Rural Alaska Day Camp: Girl Scouts of America Job

From a Ryan Brady Photo

Rural Alaska Day Camp: Girl Scouts

Season Dates:
mid-May to early August 2009 (possibility of later start date)

The Staff:

We are a small team of 4 people who are invested in working to provide quality programming to girls in rural Alaskan villages.
Staff work in pairs for the full summer and travel village to village leading week-long camps.
Staff are based in villages for the full season.
Staff travel with all necessary gear (simple program supplies, food, sleeping bags, and personal items) packed in a few rubbermaid totes and duffel bags.

What camp looks like:

Girl Scout camp is one of the highlights of the summer for girls and communities in the Y-K Delta.
Villages are small and all of the girls will come to camp. Camp is provided to villages free of charge.
A typical camp day starts mid-morning with a few girls. Throughout the day more girls trickle in and the group can get up to 50 girls of all ages in the afternoon.
Camp primarily takes place outdoors around the village or in the school or another community building.
Often, programs take place in the same building that staff sleep in.
Camp programs usually run 4-5 days in each village with one day of travel in between villages.
A large component of the Girl Scout program is community service. Each village will have a service project planned by you and your staff partner to carry out during the camp week.
These projects are really fun and the girls enjoy making a difference in their village through Girl Scouting.
Upon arrival in each village staff work to identify local adults who may be interested in helping incorporate cultural components into Girl Scout camp.
Camp days are made up of fun activities planned by you and your staff partner. Girls love the opportunity to be creative through art projects, rediscover the tundra with nature activities, share their culture, and explore their village with you during a scavenger hunt.

General Qualifications:

Must be a self motivated and mature person at least 21 years old
Believe in the purpose and value of Girl Scouting
Possess integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to make decisions and act wisely in an emergency
Staff must abstain from using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs for the full duration of employment.
Must have current First Aid and CPR certification
Willingness to travel often in small planes seating 4 people or less
Flexible and able to live in facilities with minimal amenities and privacy
Able to sleep on the floor, haul 150 pounds of gear from the air strip to town, and eat a very basic diet
Understand the needs, abilities and interests of children
Accept all people and be able to work with people regardless of race, color, age, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or lifestyle

Benefits of Employment:

$2,000 stipend upon successful completion of the season
Opportunity to spend a life changing summer working in regions of Alaska that few people get the chance to visit
Free room and board
Airfare to remote villages valued at $14,000
Build your resume in child development, risk assessment, cultural diversity, community cultivation, and group management
Getting to Anchorage is your responsibility. (If you live in western Alaska other considerations may be possible)
All housing, food, and transportation to the villages where you lead camp will be provided during employment.

For more information or to apply please visit www.girlscoutsalaska.org/rural

Amy von Diest

Rural Outreach Manager

Girl Scouts Susitna Council

3911 Turnagain Blvd

Anchorage, Ak 99517

1-800-478-7448 (toll free)

1-907-248-2250 (local)

1-907-243-4819 (fax)