Q: How old are the volunteers?
A: Day Camp / Hobé Juniors or Kids Week volunteers: 19 years and up; Teen Week volunteers: 21 years and up.
A: Counselors in Training: 16 to 18 years old. Counselors in Training (CITs) are only used during the Kids Week and Day Camp / Hobé Juniors, or as Teen Week lifeguards. CITs may supervise campers only when an adult is present.
A: Family outings are typically staffed by our program staff and board members. If volunteers are used, they are 19 years and up.
Q: How are volunteers screened?
A: All our volunteers must reapply for positions every year and are interviewed every year, no matter how long they have been volunteering with our organization.
A: We conduct criminal background checks annually on all volunteers and staff older than 18 years of age. For younger volunteers, we require letters of reference and we contact several references about the volunteer.
Q: Are summer camp volunteers trained?
A: Yes, volunteer training is mandatory for our summer camps. Volunteers must attend a full day of training prior to the camp session on topics such as working with children, child abuse prevention and detection, handling behavior problems, medical concerns at camp, and how to be silly. In addition, volunteers are given a comprehensive training manual and are assigned online training videos to watch prior to the camp sessions. The weekend before the campers arrive, volunteers receive an additional day-of training at the campsite on safety, emergency procedures, medical issues, and working as a team. Staff are trained on the “rule of threes”, which is our official policy that staff/volunteers may never be alone with a camper, except in very unusual circumstances (eg, emergency).