Experience True Friends

An Inclusive Summer Job

True Friends runs summer camp at all four Minnesota camp locations: Camp Friendship, Camp Courage, Camp Eden Wood and Camp Courage North. We hire 250+ staff to make camp happen – from counselors, health care, and leadership who directly support our campers, to admin, marketing, and kitchen staff who work behind the scenes to enhance campers’ experience. Everyone has a place at True Friends camps – including you!

  • Camp Courage Maple Lake, MN

    Camp Courage offers staff the opportunity to be outdoors on the accessible challenge course, the lake, or running around the 305-acre site. Programming throughout the summer is new and exciting and you’ll provide accessible and adapted activities to a diverse group by the end of the summer.

    MDA | Camp Oasis (Crohn’s + Colitis) | Gluten Free Kids Camp (Celiac) | Camp Sweet Life (Type 1 diabetes) | Adult Retreat

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  • Camp Courage North Lake George, MN

    Located in the beautiful Paul Bunyan Forest, near Itasca State Park, this historic camp adds that “up north” feeling to everything you do. Camp Courage North promotes a tight-knit family atmosphere, and many opportunities for leadership development. Campers are typically more independent and look toward their CCN family of staff to keep up with them as they explore all the recreational goodness.

    Arts & Fishing | Brain Gains (TBI) | Camp Discovery (ASD) | Hemophilia | Northern Lights ASL (Deaf/HH) | Radio Camp

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  • Camp Eden Wood Eden Prairie, MN

    A hidden gem right in the suburbs! A close-knit, well-oiled team machine ensures all campers get the most out of our site and enjoy fun trips into the Cities (MOA, local events, fishing trips, accessible water parks, and more).

    Classic Camp | Destination Smile (Down syndrome) | Autism Sensory Splash (ASD) | Day Camps

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  • Camp Friendship Annandale, MN

    With a large staff group, it’s easy to make new friends, meet a variety of campers, and experience every traditional summer camp activity: swimming, boating, climbing, creating, singing, hayriding, and s’more 😉 See what we did there?

    Classic Camp | enVISION Self-Advocacy | Fishing Extravaganza | Movin’ & Groovin’ | Adult & Youth Retreats | Camp C.A.M.P. (Aspergers)

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Summer Job Positions

CounselorsCabin Counselor
Activities Counselor
Inclusion Counselor
Trip Leader
Counselor-in-Training*1
Counselor-in-Training*2
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Health CareCamp Nursing Assistant
Registered Nurse
Health Center Coordinator
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AdministrativeOffice Coordinator
Human Resources Assistant
Volunteer Services Assistant
Transportation Coordinator
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HospitalitySpecial Diet Kitchen Aide
Housekeeping
Kitchen Support
Painter
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MarketingMarketing & Communication Assistant
Digital Media Specialist
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LeadershipSeasonal Manager
Cabin/Village Coordinator
Activities Coordinator
Day Camp Coordinator
Inclusion Coordinator
Youth Development Coordinator
Events + Volunteer Coordinator
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You should apply if you are…

Passionate about making a difference in the lives of people of all abilities.
Willing to step outside your comfort zone.
Motivated to be a role model for all campers, volunteers, and staff.
Happy to live and work in a communal setting.
Eager to take initiative and have a strong work ethic. All roles require staff to work independently and as part of a team.
Able to be flexible and adapt to an ever-changing environment.
CPR/First Aid certified, Lifeguard certified. These certifications are highly valued, but NOT required.
Excited about a camping experience and have prior experience with the population. Again, prior experience is not required, but highly valued.

Perks

Meals and housing
Comprehensive training
Hard skills
Soft skills
Personal growth
Relevant career experience
Communication skills
Saturday staff trips
Workplace diversity
Internship credit available

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Important Information

Residential Experience

Camp staff live at camp for the summer
Work 5.5 days a week, with time off during the week and on Saturdays (typically)
Paid a daily rate instead of an hourly wage
Not your typical 9-5 job. Counselors and leadership may be on-call overnight. You may be in the office until late (when it’s quieted down a bit). Quality over quantity.

Orientation and Training

Complete online training and a week minimum of in-person orientation.
It's a great way to make connections with your fellow staff!
We help prepare you for your new role, but a lot of your learning will happen on the job.
Your orientation location may be different than the location you were hired for. We all start at one central site and then split off to finish site specific orientation.

Start Dates

May 26, 2020:
Admin + Marketing + RNs + Trip Leaders

May 29, 2020:
Lifeguards + Leadership

June 1, 2020:
Activities Counselors + CIT*2 + C.N.A. + Special Diets

June 7, 2020:
Cabin Counselors + CIT*1

End Dates

It depends (either August 14 or August 21). We know most of our staff are students and school is important. When applying for a role, please make sure to double check the description for start/end dates to make sure your schedule aligns. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Meet the True Friends Crew

Jon Salmon Associate Director of Camping

Camp Friendship

Erin Gordon Manager of Camping

Camp Eden Wood

Naomi Miessler Manager of Camping

Camp Courage North

Sierra MeyerVSSR Coordinator

Camp Eden Wood

Shauna DevittMarComm Coordinator

Camp Friendship

Susan HeathHospitality Director

Camp Courage

Sarah CurtsHospitality Manager

Camp Friendship
Join Us This Summer

Still not sure if summer camp is right for you?

Contact Sierra

Interested but can’t commit to an entire summer?

Volunteer!