Teen Leadership
Teen Staff Leadership Program
Members of our Teen Staff Leadership Program act as integral community members and staff-in-training, supporting campers, events, and camp life throughout the summer. Older youth of camp take on leadership roles within the community, working with peers to build performance and circus arts skills. Assisting in classes and throughout camp life, Teen Staff provide support to staff and campers, while getting an early taste of leadership and professionalism and helping to create the “magic” of Camp.
The Camp Winnarainbow Teen Staff Leadership Program ensures that youth leaders have a fun, experiential, creative environment to learn and practice the skills needed in our increasingly complex world. The TSLP is a three-year program, however, your teen can apply at age 15, 16, or 17, whether or not they have been to Camp Winnarainbow before. Each teen leader is part of a tipi community, providing support and care for Campers under the supervision of adult staff. Teens gain real life experience through daily jobs and the opportunity to assist teachers in skills classes.
All young people ages 15-17 who are seeking leadership experience and the cultivation of life skills are welcome to apply to the Teen Staff Leadership Program. Please review the sections below for more details and information. For JS1s and JS2s, tuition for a one-week session is $687.50, and tuition for a two-week session is $1,375.00. For JCs, no tuition is collected. Financial aid is available for qualifying families. There is no need to fill out a financial aid application at this time. Financial aid arrangements will be made in the spring after acceptances go out. The need for aid does not affect selection.
You can always reach out to our office at arainbow@mcn.org with questions.
Who Should Apply
People ages 15-17 are eligible and welcome to apply (please note that 15-year-olds may decide to attend Camp Winnarainbow as campers if they are not yet ready to participate in the Teen Staff Leadership Program). Selection for Teen Staff does not require previous participation in Camp Winnarainbow: everyone is welcome to apply!
Youth who are interested in being changemakers in their community, who like working with children, who like (or want to experience) living outdoors, who are leaders in their own communities, who are artists, who have a desire to learn and be a part of something that is bigger than themselves – these are the folks we are seeking to be Teen Staff!
For consideration, your application must discuss your past experience in leadership, as well goals you hope to achieve through the program. This will not look the same for every teen. We value your unique story and are seeking a diverse community. If you have any questions about what qualifies as leadership experience, we encourage you to contact us. We are here to help you succeed!
The Application Process
Teen Staff applications will open on Friday, December 20th, and they will remain open until Sunday, February 16th. The application link will be posted on the website by midday on December 20th. Please note that we receive more applications than we have spots in the program, so we are not able to accept everyone who applies.
Anyone new to teen staff will be interviewed as part of the application process; the earlier you apply, the earlier we will interview you, so get those applications in early! People applying to return to teen staff may or may not be interviewed, depending on the availability of our interview team.
Please note there will be a full-weekend training in May, with the specific date TBA in the new year – we think it is likely going to be the weekend of May 17/18. Attendance at this training is a requirement for being in the Teen Staff Leadership Program.