Next-Level Camper
Learning leadership
as a counselor in training
Given the choice, the typical 10th grader would
likely choose to have a carefree summer as a
camper at sleepaway camp rather than work
at one as a counselor. But 15-year-old Lukas
Kroner of Burke, Virginia, isn't your typical
10th grader.

While most of his friends will be traveling or
playing video games, Kroner will be returning
to Camp Twin Creeks in Marlington, West
Virginia for his ninth summer — and his first
as a counselor-in-training, or CIT. “I’m looking
forward to making memories with my fellow
CITs and working with the junior campers,” he
says. “I can’t wait to teach them new things and
to help them have a great time at camp.”
Kroner is confident in his abilities because
he believes he works well with kids and knows
what they think will be fun. Although he won’t
be getting paid to be a CIT, tuition for the CIT
program costs less than camper tuition, which,
Kroner says, “I know my parents like.” Plus
he'll have the opportunity to participate in camp
activities when he isn't working as a CIT.

Not every camp charges 14 and 15 year
olds to be part of their counselor-in-training
program, but not all camps provide camper-like
experiences for CITs either.

At Camp JCC in Rockville, Maryland, daily
hour-long training sessions for CITs may
include an activity led by a specialist, but they
mostly participate in camp activities alongside
16 Washington FAMILY JANUARY 2020
the kids in their assigned group. They also been integrated into our camps and knows a lot
don't pay (or get paid) to work, instead earning about them,” says Sifri, explaining that CITs at
McDonogh Summer Camps are given priority
service-learning hours towards graduation.

for interviews
What makes a good CIT?
However, “there’s so much you can
While CIT programs vary from camp to camp, learn from being a camp counselor that is
the qualities that camp directors seek out in applicable to school life and job life,” says
teenage hires tend to be similar, starting with Sharon Rosenberg Safra, assistant director at
the desire to work with children. “We can teach Camp Ramah in Germantown, Maryland. She
a lot of skills. We can teach them how to do most highlights communication skills, such as talking
of their day-to-day things, but we can’t teach to kids, peers and supervisors as well as crucial
them to want to interact with kids,” says Phil problem-solving skills like the ability to think on
Liebson, camp director at Camp JCC.

one’s feet.

Ramzi Sifri, director of McDonogh Summer
Then there’s the ability to put oneself in
Camps in Owings Mills, Maryland, agrees. someone else’s shoes. “When some of our
“We’re looking for people who are teens come to us, they’re maybe focused on
sincere in their desire to work with themselves as the priority,” explains Liebson.

kids, as opposed to just getting a “Whereas once they’ve worked with kids, and
job,” he says.

once they’ve been part of camp, they have
Flexibility and patience are that perspective of ‘Well, this is why they’re
two additional key characteristics saying this.’ Now they might be able to mediate
of a good counselor. “We plan conversations between friends or maybe they
everything every single day of camp, can help facilitate something that’s a little bit
and then every possible change more collaborative.”
that could happen, does happen,”
Camp JCC CITs also have the added
says Camp JCC’s assistant director, responsibility of running the camp carnival,
Aliza Glatter.

which teaches them program design. They’re
Interestingly, most
camps learning everything from creating a budget and
aren’t just looking to hire super acquiring supplies to running the program and
extroverted teens. As Liebson debriefing at the end, Liebson explains.

explains, campers who are less
Sifri says that working at camp provides
outgoing or may have wallflower younger Generation Z kids the opportunity to
tendencies aren’t likely to bond put down their phones, spend some time in the
with loud, boisterous CITs.

sun and enjoy eclectic experiences such as art
“It takes all sorts of different personalities and science, computers and sports. “It just kind
and style to make sure we’re able to reach every of helps them develop their personality and . . .

kid,” he says, using his own Pokémon-loving as they get closer to the college level what their
son as an example of the type of camper who future interests might be,” he says.

connects with counselors who also aren’t as
For Michael Thompson, 19, working as a
interested in sports.

CIT at Camp Levine in Washington, D.C., and
then as a counselor at Roundhouse Theatre and
The benefits add up
Imagination Stage camps, both in Bethesda,
The most obvious benefit of being a CIT is that Maryland, helped him decide what he wanted to
your teen will already know the camp’s culture pursue as a career.

and traditions when they return later on as a
“It really solidified for me the fact that I
paid counselor — and that knowledge often fast want to work with kids for a living, most likely
tracks the interview process. “If we’re going to as a music teacher as I’m currently majoring in
hire a young person, we’d like to hire somebody music at college and plan to get a master’s in
who’s taken our CIT program, who’s already education after,” he says. T
GRAPHIC: GETTY IMAGES; PHOTO PROVIDED
BY PJ FEINSTEIN