Camp Caldera Youth Advocate

Caldera • Sisters, OR

2d • Onsite

About The Position

At Caldera, we believe in the power of creativity. Our mission is to inspire and support youth from underserved rural and urban communities by awakening the potential of their creative voice. We do this through a unique fusion of art, environment and mentorship. Our Youth Program provides students from Portland and Central Oregon with long-term relationships with caring adults, which nurtures individual creativity, beginning in sixth grade and continuing into young adulthood.
Caldera has a $5M budget, a 18-member board, 21 full-time year-round employees, and a range of seasonally contracted artists and staff. Its administrative office is located in Portland, Oregon, and its Arts Center is located outside of Sisters in Central Oregon.

Position Description:
This position will report directly to the Youth Advocate Supervisor. The Youth Advocate is an important and challenging job at Camp Caldera. While its function is similar to that of a camp counselor, Youth Advocates form deeper relationships and require a high level of expertise in working youth, particularly in dynamic and fluid situations. Leading a group of six to twelve campers each camp session, an Advocate’s daily responsibilities include: ensuring 24-hour physical and emotional safety of all youth, building a positive culture individually and in groups, facilitating activities, responding to challenges and difficult situations, and providing mentorship so that youth can carry learnings from camp into their lives at home. A Youth Advocate ensures that youth's needs are being met at all times and aids in skill building and social-emotional development. Time spent with students is upbeat and nonstop, and Advocates start and end all days with youth.

Requirements

• At least two years of experience working with middle and/or high school youth
• Ability to respond to a high degree of stress while maintaining professionalism with staff and youth
• Strong communication skills and experience facilitating groups of youth
• High degree of flexibility and adaptability to rapidly changing situations
• Ability to understand our racially diverse student population’s perspective, either through lived experience, previous qualifications, or work experience
• Ability to navigate through potentially triggering and challenging conversations and situations while maintaining focus on the wellbeing of youth
• Ability to discreetly and effectively handle information of a confidential or sensitive nature
• Ability to set appropriate boundaries in a proactive and positive manner
• Must pass a background check. Caldera considers systemic injustices when investigating findings
• Willingness to live in a camp setting and work irregular and long hours. Additionally, you must have the ability to deal with limited cell and internet service and daily exposure to outdoor factors such as sun, heat, bugs, bats, snakes, etc.
• Familiarity with culturally responsive and anti-oppression frameworks and experience working with racially and ethnically diverse staff and youth
• Requires on-site living in shared staff quarters.
• Typical days are 12 hours in length, with sessions that make for up to 10 straight days of work without a full day off.
• Advocates received one night off per session and operate on a 8.5 hr/day schedule.
• Must be physically able to move around 116 acres of camp property with varied terrain
• Must have visual, perceptual, and cognitive ability to recognize and respond quickly to health and safety concerns of students and appropriately re-direct any behavior that is misaligned with Caldera agreements
• Employees must carry out their duties regardless of inclement weather, which can include but is not limited to, heat, rain, wind, cold, and smoky or dusty conditions.
• Moments of quiet and non-activity are few and spread out
• Creating a cohesive staff environment round the clock can be challenging. It is crucial that staff see youth and adults through a strengths-based lens and prioritize creating the best possible youth experience at all times, despite what challenges may arise at the staff level
• Physical Demands (which can include bending, stooping, hiking, climbing and stretching) are: 5% Sitting, 45% Standing, 20% Walking, 30% Lifting/Carrying/Pushing/Pulling Pounds 5 -80 lbs.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual and/or bicultural skills highly desired

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary supervisor of assigned cohort of youth, ensuring their whereabouts, safety, and well-being at all times
• Immediately respond to emergencies with youth, alerting appropriate medical and management staff
• Respond to and facilitate sometimes difficult discussions on sensitive topics such as race and gender
• Initiate conflict resolution with youth and sometimes staff while fostering emotional bravery and physical safety
• Plan and facilitate small group activities that build community and social-emotional development
• Collaborate with instructors on strategies for best supporting learners during class time
• Help maintain a clean, organized classroom and shared supply spaces
• Assist with setup and breakdown of arts studio
• Guide learners in participating successfully in all aspects of camp activities during waking hours; ensure punctuality and upholding of all community agreements
• Greet youth and families at bus pick-up locations, lead check-in process and manage supervision on the bus
• Actively participate in pre-camp training and meetings
• Maintain camper confidentiality (except in the event of specific necessary disclosures)
• Alert supervisor to relevant camper issues; communicate regularly regarding concerns, updates, and challenges
• Other duties as assigned
• Serve as mandatory reporter, working with Youth Impact Manager to report instances or suspicion of child abuse.

Benefits

• Room and board provided during days with programming; room only during non-programming days.
• A light dinner will be provided on staff arrival days.
• Brunch is served on the last day of each session.
• A vegetarian option (that may include eggs and/or dairy) will be available for all meals.
• We do our best to accommodate other dietary restrictions; however, employees with special dietary needs should plan to bring food to supplement or replace provided meals.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed