Day Camps Say Goodbye to Counselors-in-Training & Hello to Leaders-in-Training

The C.I.T., or Counselor-in-Training, position has been a traditional option for campers who “age out” of their day camp program, but are too young to be hired as counselors. C.I.T.s assist counselors with their camper groups, the idea being that they will learn through example. These young teens often miss being with their camp peers, bemoaning all the “grunt work” they may be asked to do --- distributing juice, collecting swim bands, etc.— and complain about paying for the privilege of being “free labor.”

Forward-looking camps have re-imagined and re-tooled the old C.I.T. model to address its shortcomings and add value to the teens’ experience. The Leaders-in-Training program at the JCC on the Hudson’s Country Day Camp, for instance, encompasses all the things teens loved best about being a camper, while still actually training them for leadership positions, inside or outside of summer camp.

“Yes, our L.I.T.s will participate in social action projects, team-building challenges and leadership training,” said Country Day Camp’s director, Colleen Malone, “but they’ll also have their own intramural games, swim time, and more. “ The teens will continue to spend time with younger camper groups where they can apply what they’ve learned.

“At the end of the summer, each L.I.T. will have earned two American Red Cross Certifications (in First Aid and in CPR), a certificate of program completion, possibly a stipend and tips.” It all may be great fodder for college applications, but just as important, says Malone, can be the feeling of pride in a “first job” well done and a summer not wasted, but well-spent.

Admission to Country Day Camp’s program is competitive and does not guarantee future employment. The camp is located on 93 acres in Pearl River; buses depart from the JCC in Tarrytown. For further information, call the JCC at 914 366-7898 or contact Colleen.Malone@jcconthehudson.org.