Activity Specialist, Camp Grossman, Summer Day Camp 2026
Now hiring! Are you looking to make a difference in a child’s life and create unforgettable summer experiences? Camp Grossman is looking for Specialists to lead various camp activities including arts, music, drama, sports, dance, cooking, mountain biking, climbing, boating, fishing, jewelry-making, knitting, gymnastics, rock climbing, ropes, and more. We are also always open to discussing new activity ideas based on the skills and interest of our potential staff, so let’s talk! This full-time, on-site summer role is perfect for enthusiastic, compassionate individuals who love working with kids and are passionate about their specialty area. As an Activity Specialist, you will lead fun, safe, and engaging activities, to help create a warm and inclusive camp community where every camper feels valued and confident. Guided by our Program Director and Specialist Supervisor, you will play a key role in making this a summer campers will always remember. Are you ready to make an impact? Join us for an incredible experience.
JCC Greater Boston is deeply committed to valuing and celebrating the uniqueness of each constituent. We welcome staff and participants from diverse backgrounds. While being proudly Jewish, we strive in every way to provide an open and welcoming setting for all, irrespective of personal practices, beliefs, or background. We are guided by JCC Greater Boston’s core values - Belonging, Joyfulness, Collaboration, and Transformation - which resonate with many who do not identify as Jewish.
Primary responsibilities include, and are not limited to:
- Plan and lead creative, safe and engaging age-appropriate activities for all assigned campers with varying interest levels and abilities
- Organize, manage and maintain all equipment and supplies, regularly monitoring to ensure proper working order and safety
- Coordinate with the Program Director to order and restock supplies during summer operations, and complete end-of-season inventories for off- season ordering
- Join all staff in the parking lot in the morning and afternoon to welcome the safe arrival and departure of campers
- Role may also include planning and leading an activity, or help with a cookout, one or two evenings (after regular camp hours) throughout the course of the summer
Standard staff expectations include and are not limited to:
- Actively create a welcoming dynamic that contributes to an environment where everyone is valued and respected
- Actively participate as an essential team member and attend all staff meetings during or after camp as required
- Support JCC Greater Boston’s mission, vision, and values of belonging, joyfulness, collaboration, and transformation, including through role modeling
- Enthusiastically represent the organization, modeling excellence and achievement
- Complete all staff payroll and onboarding on time and before Orientation begins
- Complete all pre-camp asynchronous on-line training modules and attend all pre-camp virtual and in-person orientation sessions
- Other duties as assigned
Supervisory Responsibilities: Some specialists may be assigned an assistant (or assistants) in which case supervisory responsibilities include, and are not limited to:
- Provide on-going direction, guidance, mentorship, feedback and supervision of assistant(s) as needed to facilitate their assistance of Specialist
- Create/facilitate an environment where employees can achieve individual goals
- Build and maintain a positive working relationship to achieve desired outcomes and the ongoing professional growth of the direct report
- Write and conduct a mid-summer evaluation of assistant, identifying key areas of growth with concrete suggestions for how to improve
- Write and conduct an end-of-summer evaluation of assistant including a recommendation for re-hire
- Uphold the policies of the organization and align work with the overall mission, vision and strategic objectives of the JCC; report to the Specialist Supervisor or Program Director any related issues.
This is a great chance to join JCC Greater Boston's respected and valued, people-orientated workplace of diverse community services providers, which is rapidly growing!
JOB DETAILS: We are an outdoor camp, located on beautiful, wooded property in Dover, MA. The regular camp day runs from 8:30 - 4:00, Monday - Friday, for the camp season*. In addition, Specialists are expected to attend 4 staff meetings on Monday afternoons at Camp and/or evenings at JCC Greater Boston. Specialists also work a Sunday Family Day on Sunday, July 26 and/or 1 or 2 evenings (dinner provided!) over the course of the summer - either running their activity or assisting with a family day, night or cookout, depending on their position in camp. Offering great perks, including JCC Health & Fitness center access, a supportive, vibrant in-person work environment, and a competitive starting pay rate of $16 per hour. The pay rate offered will ultimately be determined by relevant qualifications, experience and JCC's internal equity.
*The regular camp season begins June 29 and ends August 21 (with the option to work the following “9th Week” as well). All Staff Orientation begins with a virtual orientation on June 14 and then continues in person (with different hours and no transportation provided) June 24,25 and 26. Visiting Day (a pre-camp visit for all campers and families to meet staff) on Sunday, June 28 and is mandatory for all staff. Specialists may also meet 1 or 2 times (most likely virtually) in June for additional Orientation. While we strongly prefer staff who can start Orientation Week and work the entire 8-week regular season, we are happy to consider quality candidates who may have conflicting obligations.
