Camp Walden is hiring for summer 2025!

Why choose Camp Walden? The campers, the community, and the Walden Way! At Camp Walden, our exceptional staff are the heart and soul of our program, dedicated to teaching, nurturing, and inspiring every camper to thrive.

Walden Culture

Belonging: We are a diverse team of people with different perspectives and backgrounds that work towards a collective goal; to take great care of children. Our warm, inclusive and caring family atmosphere makes first time campers and staff feel as welcome as our returning campers and staff. Grit: We work hard. Our days are long. We each put in the work so that we can achieve the outcomes we collectively seek and the job satisfaction we individually seek. Collaboration and Leadership Development: Our staff work collaboratively to create an unforgettably positive, fun and meaningful experience for their campers and each other while building the necessary leadership skills for professional and personal success in the 21st century. 

The Most Challenging and Rewarding Job

If you’re passionate about working with children, love the outdoors, and are ready to give your all this summer, Walden offers an extraordinary opportunity. We set high expectations and provide unmatched training, mentorship, and support to ensure a fulfilling and successful summer for our staff. If you’re ready for a challenging yet rewarding experience, we’d love to hear from you!

What It Takes to Join Our Team

Walden staff are enthusiastic leaders who enjoy working with children and bring out the best in every camper. They are team players, role models, and responsible leaders who balance fun with safety. Our diverse team includes college students, educators, coaches, artists, and performers, all united by a love for camp and a commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive community.

What Makes You Qualified: The ideal candidate is someone who: 

• has experience or is eager to gain experience working with children. 
• has completed at least their freshman year in college. 
• is pursuing or has graduated with degrees in education, social work, psychology or coaching. 
• empathic, hard-working, flexible, patient, nurturing, inclusive, kind and possess excellent judgment and decision-making skills. 
• is a non-smoker, non-vaper, and willing to abstain from alcohol consumption. 

Standard Staff Requirements

Camp Walden staff help campers build confidence, form strong relationships, and embrace challenges. We rely on motivated, skilled individuals who love children and thrive in the camp environment to make each summer unforgettable.

• Walden staff work closely with children and others, managing a variety of emotions, thoughts, and opinions.
• Staff work long hours and, since most live with campers, are on-call 24/7 for two months with limited time off.
• Staff must commit to the full camp season to avoid disrupting campers.
• Attendance at mandatory pre-camp training and orientation is required, with dates depending on the position.
• Walden maintains a drug-free, alcohol-free, and non-smoking/vaping environment with zero tolerance for violations.

Additional Requirements: 

• all applicants will be required to provide contact information for at least 3 professional references which may include current or former employers, high school teachers or coaches, or college professors. References may not be family members or personal friends. 
• all hired candidates must submit a nationwide background check (which will be paid for by Camp Walden) and be verified against both the National and the NY State Sex Offender Registries. 
• every staff member will be required to participate in a 10 day to two-week pre-camp leadership training. 

See Camp Walden in Action! Watch videos and view photos!