pen certification
- Experience creating, leading and modifying activities/games
- Experience working with children outdoors in an informal setting
- Learn different ways to work with the needs of individuals
- Be outside a lot!
- Gain natural history identification skills
- Experience lesson planning
A qualified candidate will have a passion for working with children, patience, and a plethora of flexibility; be enthusiastic; want to grow; want to work as a team; and foster a desire to make each day the best it can be, every single time. The summer camp season runs from June 5 through August 5, 2023. Staff need to be able to commit to that entire time-frame. Hours worked per week average 53–56.5 and pay is $9.50/hour; hours beyond 40 worked each week are paid time and a half.
Available Positions: 2 per summer
Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center is seeking two lifeguards for Fridays of summer camp. A qualified candidate is a certified lifeguard through the duration of the season and values the importance of outdoor experiences in the development of young people; prior experience lifeguarding for children ages 6–11 is preferred. This position includes guarding six Fridays (June 23, June 30, July 7, July 21, July 28, and August 4, 2023) at the Whipple Dam State Park beach.
Available Positions: 8 Discovery/Explorer/Wee Wonderer naturalists and 1 Investigator naturalist per summer
Naturalists will use available resources, prior knowledge, and new ideas to create a lesson plan for their group each camp week. We hire 8 naturalists to lead the Discovery/Explorer/Wee Wonderer programs and 1 naturalist to lead the Investigators program; specify which program(s) you are apply to lead in your cover letter.
Information related to topics, ages, dates and times can be found under each program’s page.
Before the Camp Season Begins
Most pre-season activities are completed remotely.
- Complete Penn State hiring process, which includes obtaining all PA clearances and on-site onboarding.
- Complete all required online Penn State training.
- Read through “pre-training” material that will be sent to you, including natural history information and staff manual.
- Complete forms and return them by the deadlines given.
Weekly/Daily Camp Season Responsibilities
Assistant naturalists will be on-site for all hours for the entire program season.
- Keep everyone safe.
- Uphold all Penn State and Shaver’s Creek policies.
- Always remain within ear and eye shot of another adult while in the presence of minors.
- Be part of a team that assists with things like opening food containers, monitoring water intake, putting away lost and found items, and moving tables under the pavilion when it rains.
- Attend and engage in two full weeks of training.
- Provide medical treatment up to your level of certification and maintain records.
- Set goals, actively work toward them, and check-in with directors regularly regarding progress.
- Maintain energy, engagement, and patience levels throughout entire workday (usually 8:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.).
- Write the LITs in your group a thank you each week.
- On Fridays, work through the family program until 11:00 p.m.
- Weeks when you are working Saturday, engage fully from 6:00 a.m. until weekly clean up has been completed at approximately 10:00 a.m.
- Create and lead one activity of your own design during the summer.
- Role model appropriately for everyone.
- Identify children who need something specific and provide that for a successful week.
- Lead throng for Leaders-in-Training (LITs) and address all required parts.
- Work with assistant naturalists and LITs to help them meet their goals each week.
- Arrive to weekly planning sessions with an outline for the week and build those plans further with input from assistant naturalist.
- Have a lesson plan in advance of each day that includes activities and who is leading what.
- Review daily plan with other leaders in the group each morning before campers arrive.
- Include who is leading what, materials needed, and any last minute changes.
- Facilitate a review at the end of the day with other group leaders.
- Include their progress toward goals, who wants to lead what the next day, any camper concerns, and additional feedback from things taught/logistics of that day.
- Give input to assistant naturalists for desired youth journal pages.
- Help group to develop and perform weekly campfire performance.
- Lead night program for camp group.
- Serve in the “super naturalist” role when not assigned to be with a camp group on a particular week.
- This includes observing others while they are teaching and assisting with other camp logistics.
- Reach out to directors when additional assistance is needed.
Returning Naturalist Responsibilities
- Lead or co-lead at least one session during training
- Create a new game/activity/lesson and write it up (using the template) and post it for others to use.
- Set and work toward one goal that focuses on leading other staff members in some way.
- Examples include organizing a social outing, serving as a mentor or go-to person for a new staff member and watching them teach and providing feedback afterward, or leading a professional development session.
Benefits of This Position
- Professional development sessions scheduled throughout the season on a variety of topics
- First Aid, AED, CPR and Epi-Pen certification
- Experience creating, leading, and modifying activities/games
- Experience working with children outdoors in an informal setting
- Learn different ways to work with the needs of individuals
- Be outside a lot!
- Gain natural history identification skills
- Experience lesson planning
A qualified candidate will have a passion for working with children, patience, and a plethora of flexibility; be enthusiastic; want to grow; want to work as a team; and foster a desire to make each day the best it can be, every single time. The summer camp season runs from June 5 through August 5, 2023. Staff need to be able to commit to that entire time-frame. Hours worked per week average 53–56.5 and pay is $10.50/hour; hours beyond 40 worked each week are paid time and a half.
Available Positions: 1 per summer
A program assistant at Shaver’s Creek summer camp is part of the team of directors that support and create the highest quality experience for everyone at camp. They will be involved in facilitating staff training, creating program materials, assisting with logistics associated with camp, developing program, teaching if needed, and cultivating a positive, flexible atmosphere centered around learning and growth. During the camp season, a lot of the program day is spent out in the field with staff and campers.
All members of the director team float across the different camps at Shaver’s Creek, including Wee Wonderers (ages 4–5), Discovery (ages 6–8), Explorer (ages 9–11), Investigators (ages 12–14), and Leaders-in-Training/LITs (ages 14–17). The camp week runs Monday through Saturday morning. This is a day camp program that runs from 7:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday for this position, and Friday has an overnight program that extends through Saturday morning. Participation is required fully during all hours worked.
General Responsibilities and Requirements
- Prior summer camp and environmental education teaching experience; prior summer camp administration experience preferred.
- Abiding by requirements to keep everyone safe. This includes meeting COVID requirements (including being vaccinated prior to employment), staying within eye shot/ear shot of another adult at all times while around minors, and providing a safe environment for everyone.
- This position involves working with children and staff outdoors for up to 13 hours/day. Applicants must be physically able to work outdoors for long hours regardless of rain, heat, mud, or rough terrain.
Before the Camp Season Begins
- Create/review and gather materials needed to run training sessions.
- Assist in the final preparations of camp spaces and materials.
- Familiarize yourself with camp program and logistics.
- Read director team manual.
Weekly/Daily Summer Camp Operations
- Assist with the first-day arrival process at SCEC.
- Assist in running AM and PM circles.
- Conduct daily teaching observations and provide feedback to staff.
- Set out Camp Stamp Puzzler clues and assist in other areas of the program as needed.
- Manage and oversee a portion of the Friday family time responsibilities and Saturday mornings.
- Assist in emergency situations, group management situations, and any other situations in which a staff member is in need of help from management.
- Spend time in the field across all programs to the benefit/needs of staff, campers, and program.
- Assist in enacting staff recognition program.
- Help with other program or logistical parts required to run a smooth camp experience.
A qualified candidate will have a passion for working with children, prior experience in a summer camp setting, patience, and a plethora of flexibility; be enthusiastic; want to grow; work well with a team; and foster a desire to make the camp experience the best that it can be every single time for every single person. This is a paid, full-time position with benefits. Applicants need to be able to commit to 40 hours/week on-site at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center upon hiring through the end of the camp season on August 9, 2023.