17100 Quaker Lane
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
301-774-7663
brian@bymcamps.org
Come Work
Apply to Work at BYM Camps in 2024!
Staff applications open December 1, 2023
What to Expect
Way Opens is the unofficial motto of BYM Camps, because sometimes, despite your best efforts, the right path is one that you couldn’t have seen ahead of time, the right direction can only be improvised, and the right outcome could never have been planned. At BYM Camps, flexibility, teamwork, and a growth mindset are the most important attributes. You’ll have the opportunity to create from scratch, to solve problems in real time, to joyously work together in community. The professional skills you’ll develop at BYM Camps are almost innumerable, but they include interpersonal communication, public speaking, group facilitation, leadership, time management, logistical planning, creative design, and much more!
Distinct Camps, Common Threads
All of our camps are unique, with distinguishing qualities and characteristics and programmatic elements. That said, they all have the same spirit and ethos. Read below to see which camp(s) might be the best fit for you this summer.
Our Camps – Overview
Catoctin – For campers age 9-14
Hires staff 17 years and older. Interest in wilderness adventure encouraged.
Opequon – For campers age 9-14
Hires staff 17 years and older. Interest in art and creative expression encouraged.
Shiloh – For campers age 9-14
Hires staff 17 years and older. Interest in wilderness adventure encouraged.
Teen Adventure – For campers age 15-17
Hires staff 21 years and older. Interest in wilderness adventure required.
Summer Job Opportunities
- Cabin Counselors
- Trip & Group Leaders
- In-Camp Staff
- Counselors in Training
- Assistant Director
- Kitchen Manager
- Cook
- Health & Safety Coordinator
- Mental, Emotional, and Social Health (MESH) Coordinator
- Nurse / Medical Staff
- Driver
What’s It Like?
Your work conditions will be rustic and restorative. Our camps are rooted in simple and sustainable design, and they are known for their wilderness experiences and the connection to the natural world that they create. All staff and campers live in open air cabins with screened windows, and you may have occasion to sleep on the ground under a tarp, or even under the stars. Flashlights guide your path at night, and you are surrounded by the natural and soothing sounds of the Appalachian forest.
What do you get out of it?
Perks & Rewards
Compensation for working at BYM Camps includes a modest salary, room & board, and an average of one day off per week. But working at BYM Camps comes with an incalculable number of other benefits, notably tangible skill development and lifelong access to a vibrant and supportive community.
All staff receive training in youth development, restorative justice and conflict transformation, cultural competency and JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) issues, safety and boundaries, age-appropriate activities, mental health and basic first-aid. Many staff also have the opportunity to be trained each year in lifeguarding, canoeing and whitewater safety, wilderness first aid, rock climbing, and leave no trace wilderness ethics.
What You Need to Know
BYM Camps is looking for dedicated individuals who are excited to work at a summer camp, who are responsible and mature, thoughtful and calm in stressful situations. We are looking for those who are willing to put in odd hours and long hours, who are organized in their thoughts and actions, who are problem solvers and creative actors, who are clear communicators and committed community members. Most of all, we’re looking for individuals who believe in the brilliance of young people, and who are passionate about working with them.
Strong candidates will have experience serving as a role model, and will have specific skills to offer, such as creative arts, wilderness trip leading, teaching, coaching, farming, and lifeguarding.