Educational Psychology Summer Counselor - Paid Internship

Camp Counselor at Camp Augusta - Psychology Internship
Make Your Summer Memorable, Meaningful, & Full of Growth!

Location: Northern California (onsite housing provided)
Position Type:  Full-time, seasonal (May 13th-August 9th)
Compensation: $5,000 + food, housing, utilities, training, and perks!
 

Are you passionate about working with youth? Looking for a summer that’s not just a job, but an opportunity to develop professionally and personally in a supportive, fun, and growth-oriented environment? Join us as a Counselor at Camp Augusta, where you'll have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in child psychology and leadership while building lasting relationships with kids and fellow staff.

A summer job or internship with us includes:

• 300+ Hours of Experiential Training in topics such as: 
  • Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy 
  • Nonviolent Communication
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Child development 
  • Understanding of group dynamics  
  • Group facilitation
  • CPR and 1st aid (certification provided!)
  • Lifeguarding (certification provided!)
  • Emergency preparedness
  • Our 150+ activities
  • and more!
• 9 Weeks of Summer Practicing: Being responsible for cabins of 5 campers at a time, and applying all the skills above to camp activities and discussions.
• A Skilled & Dedicated Supervisor/Scaffolder: With no more than a 1:8 ratio, this person emphasizes your growth and works with you to develop your skills working with kids
• Fully Paid & Inclusive: In addition to a summer salary of $5000, counselors also have all of their housing, utilities, and organic food provided for during their entire stay, as well as receiving other perks and benefits!

Ideal Candidates:

This role is perfect for you if you:

• Have experience or a passion for working with children, and are excited to continue that journey in a summer camp setting.
• Are ready to engage deeply with a community of 100 campers and 60 staff members for 9 weeks, working long days (7:00 AM - 10:00 PM) to support kids and foster personal growth.
• Enjoy playing, creating, and bringing joy to others through fun, imaginative activities.
• Have the emotional intelligence and stamina to guide campers through challenges, offering counseling and support as needed.
• Love community and are excited to contribute to the personal and professional growth of your fellow staff members.

Minimum requirements: 

• Must be at least 19 years of age by June 1st, 2025
• Must be available during our summer dates: from May 13th to August 9th, 2025
• Ability to commit to 5-8 hours of pre-camp onboarding work (paperwork, videos, book clubs, readings, etc.) a week from when you are hired to when you arrive, and maintain open and prompt communication about that work
• Must be willing and able to either show proof of a positive COVID test or COVID booster since Sept 1, 2024

AND MUST have one of the following: 

• At least one summer of experience at a summer camp
• Over 100 hours of direct mentorship work with youth
• A major or background directly related to working with youth, with the intention to work with youth in your future career

Preferred qualifications:

• A history of ‘meaningful’ work and a variety of experiences with youth
• A plethora of interesting hobbies, passions, and life experiences that you’re excited to share with us
• A GPA of 3.0+ with a true excitement for learning and writing

The training, mentorship, practice, and experience you will get working at Augusta (outlined below) far surpass most (if not all) camps in the nation. We seek high-quality candidates for our roles and promise a high-caliber experience. Notably, our staff training and camp programs were developed by our director who has multiple doctorates in psychology, and our training has been offered as multiple accredited courses at Prescott University. 

What You’ll Do as a Counselor:

After extensive training, you’ll be responsible for supporting a cabin of five campers, providing guidance and supervision throughout their time at camp. In a typical day, you might:

• Lead creative, fun activities and play games with your campers.
• Teach exciting clinics (you’ll choose from 150+ options during training).
• Facilitate camper-led activities and support their growth.
• Participate in themed Evening Programs, where you’ll play a character, run games, and bring magical experiences to life.
• Engage in group discussions and one-on-one counseling using emotionally intelligent techniques.
• Offer two heart-felt gifts to each camper per session, including personalized wood cookies and thoughtful letters to parents.

Counselors are the heartbeat of camp. Most counselors spend a session or two outside of the cabin as well, contributing to programming or other areas of interest. See our page on counselor life for more information on the role and how it differs from most other camps. 

Imagining what it all looks like? Here’s a video of our summer shenanigans! 

If you want to be one of those flag-running, costume wearing, oatmeal throwing, woodchip-loving Augustans… take the next step to meet us here. :)

Internships?

Yup, we do that. We can co-design your internship based on the skills and development you seek, and the specific requirements of your school!

Note: Some educational institutions require prior approval before the start of an internship. It is the responsibility of the student to check with their institution to be sure they meet any requirements before they accept a position.

If you have internship requirements, we can almost definitely meet them!
 

About Camp Augusta:

Camp Augusta is a nonprofit residential summer camp in northern California that offers a truly unique summer camp experience for campers and staff alike. We are focused on counseling skills, creativity, excellent programming, and camper choice - see more about the vision of our camp here.

We aim to include and celebrate many facets of human identity – gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, neurodiversity, disability status, citizenship, and other aspects that make us unique. We are working to craft an inclusive culture founded on ideals of curiosity, honesty, empathy, and acceptance – a place where people are seen and acknowledged for their shared humanity as well as their unique individuality. Read our full Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Belonging (DEIB) Statement here.

 

Do you have any questions?

Send us a message on Handshake, and we'll get back to you by the end of the next day! You can also send any questions you have to applications@campaugusta.org.

Feeling ready to apply?

1. Take 5 minutes to fill out our interest form. 

2. Someone from our hiring team will reach out to you within 24 hours.

3. Schedule an Intro Chat with us, and complete a full application!