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 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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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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Summer Job Positions
HospitalitySpecial Diet Kitchen AideHousekeeping
Kitchen Support
Kitchen Manager
Canteen Manager
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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
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
Late May:
Admin + Marketing + RNs + Trip Leaders
Late May:
Lifeguards + Leadership
Early June:
Activities Counselors + CIT*2 + C.N.A. + Special Diets
Early June:
Cabin Counselors + CIT*1
End Dates
It depends, end dates are negotiable. Camp finishes in mid-August, but staff can finish earlier if needed. 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
Naomi Miessler Manager of Camping
Camp Courage North
Shauna DevittMarComm Coordinator
Camp Friendship
Susan HeathHospitality Director
Camp Courage
Sarah CurtsHospitality Manager
Camp FriendshipStill not sure if summer camp is right for you?
Contact JonInterested but can’t commit to an entire summer?
Volunteer!