Being a staff member at Laurel South is far more than a summer job. It’s an unforgettable experience in beautiful surroundings, and a rare opportunity to reach your full potential by helping others reach theirs. Laurel South is a down-to-earth place where you will meet and make friends of all ages – from all over the world – and form bonds that will last a lifetime. Most of all, it’s a place where a family feeling is encouraged and both campers and staff are urged to be themselves.
Location
Camp Laurel South is located near Portland, Maine in the heart of the Sebago Lakes Region. Its 150 unspoiled acres include woodlands, sports fields and open lawns. The camp’s 2500 feet of private shoreline along sparkling Crescent Lake features a magnificent natural sandy beach and access to more than 3 miles of exceptionally clear waters. The area is famous for warm, sunny days and comfortable nights and boasts 50 lakes within a 25 mile radius. It’s location in the southern part of Maine makes Laurel South a most inviting summer retreat for campers and counselors alike.
Campers
Each summer, Laurel South operates two four-week programs with 400 boys and girls, ages 7 to 15 in each session. They come from all over the U.S. as well as several foreign countries. The return rate for both campers and staff is very high.
Aims & Goals
Sending a child to camp is a tremendous act of faith by parents. At Laurel South, we take that responsibility seriously and maintain an environment that both encourages safety and health and reinforces a positive self-image. We also aim to introduce campers to new activities, provide them with opportunities for emotional and physical growth, facilitate their natural abilities and instill the benefits of group living. Our ultimate goal at Laurel South is to provide an enjoyable, exciting summer experience that motivates our campers to approach the future with courage, confidence and a feeling of self-worth.
Our Program
Laurel South’s program is unique in that it offers campers a certain amount of freedom in choosing from a wide variety of activities. There is a core program of swimming, tennis and team sports for younger campers. Program offerings are carefully planned in advance, yet are flexible enough to meet the spontaneous needs of the campers. The scope of our program recognizes the individual needs and interests of the campers as well as the interests and skills of the staff. In addition, we avoid an intensely competitive atmosphere, but offer extensive sports with competition for those who so desire.
Staff Requirements
Each year, we choose the Laurel South team from students, graduates, and faculty from schools and colleges mostly from throughout the U.S. with a few from abroad. We look for people with personality, character, maturity, professional training, experience and most importantly, a sincere desire to work with children. Our counselor to camper ratio is better than 1:3.
As a staff member, you enjoy several nights and days off during the summer. Our salaries are competitive and vary according to age, education, skill and experience. Room/board and laundry services are provided.
Staff Recreation
We want you to be happy and enthusiastic about your work and recognize that time off for a little rest and recreation helps maintain that spirit. Many camp facilities are open to off-duty staff. You can enjoy tennis, basketball, swimming, paddleboarding and many other activities or simply relax in our staff lounge with Cable TV, Netflix, DVD, WiFi, Snack Bar, Ping Pong and Fire Pit.
Helping You Get Started
It’s not always easy to adapt to a new situation… even if you are an enthusiastic person! That’s why we try to make the transition as easy as possible for you through plenty of training and support.
A one-week staff orientation session, prior to the arrival of campers, lets you get to know your fellow staff while you plan and prepare for opening day. We reiterate our aims and goals for the summer and use a variety of formats to acquaint you with situations that might arise. By the end of orientation, you’ll have a good view of our perspective on camping and what to expect from the campers, both in the cabin and at your program area.
Staff meetings are held once a week, giving us all a chance to evaluate camp as a whole, discuss items of interest, provide feedback, recognize staff achievement and hear from you. We also have drawings for staff give-away prizes.
Individual cabin meetings are scheduled throughout the summer, giving you a chance to go over camper profiles with supervising staff and gain a better understanding of your individual campers.
We follow an open-door policy at Laurel South. You are always encouraged and welcome to contact the Directors, on an informal basis, with any of your concerns.
So… If you love children and believe in their incredible potential, feel good about yourself and the talents you offer, thrive on healthy outdoor surroundings and believe in an active, enthusiastic approach to life, then Camp Laurel South may be the perfect place to call your summer home!
We prepared this overview of Camp Laurel South to answer many of the questions you may have about us. If you need any other information, please email us at fun@camplaurelsouth.com