About JCC Greater Boston
Since opening its doors in 1983, JCC Greater Boston has been committed to creating a vibrant, inclusive, diverse community by nurturing meaningful, lasting relationships. Through our network of early learning centers, day camps, regional teen and family programs, health and wellness offerings, and adult arts and ideas classes, JCC Greater Boston provides highly valued connections, learning, and experiences for the Jewish community and friends.
JCC Greater Boston staff enjoy working in an innovative, friendly, and welcoming environment where their talents and contributions are appreciated. In our recent employee survey, staff rated their direct management and organizational alignment experiences close to 90% positive. If you want to upgrade your working experience and have a better work-life balance, we encourage you to explore becoming part of the JCC team!
To learn more about what makes JCC Greater Boston a wonderful place to work, please visit our careers page at
JCC Greater Boston is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or disability. In a continuing effort to maintain and enrich a diverse environment, we actively encourage applications from women and members of underrepresented groups.
Requirements
Education and Experience:
- High school graduates* strongly preferred
- Experience leading children in your subject area is a plus, but not necessarily required
- Experience working in and/or attending summer camp is a plus
*An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted at the JCC’s discretion to meet minimum criteria.
Skills and Abilities: Requires knowledge and familiarity with the needs and abilities of children, as well as proficiency in designated activity subject area, to create and lead curriculum for meaningful and joyous experiences for all campers, including but not limited to:
- Enjoys working with children
- Models maturity and reliability with the ability to stay playful – exhibiting flexibility, patience, innovative problem solving and collaboration
- Shares Camp’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
- Is proficient in subject area and able to translate that experience into a child-focused project and/or activity
- Possesses ability to manage situations calmly, effectively, and diplomatically
- Has a strong desire to make a difference every single day
- Possesses the ability to work independently and as part of a team, with strong relationship-building skills
- Demonstrates excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple tasks and/or competing priorities
- Must be a self-starter who takes initiative
- Demonstrates a history of superb interpersonal and active listening skills
Physical Requirements:
- Must be able to work in-person, on-site in Dover, Massachusetts
- Must be able to navigate 70 acres of rugged, uneven and rustic campgrounds independently
- Comfortable working all or most of the day outdoors or inside without air conditioning
- Able to work well in a busy, dynamic and sometimes noisy environment involving multiple tasks and priorities
- Able to lift and carry objects weighing up to 30-40 pounds (boxes of supplies, children’s backpacks etc.)
- Able to sit and kneel; getting down at eye level with children regularly.
ADA Statement: Individuals must possess these criteria for knowledge, skills, and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation and using some other combination of skills and abilities.
Benefits
In addition to offering rewarding work and great career opportunities within our mission-driven, values-driven, and family-centric environment, JCC Greater Boston proudly offers employees the generous benefits listed below.
JCCGB Perks! Each seasonal employee is eligible for access to JCC Greater Boston's top-class fitness, recreation, and wellness facility in Newton! Seasonal access to the JCC Fitness Center includes:
- Use of the Fitness Center at Leventhal-Sidman JCC during active seasonal employment
- Free or discounted Camp Grossman enrollment for camp employees' children during the weeks worked. Discount prorated based on number of regularly scheduled hours.
Benefits are subject to review and change by the Organization, and plan documents are the primary determinant.
A Great Place to Work! JCC Greater Boston is consciously evolving as a great place to work! In our recent 2023 employee engagement survey, at least 88% of our staff gave us top ratings on:
- Supportive colleagues
- Team camaraderie
- How their managers treat them
- Individual autonomy
- Knowing what their work contributes to and how it impacts others
- Pride in working for the JCC
- Program and service quality
- Holding ourselves accountable
Our staff and leadership bring experience, excellence, and commitment to everything we offer, and we are dedicated to a culture where all our employees may thrive. Our culture is built on our values, driven by our mission, and nurtured through the expert contributions of our professionals.
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- I understand that Camp Grossman is a day camp, with no housing provided. I have, or am able to secure, a place to stay for the season. written answer
- What activities are you interested in and capable to teach? Feel free to go beyond the activities listed above. written answer
- The Camp Grossman regular season is 8 weeks with one preceding week for Orientation. While we prefer all staff work the full summer, we may consider people who have some conflicts. In-person Orientation will be held June 24, 25, 26, and Sunday, June 28. Are you able to attend all of Orientation, and if not, which dates might you need to miss? written answer
- Camp itself runs Monday through Friday, June 29 - August 21. Are you available 5 days per week (Monday - Friday) for all 8 weeks, and if not, which dates might you need to miss? written answer