Summer Staff

 


Every summer the Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center hires college students to serve on Summer Staff.


Who can be on staff?

We are looking for students who...

  • Have completed at least one year of college
  • Enjoy working with youth in a recreation and leadership environment
  • Enjoy working alongside other college students and adults
  • Exhibit high moral character with outstanding work ethic
  • Have teamwork abilities and a positive attitude

We also hire male and female staff supervisors. The staff supervisor must be an adult who is…

    • Graduated from college.
    • Professional and responsible.
    • Able to manage college students.
    • Willing to live in the staff cabin.

What do staff do?

The staff is responsible for overseeing recreational areas, conducting programs, and preparing the facility for campers. Read about the programs below to discover more about typical assignments.

 

When do staff start?

Dates for 2009:
  • May 10-15: Staff Training
  • May 17-22: Staff Orientation
  • May 25: Summer Camps Begin
  • All staff must be available to work at least through July 17

Salary and experience:

The starting salary for first year, trained staff is $275 per week. This is for a typical week - Sunday afternoon through Friday afternoon. Staff lodging and all meals are included. Staff will go home on most weekends. There are some weekends that we have campers, and we will ask some staff to stay. Salary is pro-rated for the weekend. You will pay for your staff shirts, but the cost is minimal.

No experience is necessary to be on staff. Experience in working with a team and working with youth is a plus. Some assignments do require experience (ex. horse staff.) Applicants must have completed one year of college. We are looking for excellent work ethic, strong morals, and great attitude. Staff do not need to have knowledge about the FFA and FCCLA organizations, but this experience is a plus.

Facility Information:

The Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center is a year-round camp facility in Covington, GA. We are located about one hour from Atlanta, Macon, and Athens. Our primary purpose is to provide services and programs for FFA and FCCLA students in Georgia. We also rent facilities to educational organizations such as YMCA, Boy Scouts, and church ministries. Our facility has meeting rooms, food service, lodging, and recreation.

Staff Training:

There are training courses available for all staff. Staff are not paid during training courses, but you must complete a training course in order to receive the $275/week salary. Training is available for three areas: lifeguard, team building and leadership, and horseback riding. The courses will be held prior to staff orientation. First Aid and CPR training is included in all three courses. You will choose one of the following:

  1. Lifeguard: Staff will have the opportunity to become lifeguard certified and will be trained on the operation of the Center's pool.
  2. Team Building and Leadership: Staff will be trained as an instructor on the Center's Leadership Course. This includes ground initiatives and low-ropes style elements. In addition, staff will receive training in public speaking and leadership skills.
  3. Horseback riding instructor: Staff will be trained in barn management, horse health, and learn to instruct campers for trail rides. Staff must be experienced riders prior to taking this training course.

We will also offer training for the High Ropes Course. This training will be available to all staff and will be in addition to the course you choose. You may be asked to come in early or stay later during training and orientation weeks in order to complete this training.

Staff Orientation:

Staff orientation is mandatory, and it is the first paid week. This is a week that we spend preparing the camp facility and the staff for the weeks ahead. We work on program aspects and develop the staff team dynamic. We also cut grass, clean cabins, prepare recreation areas, and whatever is necessary to get ready for the summer camps.

FFA-FCCLA Summer Leadership Camp

During the first four weeks of summer, we engage in four sessions of FFA-FCCLA Summer Leadership Camp - a week long camp for FFA and FCCLA students from across Georgia. It is a leadership and recreation-based camp for middle school and high school chapters. During this camp, we provide everything - meals, lodging, recreation and program. The focus of the week is fun, but we strongly emphasize leadership, teambuilding, and sportsmanship.

Campers for Leadership Camp arrive Monday morning and depart Friday morning. Staff report on Sunday afternoon and are released on Friday when the camp is clean (typically mid-afternoon).

Summer Staff primarily operate the recreation areas, participate in assemblies and other programs, and help the campers have a great time. Some of the assignments during Summer Leadership Camp include:

  • Operating the snack shop
  • Operating horseback rides
  • Referee for softball and volleyball
  • Lifeguard at the pool and at the canoes & paddleboats
  • Leadership Course instructor
  • Craft shop operator
  • Food service

The days are long - a typical day starts with breakfast 7:30 AM and ends back at your cabin around midnight. Staff stay in the staff cabins, not in cabins with campers. For more information about Summer Leadership Camp, visit the Summer Camp Page.

After FFA-FCCLA Summer Leadership Camp

After Summer Leadership Camp, there are three types of camps that will be running - Wildlife Camps, Horse Camps, and rental groups.

The Wildlife Camps are week-long programs that our facility hosts to youth from the general public. For more information, visit www.Wildlifecamp.com. During these camps, some of the summer staff will be fully dedicated to the program, including staying in the cabin with the campers. Some of the staff will continue servicing the rental groups during this time, but will likely have some part to play in the Wildlife Camps.

The Horse Camps are week-long programs that are open to girls ages 10-13. Some of the staff (primarily the horseback riding program staff) will be fully dedicated to this program. These programs run during the same weeks as Wildlife Camps.

We will also rent facilities to organizations. Our largest rental groups are church youth groups and children camps. For these groups we continue offering meals, lodging, and recreation, but we do not offer programs and assemblies. Summer staff will be involved in servicing these groups, mostly through operating the recreational areas and food service.

Why work Here?

Anyone interested in being on Summer Staff must understand that this is a very challenging job!

  1. Staff work long hours! They work from around 7:30 AM until around midnight. The weeks are long (Sunday afternoon through Friday afternoon.) You will be exhausted, but you have to give 100% for the campers.
  2. Staff work hard! We do whatever it takes to make the camp enjoyable for the campers. That includes lots of manual labor. It requires a great work ethic, so lazy people need not apply!
  3. The rules are strict! We have a very strict set of policies that the staff must follow for the protection of the campers. Everything you do during the summer is our business (including weekends), because it impacts the campers we serve.
  4. You can't escape one another! Our staff members spend a lot of time together. If someone gets on your nerves, you have to be able to work with them. We serve the campers no matter what.
  5. We have high expectations! Staff are expected to be outstanding role models.

So why join the Summer Staff?

    1. It is a great learning experience! You will learn to work on a team, learn more about yourself, and you will be challenged in new ways.
    2. It is fun! You will have new and exciting experiences.
    3. You get to invest in youth! If you have a heart for youth, you will have great opportunities to be a role model for them. Our purpose is to help develop character in young people, and you can play an integral role in that.
    4. You can save money because room and board is free!
    5. You will be working with other college students with whom you have the opportunity to build lasting friendships!
    6. To steal a line from the Peace Corps, it is the toughest job you will ever love!

To apply

Submit the application along with a resume. From that point, we will contact you to set up an interview.

Staff Application (Microsoft Word)

Staff Application (pdf)

Fax, email, or mail applications and resumes to:

Georgia FFA-FCCLA Center
Attn: Russel Towns
720 FFA Road
Covington, GA 30014
Fax: 770-786-1774
Email: Gaffacamp@GaAgEd.org

Summer Staff Handbook

Once you have been hired, you will want to become familiar with the information in the Staff Handbook.

Download Staff Handbook