Counselor in Training
Be a leader, push your skills and have fun!
Ever think about doing that counselor in training thing? How about being a respected role model in a younger child's life? Here's a chance to push your own skills while learning to help others do the same. The Primitive Pursuits Counselor in Training program is the summer offering of our Youth Environmental Leadership program. Participants gain experience in outdoor leadership as well as advanced levels of outdoor skills training. This program is the capstone of the Primitive Pursuits experience for youth. Teens from all walks of life overcome survival challenges together in raw, wild nature and have the opportunity to practice telling their stories and sharing their knowledge with younger program participants.
As a Counselor in Training with Primitive Pursuits this summer you will have the opportunity to learn and teach side by side with our seasoned year-round staff in the following areas.
- Leadership & Team Building
- Environmental Studies
- Primitive Technologies
- Curriculum Design & Implementation
- Mentoring Practices
Many graduates have continued on with Primitive Pursuits and other local nature awareness programs as paid employees. Others, having graduated high school, have gone on to establish popular outdoor adventure programs while at schools likeTufts University and SUNY ESF - a testament to the experience they had here with Youth Environmental Leadership.
A day in the life of a C.I.T
A typical day will go something like this... C.I.T's will arrive at camp early to participate in the pre-day game plan with staff. This sneak peek behind the scenes allows teens to begin developing an awareness for both curriculum design as well as the need for improvisation, making last minute changes due to things like weather or new opportunities. Throughout the day C.I.T's will play duel roles; both as participants, practicing skills with the group, and as assistants, being called upon to lead activities. At the end of each day C.I.T's will be asked to participate with others staff in our daily debrief and to assist in our after camp care.
But wait there's more!
To achieve the high bar we set for ourselves creating powerful experiences for each participant we put a lot into our Counselor in Training program. If you join us this summer as a C.I.T you will also have access to the following:
1. Skill training days - teens get direct instruction from core Primitive Pursuits staff. Prior to summer you will be part of our summer staff training.
2. Leadership opportunities - teens get experience mentoring younger participants at programs each week
3. One on one coaching and skill assessment in four core areas: Primitive Technology, Outdoor Skills, Teaching, Teamwork and Professionalism.
4. Resume assistance - References for job and college placement.
5. Regalia - The coveted, limited edition 2012 Summer Staff T-Shirt
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
How to get started:
Space is limited to 8 teens and young adults aged 13 -17 each week of Summer Day Camp.
Cost: $200 - $300* per week
Being a C.I.T for multiple weeks is possible and encouraged. Limited scholarships are available upon request.
*All programs are on a self determined sliding scale.
Funds received above the base rate are tax-deductible and used for scholarships.
To apply please call or email us at:
272-2292 ext 195 or PrimitivePursuits@cornell.edu.
Today's headlines of increasing unemployment rates for teens and its life-long adverse effects on individuals point to an increasing need for teens to find job skills that are valued in today's workforce. It is also clear that raising kids in a world devoid of nature is disastrous for both them and our society as a whole. Cultivating a culture of nature awareness and providing access to positive, peer-based experiences in the natural world are critical challenges for our community.
Primitive Pursuits has been addressing these challenges for the past 10 years. Our goal is simple: More kids in nature, learning, laughing, and exploring. But we can't do this without the teens in our community! Teens and young adults play a key role in carrying stories and defining the world that younger kids grow into. They are the role models of today and the leaders of tomorrow. Youth Environmental Leadership is an opportunity for teens to carry the torch forward.
