Join Our Staff
Interested in working for us? We’d love to hear from you! Please email info@hosmerpoint.com. Each year we hire for dozens of positions including:
Cabin Counselors Counselors stay in cabins with campers, and are in charge of curriculum and programming areas. The wide variety of tasks ensures we can offer work experience and internships in a range of areas, including education and social science fields, environment and ecology, business, communication, and more! Earn money while forming friendships that will last a lifetime, and making a difference in the lives of children.
Childcare Counselors Care for employee’s children ages 2-7 during the day, help with camp evening activities, and join in all the fun and friendships of living at camp! Like being a counselor but for younger kids - and you give them back at night!
Farm Interns Garden and care for farm animals while building kid’s excitement for food and where it comes from! Live onsite and join in the camp fun while learning to grow food and care for livestock.
Cooks Prepare and serve meals for the camp community using fresh, local ingredients in a friendly, fun, fast-paced work environment.
Office Staff Keep camp organized and are at the center of the action! Answer questions and assist parents via, phone and email; help campers who have questions; connect staff with the information they need. Must be detail oriented and love spreadsheets! Looking for entry-level and experienced staff.
Part-time Seasonal Maintenance People: 24-40 hours per week, April 15 - October 15. Assist with building and grounds maintenance, including mowing and trimming, painting and staining, and fix-it tasks.
Benefits for all positions:
Onsite shared housing available
Free meals when working or if living on site
Childcare available during summer camp season
Free and reduced price family access to Hosmer Point and Craftsbury Outdoor Center programs
Fun and supportive work environment with great people!
Counselors at Hosmer Point
If you thrive in a group, have great listening skills, love to keep things fun and make it up as you go, and have good judgment to keep kids safe, then this job is for you. We promise that as a counselor/educator at Hosmer Point you will never be bored, and you’ll learn skills and form friendships you will lean on for the rest of your life.
Each counselor/educator lives in a cabin with one other counselor and ten campers, who are young people aged 9-15. Campers live onsite for two weeks at a time, with 48 hours off in between sessions - so being able to maintain your personal energy is important. Our staff and campers come from all over the country and world with about half coming from Vermont. We offer a sliding scale for camp tuition and serve families from a wide variety of backgrounds. Our mission is to make a beautiful, fun, accepting place where each person can be their best self and feel a sense of respect and belonging. We have a chance to build a community that is how we wish the whole world could be, a safe “home” where campers make memories that will carry them through difficult moments the rest of the year.
Counselors accomplish this mission by being their authentic selves, being excellent role models and listeners, and caring deeply for the campers. We also plan and teach amazing and silly outdoor activities all day long (and into the evening)! This job is a great background for anyone seeking a career working with children or managing outdoor recreation programs, as well as anyone looking for leadership experience. Education, Social Services, Outdoor Recreation, and Sports-related majors are some examples of academic fields where this job will provide particularly relevant experience. We are also happy to work with counselors to develop this job to meet internship requirements.
Counselor/educators must be available June 6 - August 9 and be at least 18 years old. We strive to build a diverse staff free of discrimination.
FAQs for Prospective Counselors
What does a day at camp look like?
The day begins with an optional Polar Bear swim and morning run, followed by breakfast with the campers from your cabin. Counselors assist campers in completing morning chores, then the rest of the day is divided into five 60 or 90 minute activity blocks. You will have one of these blocks off, and will be responsible for leading or assisting with activities during each of the other time periods. Before dinner, you will have an hour with your campers in your cabin - a great time to facilitate friendship building and cabin bonding! Following dinner, there will be an evening activity for the campers with a different pair of counselors being responsible for planning the activity each day. After you've got your campers settled into bed, cabin counselors take turns taking time off to check email, do laundry, etc.
Can being a counselor count as an internship?
Probably yes! At Hosmer Point, all counselors are responsible for planning and leading activities, which mean you will gain valuable organizational and interpersonal skills. In addition, there are many supporting roles at camp, such as marketing tasks. Responsibilities can be tailored to match many different fields of study, from Education, to Business, to Biology. Our leadership team is committed to providing our staff with opportunities to grow, learn new skills, and step into leadership roles. Our aim is to tailor these opportunities to your needs, and to provide feedback and support to allow you to meet your goals. We are also happy to work with your school or university to complete any documentation or other requirements needed for an official internship program.
What do you look for in a counselor applicant?
Most importantly, we look for counselors who have a passion for working with children and helping them grow! We also look for counselors who have specific skill sets which they can teach at camp; such as mountain biking, rowing, backpacking, arts and crafts, music, or theater. There are several factors which are helpful, such as being available for the full season; and having a first-aid, life guard, or WFR certification. Generally, our counselors are college-aged people who are completing a university program. We seek to build a diverse community of counselors, and encourage people of all backgrounds, genders, orientations, cultures, and religions to apply. All camp staff must complete a criminal background check.
Is there cell phone & internet access?
Yes, however coverage is limited to certain areas of camp and bandwidth is limited. Many staff use wifi calling or apps such as Whats App to stay in touch. Counselors may only use phones and computers during their time off.
How is the food?
Hosmer Point is known for our fresh, local food! We can accommodate many dietary restrictions, and we’re vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Will I have time to study/train while working at camp?
We are happy to work with counselor staff to fit in their other required activities during the summer. In many cases, training and studying can take place during off periods and evenings. That said, studying and training during your time off will leave you with limited downtime, which can feel draining. In other words, it will require dedication, and isn’t something which will work for everyone.
What is the pay scale?
Pay is based on experience, years of education, and the skills you bring to camp, however the general range for first-year counselors is $2200 - $3000 plus room and board for the 9-week season. Counselors with lifeguarding and WFR certifications and counselors in leadership roles receive more. Returning counselors are given a raise each year. Because all your expenses are covered at camp, counselors can generally save most of this pay.
What about time off?
You will have one 24 hour period and one 6 hour “evening” off each week. Every-other week the full staff has nearly 48 hours off between camp sessions. In addition to that time off, you will also be given at least a period off each day which equates to an hour, and occasional “sleep ins” when you are unscheduled for the morning. Most days you will also have time off in the evenings after the campers go to bed. Your time off during the day must be taken on camp, or you can go for a run, bike, or paddle. On your 24 hours and evening off, you are welcome to leave camp and explore the area. Counselors usually organize group trips to Burlington or Montreal. There are also small local museums, hiking destinations, and sporting events.
Information for International Applicants
All non-US residents must apply to Hosmer Point through an international exchange agency in order to obtain their work visa (J1). This is true whether you first contacted us regarding employment through the internet, by phone, as a referral from a friend, or through an international exchange agency.
What are International Exchange Agencies?
These are organizations set up to help young people gain cultural experience in the USA and other countries. They will help you apply for your visa and offer a support network while you travel to and from camp.
Federal Laws
Under US Immigration Laws, employers are obligated to obtain documents to establish identity and employment eligibility before you can work. This is usually your passport stamped with a J1 visa. The visa can be obtained through the international exchange agency of your choice but is virtually impossible and very expensive to obtain without the agency's help.
Choosing an International Exchange Agency
Hosmer Point does not recommend one agency over another but advises you to contact them and make your choice based on the information they give you. We generally work with the agencies CIEE and IENA (see links below), however we are willing to work with the agency of your choice. Hosmer Point will offer the same daily wage to counselors, irrespective of their nationality or agency. Your net pay will depend on the agency you sign up with as all deduct their fee from your pay. This fee varies between agencies, and depends on whether you have been through a J1 program before.
Agency Contact Information
CIEE www.ciee.org
IENA www.iena.org