Summer Staff

All Zajac Ranch staff members must:

• Be camper-focused with a professional attitude.
• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be able to facilitate an empowering organized program through encouragement and support.
• Have leadership and communication skills.
• Have experience with outdoor recreation/camp activities.
• Be willing and able to work in a physically and mentally demanding environment on a daily basis.
• Have a friendly, caring personality.
• Be effectively able manage self-care.
• Be able to apply behaviour management techniques (as covered in staff training) to ensure a caring, positive, and fun experience for all campers.
• Provide original Criminal Record Check and valid First Aid Certificate

Wranglers are the Zajac Ranch for Children cabin counsellors. For each camp session you will be a part of a support team responsible for a small group of children with special medical needs. This rewarding position allows you to interact daily and develop a rapport with children with a wide variety of challenges. No two days will be the same and as a Wrangler you’ll be a key influence on a Zajac Ranch camper’s stay.

Wrangler Responsibilities:

• Live in the cabin with the campers serving as a role model and support.
• Assist campers in having a safe, fun and enjoyable session.
• Lead campers to and from activities while providing constant encouragement and positive reinforcement.
• Ensure positive and appropriate camper-staff and camper-camper interactions.
• Provide supervision and assistance in all aspects of the camper’s daily routine, including but is not limited to: meals, cabin clean-up, camper hygiene, rest hour, scheduled medication times, and behaviour management.
• Report all accidents, illnesses and incidents to the Director and/or Medical Staff, in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Work with your co-counsellors to create a cabin team that will best meet the needs of your campers.
• Responsible for knowing and adhering to the policies and procedures contained within the camp manual.
• Assist in and facilitate all camp programs with assigned staff (i.e. evening programs, campfires, theme days, etc.)
• Attend and give updates during regular staff meetings.
• Any other duties deemed necessary by the Zajac Ranch for Children.

Rangers are the Zajac Ranch for Children activity leaders. In the morning you will be responsible for your activity program; your job is to make sure that your activity is run in a safe, fun and stimulating way and that all campers can participate to the best of their abilities. In the afternoon, you will be with your assigned cabin group and will participate in the all camp activities (swim time, talent shows, dances, theme days, etc).

Ranger Responsibilities:

• Create and implement an activity program suitable to the interest and ability of each camper and each session (mornings)
• Assist in and facilitate all camp programs such as evening programs, campfires, theme days, etc (afternoons)
• Facilitate a safe and fun program with the resources available
• Provide an inventory for your program area at the beginning and end of camp
• Plan for the activities ahead of time, letting the directors know what resources you will need for the summer and communicating to them in due time whenever you need more materials or something needs to be replaced
• Employ the behaviour strategies covered during staff training
• Adhere to Local Operating Policies and Procedures and Standards for activities.
• Attend and participate in weekly staff meetings
• Any other duties deemed necessary by the Zajac Ranch for Children

Ranger Positions Available:

• Lifeguard (2) – a Ranger with NLS qualifications to act as a Life Guard at our lakefront dock and indoor swimming pool.
• Waterfront (1) – a Ranger with NLS qualifications with canoeing and kayaking experience to teach campers how to canoe and kayak at out waterfront.
• High Ropes (4) – a Ranger team to lead campers through our high ropes course and climbing wall. Previous ropes course/team building experience an asset, though we run a free of cost camp specific ropes training.
• Arts & Crafts (1) – a very creative and organised Ranger to run our Arts & Crafts department. This program will be entirely designed by you; you will choose and plan for all the arts classes on offer each week. We have different campers each week so you may repeat some of the arts projects. You will have the ability to adjust the program to the different groups and within each group, to children with different abilities.
• Archery & the Outdoors (1) – a nature-loving Ranger to lead campers in outdoor pursuits with a specific focus on archery. Previous archery experience an asset, though we run a free of cost camp specific archery training for the staff at the beginning of summer.  
• Equestrian (2) – a Ranger team with experience working with horses to help care for the horses and other animals and ensure that campers have a safe and fun time during program.

With the directors, the Unit Leaders form the support staff at the Zajac Ranch for Children. Collectively the support staff ensures the safe and smooth running of all aspects of camp. Unit Leaders are available to assist with programs, behaviour management, inclusion and reporting. They have a high degree of experience working in the camp environment and understand the needs of youth living with special needs and/or chronic and debilitating illnesses. Our Unit Leaders have the skills and experience to jump into any situation at camp and are our go to problem solvers.

Unit Leader Responsibilities:

• Ensure that all aspects of camp life are: safe, inclusive, empowering, and fun
• Ensure all camp activities are run according to policies and procedures.
• Mentor and support all staff and volunteers.
• Be an active support for behaviour management scenarios.
• As a team be responsible for the entertainment programs offered at the Ranch, this includes theme days, all camp activities and camp fires.
• Coordinate and train volunteers with Camp Director.
• Actively participate during regular staff meetings.
• Communicate programming/scheduling issues with Camp Director.
• Pass along any maintenance requests to Camp Director.
• Write a weekly communication report on the details of our camp session.

• Read the General Qualifications to see if you are the kind of fabulous person we are looking for.
• Take a look at the Job Descriptions and decide which is best suited for you
• Fully complete the online application online
• Participate in an interview
• Pack your bags and head to the Zajac Ranch for Children for an awesome summer!

Staff training starts mid-June and the summer season ends at the end of August. Your exact employment dates will be included in your offer letter.

Yes! Every year we have a number of Rangers, Wranglers, Kitchen Staff and Maintenance Staff who volunteer their time for anything from a few days to a few weeks. Contact us for more details and to discuss your availability.

You must be 18 or over to work or volunteer as a counsellor at the Zajac Ranch for Children. However, you can still apply to the Kitchen or Maintenance Staff. Sixteen and 17 year-olds interested in volunteering as counsellors should check out our Leadership in Training and Counsellor in Training programs, where you can develop your leadership skills and help our counsellors with camp activities like campfires.

In many ways, working at the Zajac Ranch for Children is like working at any summer camp; camp staff deal with homesickness, disputes between campers, minor cuts and bruises, and a lot of fun activities, however, there are extra things to be aware of when your campers have serious and chronic illnesses and disabilities. We provide over a week of staff training, covering emergency procedures, safety, and behaviour management.

Before each camp session, the Camp Director and Nursing Director will tell you all about the campers you’re about to meet. They’ll let you know the challenges the campers face, the most common issues with mobility, communication, or behaviour, and how to deal with them.

Best of all, you’re not alone! The Assistant Camp Director and Camp Director are there to help, with daily staff meetings to give you advice and support. Plus, for any medical issues, there’s a 24 hour on-site Medical Centre staffed by volunteer doctors and nurses. You don’t need to be an expert on special needs, just a empathetic, caring and patient person who loves kids and summer camp!