Summer Camp Staff

Are you looking for a summer job that will leave you with a sense of empowerment, a positive outlook on life, and skills that will benefit you for years to come? Apply for a summer camp position with GSCSA!

Camp Counselor: Counselors are the primary caregivers for each camper. The Counselor is responsible for planning, teaching, coordinating, and carrying out activities and guiding campers in their personal growth and daily living skills. Campers are rising 1st-12th graders.

Read the full job description.

EEO Employer/Drug Testing/E-Verify
Kitchen Team Member: This position offers the opportunity for someone who enjoys working with others, creating healthy, fun meals and snacks, and working with children. Must have the ability to be flexible and attentive to the needs of all team members and guests, has experience in foodservice production, and is open to learning and assisting in teaching others about nutrition, food preparation, menu planning, and preparation of all types of food. Ensures memorable dining experiences for guests during the summer and some weekends throughout the year. Because of the seasonal work this position offers, it is imperative that applicant agrees to be committed to the schedule he/she agrees to work, and the understanding of being punctual for all shifts are required.

Read the full job description.

EEO Employer/Drug Testing/E-Verify

GSCSA may have to make adjustments to scheduling and/or employment practices based on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summer Camp Staff FAQ's

Where is Camp Tanasi located?

Camp Tanasi is located near Andersonville on Norris Lake in East Tennessee. Camp Tanasi is 461 acres of beautiful wooded property with cabins and tents, a waterfront program area, pool, archery, hiking trails, and a climbing tower. We are located about 30 minutes from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Where do campers come from?

Our campers come from both the three metro areas we serve in our council, (Johnson City, Knoxville, Chattanooga) and the surrounding counties in East Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and northwest Georgia.

What if I don’t have any specialized skills, but just love working with kids?

Great! We offer training in all of our specialized areas; like aquatics, archery, adventure, climbing tower, wilderness, and leadership development. All staff will participate in one week of on-site training, plus weekly in-service and specialized training for their role, if applicable.

If I am teaching an activity all day, when do I get to see the campers in my unit?

There are about 15 "waking hours" in a day. Five or six of those are spent instructing an activity. The rest of the time, you are with your own campers. Meal times, rec time, rest hour, evening programs, etc. are spent with the girls in your own group.

What about time off and free time?

We know for you to be an effective counselor that you need to take time for yourself. We want you to be fresh and invigorated. Specifically, you receive time off each full work day. During that time, you are free from activities with children and may do laundry at the provided facilities, take a walk, or watch a movie. Of course, you may opt to just read quietly or take a nap. In addition, you receive each Saturday off, unless you are with the CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program. When you're on, be ready to work. But when you're off, use your time wisely.

What about personal appearance and dress?

Staff shirts must be worn each day. You will be provided with a uniform shirt for each day (6 total) and given a choice between short- and long-sleeved shirts. Having a neat and clean personal appearance is important because you represent and role model Girl Scouts to our young girls, and GSCSA reserves to right to ensure personal appearance and dress are appropriate Girl Scout attire. If you are teaching art, for instance, you are certainly free to wear walking shorts or other types of shorts/pants as long as they are neat and have a minimum of a 5-inch inseam. Navy bottoms (shorts, skirts, pants) are required on check-in and check-out days. Sneakers or sports sandals like Keens are the normal footwear. When in main camp or activities, closed-toe shoes with socks are required. Sandals are only allowed in aquatics activities or in your unit.

We insist on a neat appearance for all counselors. Facial piercings, gauges, rings, or piercings on any body part other than the ear are not permitted with the exception that one small clear plastic (not shiny) stud may be worn in the nose or eyebrow. Ear piercings are limited to two pairs. Counselors must be clean shaven or well-groomed. Counselors must have a natural hair color while at camp. Counselors must be willing to cover any visible tattoos and have the option of choosing a long-sleeve staff shirt in order to do so.

For 2023, we will determine camp COVID protocols based on CDC guidance in the late spring, depending on current conditions. We are prepared to provide staff with face masks as a precaution against COVID-19. During staff training, we will discuss if and when staff will be required to wear their masks for the health and safety of themselves and campers.

Employees seeking religious or disability accommodations may contact human resources.

Is smoking allowed at Camp Tanasi?

No, Camp Tanasi is a non-smoking campus. This includes the use of electronic cigarettes, personal vaporizers, or electronic nicotine delivery systems that simulate tobacco smoking.

How many campers and staff return each summer?

We are proud to say about 40 percent of our staff return annually. We are happy to tell you that about 85 percent of our campers return as well.

Could you describe a typical day at camp?

