2026 Day Camp Counselor - Oak Lawn, Illinois, , United States

NOW HIRING: · Day Camp Counselor · MUST BE 16 YEARS OF AGE BY JUNE 1ST, 2026 · To supervise, nurture, and run activities for groups of children ages 3-14 in a day camp setting. Counselors are responsible for the safety and well being of camper participants. Counselor's main prior ...

Job description

NOW HIRING:

Day Camp Counselor

MUST BE 16 YEARS OF AGE BY JUNE 1ST, 2026

To supervise, nurture, and run activities for groups of children ages 3-14 in a day camp setting. Counselors are responsible for the safety and well being of camper participants. Counselor's main priority is to provide campers with a fun, happy, and nurturing experience in a safe and friendly environment. The Day Camp counselor job is a seasonal, part time position, starting in June and ending in August.

INCENTIVES:  Part time employees receive 25% off general programs with the exception of PDNA, contracted, trips and private lessons. In order to encourage a healthy lifestyle for our staff members, the Park District provides all staff with the opportunity to use our fitness facilities at the Community Pavilion and the Racquet, Fitness and Gymnastics Center free of charge.

ABOUT US: The Oak Lawn Park District, incorporated in 1944, has a long and proud history of serving the recreational needs of our 56,000 residents with a myriad of recreational programs and services. We operate under the state tax cap as a municipal corporation, meaning we are our own taxing body. Overseen by a Board of five elected officials, the District manages a combination of 34 parks and facilities which cover over 280 acres. In addition, we manage a Special Recreation Cooperative that offers recreational programs and services to individuals with disabilities in 9 municipalities.

*The Oak Lawn Park District is an equal opportunity employer. Equal access to programs, services and employment is available to all persons. Those applicants requiring accommodations to the application and/or interview process should contact a representative of the Personnel Department.

QUALIFICATIONS: Experience working with children ages 3-14 in recreational, educational or related programs preferred. High School graduate preferred. Ability to lead, plan, organize, and implement program activities. Ability to work as a member of a team and the ability to accomplish tasks with little direct supervision. Strong organizational and communication skills.

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR:
Site Director

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Assist and initiate the planning and implementation of daily camp activities. Must organize both games and crafts. 

• On a weekly basis, meet with site's counselor staff and Site Director to review the week's activities and plan the weekly planner. Each counselor is then responsible for creating a weekly day and rain day planner filled with activities, which will be submitted to your Site Director. 

• Provide a safe and productive playground. Assist Site Director by providing playground inspection checks and filling out playground inspection forms. Watch groups at all times while at the playground. Limit playground play to 2-3 times a week at ½ hour increments. (1/4 hour for Preschool Camp Sunshine) 

• Responsible for accurately filling out Accident/Incident Reports and submitting to Site Director. 

• Responsible for disciplining campers appropriately, following the Oak Lawn Park District Day Camp Discipline policy. Communicate camper issues with Site Director. Must document and record camper issues and discipline matters. 

• Counselors are responsible for the close supervision of campers while at the pools. Counselors are required to be in the pool with campers for close supervision. 

• Supervise campers closely while on busses. 

• Provide excellent customer service to parents 

• Keep accurate records of personal camper forms. Review and keep accurate records of Healthy and Allergy information forms. Work with parent if child has special health or other needs. 

• Keep accurate attendance records. 

• Keep inventory of first aid supplies on you at all times. Be prepared to administer first aid on injured campers. 

• Typical work hours for Full Day Camp Counselors are 8:00am-2:45pm; Extended Camp: Hours vary between 7:00-8:30am, 2:00-6:00pm.

MARGINAL FUNCTIONS:

• Attend all Park District mandatory training sessions and meetings. 

• Upon hire, completion of provided First Aid and CPR certification 

• Staff must wear their day camp staff t-shirts. While swimming at camp, staff is to wear one-piece swim suits (Tankinis are allowed) or swim trunks. 

• Counselors are evaluated on a bi-weekly basis. All counselors begin on two-week probation. After the two weeks, if a counselor is not performing the duties, he/she may be dismissed

PHYSICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, sit, see, hear, talk, walk, lift and carry up to 25 pounds. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, crouch or reach to retrieve supplies and assist campers. 

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus. The job requires worker to be outdoors about 70% to 90% of the time. Camp Sunshine staff is outdoors at a max of 50% of the time. Extended counselors are outdoors about 70% to 90% of the time. Must be able to perform job duties while dealing with the elements of the outdoors, including heat, sun exposure, wind, insects, etc. 

PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

• Must be able to work closely with co-workers, including other counselors, your Site Director, Camp Coordinator, Recreation Supervisor, Bus drivers and others. 

• Must be able to work well with general public. 

• Must be able to work well under supervision and director of supervisor. 

• Must be able to work well under stress of complaints and children's issues. 

• Must be able to work well under stress of daily day camp problems, while keeping a positive attitude. 

• Must be able to work well with children and their parents. 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

• Worker will be outdoors during daily outdoor play, visits, special events and field trips. 

COGNITIVE CONSIDERATIONS:

• Employee must have the ability to follow and give directions. 

• Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing 

• Employee must possess time management and organization skills to effectively perform his/her job. 

• Employee must have ability to make judgments with respect to confidentiality of information and problem solving. 

• Employee must use good safety awareness and judgment in all aspects of this position. 

• Employee must have a good sense of empathy, nurturing, patience, and fairness and be able to handle a multitude of situations as they come up, while keeping a positive and friendly attitude.