2026 Camp Akita Counselor

JOB DESCRIPTION | Counselor 

ABOUT CAMP AKITA: 

Looking for a summer experience that actually means something—and looks great on your resume? At Camp Akita, college students don’t just spend a summer working; they gain real-world leadership skills, build meaningful relationships, and have the chance to earn internship or academic credit along the way. Whether your program requires practicums, field experiences, or internship hours, we’re happy to partner with your department to make sure your role aligns with academic goals.

Set in the stunning Hocking Hills, Camp Akita welcomes over 1,500 campers each summer and is proud to be a progressive Christian camp that embraces people of all faiths, identities, and backgrounds. With beautiful nature, great amenities, and a community that values authenticity and growth, Camp Akita is the perfect place to learn, lead, and make an impact.

If you'd like more information about Camp Akita, check out the following links! Summer 2025 Video & About Camp Akita & Staff

PURPOSE: Counselors provide direct leadership and supervision of the campers, striving to create a safe, fun, and meaningful experience for each camper. Counselors support the mission and goals of Camp Akita by guiding each camper’s journey through the camp experience, valuing them as individuals, and encouraging them to build genuine relationships. 

RESPONSIBILITIES - Counselor responsibilities should be performed in coordination with the Staff Director, who will provide guidance and direction.

During Staff Training:

• Overview of the job. Discuss the daily schedule and expectations of all Counselors with the Staff Director. Seek guidance from those who have held your role before, including the Head Counselors. 

• Listen and participate. Actively participate in staff training sessions. Arrive on time, ask questions, and think about how you will use what you learn during your daily work during camp. 

• Build relationships. Spend time getting to know fellow members of the Akita Staff. 

During Summer: 

• Maintain safety. Be mindful of the physical, emotional, and spiritual safety of all campers, not just those in your cabin. Monitor campers to ensure they are following rules, do all you can to prevent unsafe situations, and respond with urgency and care to accidents and emergencies. 

• Participate in program activities. Be present and on time to all camp events, including devotions, meals, games, Impact Groups, and Cabin Time. Be enthusiastic, engaged, and caring as you participate alongside campers. 

• Lead afternoon assignments. Provide leadership and energy to your afternoon assignment at the Lake, Craft Cabin, Adventure Complex, Café, Hillside, or Options. Be an active teammate to fellow staff. 

• Collaborate with your co‐Counselor. Work as a team to maintain a fun, inclusive, and welcoming cabin experience for your campers as well as for each other. • Embrace the message. Embrace Camp Akita’s core values of compassion, acceptance, community, and authenticity. Seek to treat others with kindness and respect, embrace campers and staff on the margins, and be an active member of the full-camp community. 

• Communicate. Listen to and implement announcements, instructions, and changes to plans. Seek help from camp leadership during challenging situations. 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL STAFF MEMBERS: 

• Model appropriate behavior. Act as a leader to the campers by modeling good behavior and leadership skills. 

• Care for your cabin. Maintain a clean and respectful living situation in your cabin. Create rules for campers that seek to keep the cabin clean, safe, and respectful for everyone. Report any maintenance issues to camp leadership. 

• Monitor health & rest. Keep track of your personal health, get enough sleep, and ask for help when you need it. 

• Be a teammate. Be prepared to step into a different role (such as a “floater”) due to staff shortages, unique circumstances, or changes in needs. Be helpful to other staff members and act in ways that support the full-camp community. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS - 

To physically perform this job, staff must be able to: 

• Regularly spend long periods of time sitting on seats and on the ground, both indoors and outdoors. 

• Regularly move from sitting to standing positions effortlessly. 

• Regularly spend long periods of time standing and walking. 

• Regularly walk and hike on uneven surfaces, up and down stairs, and up and down steep inclines. 

• Regularly spend long periods of time outdoors in weather conditions including heat, sun, and rain. 

• Regularly sleep in a shared open-air cabin. 

• Regularly eat while sitting at a shared table or on the ground. 

• Regularly use hands and fingers to handle, control, manipulate, carry, or feel objects. 

• Regularly see details of objects that are less than a few feet away. 

• Regularly read, write, interpret, and respond to words printed in English. 

• Regularly speak, listen, interpret, and respond to words spoken in English. 

• Occasionally lift 25 pounds. 

• May occasionally ride in a vehicle, including a school bus, for up to 90 minutes at a time. 

• Must comply with First Community Church policies, also including vaccines, prevention, and medical care.

First Community Church is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status or disability
(in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act) with respect to employment opportunities.