Farm- Summer Camp Counselor

New Village Farm is a diversified educational farm located in Shelburne, Vermont. The small raw milk cow and goat dairies, poultry operation, gardens, and wilderness areas form an extensive outdoor learning space where people of all ages are invited to actively participate.

A primary focus of ours is creating opportunities of participation and belonging for people, as well as fostering connections with earth, plants and animals. The farm hosts a Farm School, After School programming, Family Farming Time, summer camps, family workshops, and other year‑round programming. The farm works to empower children and families to learn new skills, to take on responsibility and build community, to explore freedom in the outdoors, and to care for plants and animals.

Our basic philosophy is that healthy lives and actions are founded in healthy relationships to ourselves, to each other, and to the natural world.

We are hiring day camp counselors for two of our summer camps:
Pathfinders Camp (ages 5‑6) and Farm & Garden Camp (ages 6‑11, plus Counselors‑in‑Training or CITs from age +).

Our summer camp counselors are the backbone of our summer at New Village. We host around 300 campers over the course of the summer, many of whom return year after year because they love the blend of freedom, trust, responsibility, and fun at the core of our programs.

Pathfinders is a program designed to serve our youngest campers with smaller group sizes and a space all their own for exploration, imagination, and the joyful work of the farm. This program eases newcomers into the magic and responsibility of work with animals and plants at a moderate pace. We spend our morning working with the animals and in the garden, and our afternoons are spent exploring the woods, quarry, fields, and marshes around the farm, and diving into the interests that emerge from the group.

Projects can range from animal care, gardening, simple carpentry, wilderness skills, nature crafts, painting, and whatever we dream up together. Those applying to lead Pathfinders must have relevant, professional experience working with 4‑6 year old children. In Pathfinders, there are 2 counselors for the 16 campers plus at least 2 CITs. Counselors will be working closely with the CITs, mentoring, giving feedback, etc.

In F&G, we are committed to the kids’ participation in the stewardship of animals, farms, gardens, and wild spaces. We build our programs around their love of nature and animals, their capacity for kindness, their competence in work, and their right to belong. Mornings are spent working with animals and in the garden. Afternoons are spent in a mixture of free play and planned activities, including craft and construction projects, marsh/field/forest play, and lots of animal time.

Counselors are responsible for implementing and leading activities each day (nature‑based crafts, cooking, animal husbandry, games, etc). In F&G, there are 3 counselors for the 30 campers for 6/10 weeks, and 4 counselors for 35 campers for 4/10 weeks, plus at least 4 CITs. Counselors will be working closely with the CITs, mentoring, giving feedback, etc.

• Relevant educational or childcare experience
• Prior farm experience, in livestock or veg, is preferred but not required
• A passion for the outdoors and the work of farming and gardening
• A passion for fostering nature awareness, mindfulness, wonder, and creativity
• The ability to direct and support farm chore times for a mixed‑age group, so that they experience satisfaction and competence
• The ability to support kids in pursuing healthy, self‑directed projects and interests
• Exceptional group management skills
• A Behavior‑to‑Communication approach to discipline, familiarity with restorative practices
• Professional and compassionate interpersonal skills
• The willingness and ability to be a strong mentor to our CITs, e.g., giving feedback, listening, etc.
• Exceptional intuition and judgment, and willingness to use it
• Transportation (car, bus, or ability to coordinate carpooling with other counselors)
• A personal cell‑phone for inter‑counselor communication

• Managing the arc of the…