Youth Leadership Training Programs
Training for CITs - Age 13-15:
As teens start to come out from being a camper themselves, we want to help the youth who are trying to find their identity feel like they can still be involved in all the things they loved to do the previous years. These are the years when campers still want to be included in all the fun games, crafts, and excitement that they participated in previously, but now they will also start to be included in the preparations of the camp with the older counsellors as well.
At this age, youth are now free to join Pea Pods, and they will also be expected to take on a small amount of responsibility in helping to oversee the younger children. But at Pea Pods, this is the age where campers will also have a chance to bring in their own passions and creative edge, and start to get involved with their own activity planning as well!
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Although CITs are becoming staff, their staff to camper ratio is only 1:2, and they will still have plenty of time to be involved in the excitement of summer camp, garden meals, planting, crafting, music, and playing sports. They will also get a chance to work alongside the junior and senior counsellors so they can start to feel a sense of inclusion, confidence, and success as they preform a lighter version of the same responsibilities, and as they prepare the skills they will need to become a confident junior counsellor in a future year.
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Training for Junior Counsellors - Age 16-18:
At this level, let's be honest... the youth who are involved with our programs aren't really 'in' to day camp anymore, so now we're going to start offering a wage as they learn, train, and take on a bit more responsibility. But we also want to create such an involved and fun program for this age group as well, that teens wouldn't be able to wait to come back year after year! At this age, youth will be responsible for a ratio of 1:6 children, and they will also help to guide and oversee the junior staff below them, but we offer of junior counsellors so much more involvement than that!
At Pea Pods, our junior staff will have a chance to bring their passions to work with them as they decided what type of activity they want to create, develop a plan, budget their resources, organize the components, and execute both an individual activity plan, as well as a week long group project for the week(s) they are volunteering for.
Youth will get to pair up with the senior staff to plan out a full activity to teach the kids in their groups. Throughout each day, the junior counsellors will be an addition to our team of child staff. They will help ensure that the kids are receiving individualized attention and guidance with activities, and they will report and issues or concerns to the senior staff.
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This level of training and involvement leads perfectly into our year-long programs where teens can put forward, and get paid for, jobs that they would like to create for themselves. If your teen really loves and excels at running a program, then they can be hired throughout the year to run a program that they are passionate about, in their area, and Pea Pods will help and encourage them every step of the way.
If your child is interested in a part-time job with Pea Pods through out the year, then please apply for spot as a Junior Counsellor, and let us know what type of program you are interested in creating throughout the school year.
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Stay Involved All Year Long
Youth 16+ who want to Work Part-Time for Themselves
This program supports teenagers who have a passion and want to earn some money this year by teaching other kids all about what they love!
Is your teen an amazing vocalist who might enjoy leading a youth choir? Do they excel in math and might enjoy tutoring? Do they love dance and want to teach a class? Pea Pods wants to continue to support your child, and hire them for at least one day a week, to keep their passions afloat doing something they love!
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Pea Pods will teach the skills in our camp counsellor program, that your child will need to learn how to run their own programs, and we offer our continuing counsellors an hourly wage, to work a program that they really love and are personally vested in. They will receive ongoing, individualized training on how to find and apply for youth government grants, how to keep track of their budget, how to write a resume and network their skills, and much more. This program is developed to help youth find their place within their developing careers, and to give them the skills and confidence they will need to apply for leadership and management roles, or to run programs for themselves.