Each camp day is unique, but the schedule for most days is the same. Camper activities are determined by their program schedule and staff are assigned by the camp leadership team. If you are hired for a specific role such as lifeguard, tower, or archery, you will be teaching that activity for 4 – 6 hours each day. Below is a description of a typical day:

Following wake-up, flag ceremony and breakfast, each camp group joins together for morning "kapers,” a unit clean up time.
Campers go to two morning activities. Using archery as an example: you, as an archery counselor, would report to your area where your department head would have the curriculum ready for the day. Each morning activity block—about one hour long—would see two separate camper groups until 12:15.
Following morning activity, there is a buffet lunch and "turtle time" or quiet time to relax, read and spend time with the campers with whom you live. You will have approximately two hours off duty at some point during the day.
Following rest time, there are two additional activity periods similar to the morning.
After dinner, you are with your group for evening program and until your unit goes to bed. Evening programs range from theme dinners to campfires and all camp activities. Camper bedtime is from 9:00pm to 11:30pm, based upon age. Weekly themes, hikes, inter-camp competitions, theatre productions, etc. make up some of our special activities and events.

The weather in east Tennessee in the summer is typically humid and warm. You can expect daily temperatures with highs in the 90’s and nightly lows as cool as the mid-70’s. Sometimes we have thunderstorms. This is a natural camp environment with insects and wild animals (we’re home to lots of turkeys, deer, small mammals, and the occasional bald eagle!). Our facilities are well-maintained, and we have maintenance staff on property all summer to keep things running smoothly. Please prepare to hydrate well and dress appropriately to stay cool.

Is the camp one big group?

Tanasi is separated into five distinct units. (We are prepared to operate in unit specific “pods” for 2023 if necessary and reduce all-camp/large group activities.)

Deer Point is for our 3-day campers and 1st – 3rd graders with bunk beds in an air-conditioned lodge with indoor bathrooms. Staff rooms are separate and also have their own bunkbeds and a separate bathroom. Cedars is for girls in 6th – 8th grade in platform tents. There are army-style cots, but no electricity except in the unit shelter.
Cedars has one shared bath house. Staff is housed in a separate platform tent with cots.
Far Horizons is for girls in 9th – 12th grade in small cabins. There are wooden bed frames with mattresses and a shared bathhouse. The counselors have a small, private room in each small cabin but due to program numbers, might have one cabin to themselves.
Echo Cove is for our girls in 4th – 5th grade and stay in small cabins that house 8 – 10 girls and 2 counselors per cabin, with a shared bath house. The counselors have a small, private room within each cabin.
Deep Woods is for our CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program which lasts for 12-13 days. CIT lodging is in a lodge with bunk beds in an open great-room. Counselors for CIT stay in a platform tent together.
Adventure Out! is in the wild, with primitive camping accommodations. Each counselor will be provided a camping hammock to stay in for the week. Should bad weather arise, girls will be taken to Far Horizons.

Each unit is headed by a Unit Leader who is in direct charge of a unit.

What changes are you making to prevent the spread of COVID-19, should it be an issue in summer 2023?

We have been provided extensive guidance from the American Camp Association, GSUSA, and will continue to review and implement guidance from local health authorities. Based on our Summer 2021 and 2022 camp experiences, we know that we can safely run a healthy summer camp program, but this does mean that things might look a little different than past summers. Examples of a few changes we are considering are: units remaining in pods and not interacting with other units, meals delivered to or cooked in units to reduce unmasked eating time with other units of campers, assigning equipment to a single camper for the duration of their stay, and limiting capacities in some programs.

What about salary?

Working and living at camp is an expense-free summer and staff may conceivably leave at the end of the season with their entire net salary. In addition to salary, staff are provided with 6 staff shirts, and room and board. Staff are welcome to use the laundry facilities free of charge and we even provide the soap!

Is there a place for staff to get away while on property?

The demands of living with a group of children are great. On camp, there is a staff-only lounge building with a full kitchen, fridge, with phone accessibility. You have access to this during your time off and this is also where the laundry facilities are located.

How’s the food?

Good. Really! We cannot accommodate special diets beyond gluten free, vegetarian and nut free; we have extensive salad bars, fruit available at most meals and variety at all meals. Our chefs are experienced and are proud of their homemade cinnamon rolls, specialty sides and desserts, as well as their appetizing main courses. Campers and staff leave Camp Tanasi saying that the food is great.

Is there a religious affiliation with the camp?

There are no services and our program is not geared toward any religion. We welcome campers and staff from all backgrounds and beliefs, and we do not allow anyone to share or try to persuade others towards their own political or religious beliefs while at camp.

Are men eligible for hire by Camp Tanasi?

Yes, we hire male property, program, and kitchen staff. Male staff have separate housing and do not serve as counselors within sleeping units and do not enter sleeping units.

Are staff required to live at Camp Tanasi?

No, we have limited positions for day staff only who work in the kitchen or manage an activity (e.g., archery, tower) and then go home at the end of the day.

It sounds good, but really how much work is it?

Camp is very structured and demanding. We like to say it is "the toughest job you will ever love." While our campers are on property, our responsibility for them is 24-hours a day. If you are interested in joining our staff, please give all the information herein careful consideration. We will contact you right away about the availability of a position and arrange a personal interview or video call about the possibilities of being a counselor at Camp Tanasi.

Our leadership staff believe in safe, fun, challenge experiences for girls to help them learn and grow. If you love the outdoors and want to help us teach leadership skills to girls, then this is a great fit for you!

(EEO/Drug-Free Workplace/E-Verify. Drug testing required.)