Counselor Positions

Global Youth Village cabin counselors are diverse in nationality, culture, language ability, approaches to youth work, and communication styles.

Each cabin is home to six to ten youths and one counselor.

Cabin life is at the foundation of creating an open and accepting environment where individuals can feel secure and comfortable.

The counseling team consists of the Counseling Coordinator and live-in counselors.  This team works together to promote sensitivity to other cultures, encourage personal development, and ensure safety. They provide role models of service, cooperation, care, and respect.

Previous experience as counselors with youth is preferred. Other important qualities include an ability to assess and adjust group dynamics and handle numerous details on a day-to-day basis.

All cabin counselors, in addition to tending to the needs of their cabin groups, fulfill one or more of the various programmatic, administrative or support roles needed at the GYV.  These secondary roles also allow the counseling staff to interact with the young people in different ways, outside of the cabin.

For more details, please review the counselor job description.

Cabin Counselor

Serve as a live-in counselor, helping youths adjust to the Global Youth Village culture.  Create a warm, harmonious cabin environment, working cooperatively with other members of counseling team. Maintain standards of health, safety and program quality consistent with program goals. Create opportunities for cultural sharing within the cabin, and facilitate cross-cultural communication and understanding.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school graduate with at least two-years college education or work experience; 21 years of age or older.
• Youth work experience; preferably multi-cultural and in a residential setting.
• Experience in team building and leading youth groups; able to initiate and moderate youth discussions; able to plan and deliver youth activities .
• Fulfills work responsibilities and maintains professional attitude; motivated; good stamina; copes well with transitions.
• Solid role model, mature, positive outlook, attentive to the needs of others.
• Works effectively in team structure. Open minded and responds well to new points of view and feedback; flexible.
• Conversant in English.

Responsible to: Counseling Coordinator &/or Assistant Director

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Lives in the cabin with 6-10 youths
2. Monitors morning wake-up, afternoon rest hour, evening lights-out
3. Creates methods for maintaining cabin cleanliness
4. Attends breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening programs with cabin group
5. Plans and delivers weekly “Cabin Night” activities for cabin group. Collaborate with the Special Programs Coordinator, along with other staff, in the design and delivery of additional select evening programs and other special weekend events.
6. Informs cabin of program schedule; assists youths in selecting activities
7. Monitors health, personal hygiene, dietary habits, and program participation of youth
8. Confident in leading and moderating cabin discussions on a variety of topics; holds regular cabin meetings
9. Encourages youth to participate fully in program activities and to be willing to try new things and make new friends
10. Creates a comfortable, safe and respectful cabin environment
11. Makes self readily available to youth in cabin; reliable presence in cabin
12. Offers consistent guidance and discipline in collaboration with other counseling team members. Upholds “Honor Code“
13. Attends counselor meetings and discusses cabin dynamics and individual youth needs. Coveys youth views and opinions to administrative staff
14. Teaches weekly electives or daily special activities on subjects of personal expertise. (Review the secondary role options available to you.)
15. Completes cabin counseling evaluation and cabin cleaning procedures at the end of the season.
16. Counseling staff fulfill other support functions as outlined in the general job description (daily meal clean-up, facility set-up and clean-up, etc.).

Essential Functions:

1. Ability to effectively manage a group of 6-12 youth. Provides necessary instruction and guidance to youths throughout the day.
2. Ability to observe youth behavior, assess its appropriateness, enforce appropriate safety regulations and emergency procedures, and provide appropriate guidance and discipline.
3. Visual and auditory ability to identify and respond to environmental and other hazards related to any activities one may be overseeing.
4. Possesses endurance required to maintain constant supervision of youth in a rural, residential camp setting.
5. Cognitive ability to plan and conduct cabin activities.

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