Learning Objectives:
- Build upon the knowledge of your major and strengthen your customer service, management and hospitality skills.
- Improve self confidence and initiative by working with a diverse, multicultural staff.
- Understand logistics and operations related to managing a children’s summer camp.
- Strengthen leadership, teamwork and communication skills while experiencing the importance and impact of being a positive role model to hundreds of children.
- Take advantage of networking and mentoring opportunities from our Leadership Team, Alumni and Parent Network.
Internship Overview:
As a Hospitality Intern at Camp Towanda, your primary responsibility will be involved with the behind-the-scenes support operations focusing on our kitchen and dining hall, housekeeping services, facility maintenance and/or security. This is a real-life, in-the-trenches, hands-on experience and opportunity to work from the ground up; with guidance, support and care from our Leadership Team with daily feedback, weekly reviews and instruction.
As a member of our Kitchen and Maintenance Personnel team (KMP) you will gain hands-on experience and leadership opportunities, while building skills that your future employers are looking for, such as understanding hard work, flexibility, adaptability, initiative, self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity, accountability, leadership and responsibility. Long term success in any path you take is built with experience. The best leaders have an understanding of what all the different positions handle and deal with on a task-by-task and day-by-day basis, starting at the bottom. You will be gaining those experiences here with us! You will get dirty, you will sweat, you will be washing the dishes, you will be taking out the trash, you will be cleaning toilets, you will be “in the trenches” working with fellow employees and interns doing the real get down and dirty positions and jobs. You will learn technique, problem solving skills, time management, logistics, and most importantly, how to live with and manage though all the diverse challenges to get the job done.
Camp provides a great window into the Hospitality Industry, and this position is an incredible, hands-on, real-life, behind-the-scenes opportunity; an experience you will be able to tell your future employer: What you did, how you did it, what the conditions were like, what the morale was like, what the management interpretation and interaction was like and you will be able to passionately share the amazing skills and techniques that now flow through you. Furthermore, when you take on a leadership role in the future, you will be able to relate to everyone in your organization, from the bottom up, giving you valuable insight, respect and connection.
You will also learn from our entire Leadership Team about other aspects of our program including new camper tours, alumni/family relations, branded giveaways, employee benefits and customer service. You will be given the opportunity to contribute to how we welcome staff, families, campers, organize events, and cultivate the unique spirit of Camp Towanda (Check it out here)!
Program Availability: Mid June – Mid August
Daily Responsibilities:
You will learn about all the different Kitchen, Housekeeping, Maintenance and Security positions, while being assigned to one most of your time with us. The following are the responsibilities for each area.
Kitchen / Dining Hall:
- Assist in all phases of food preparation and kitchen clean up
- Dining room set up, serving and clean up
- Monitor salad bar
- Inventory management, restocking.
- Learn and maintain Health and Safety Standards.
- Waste removal from after every meal.
- Clear tables of dirty dishes and silverware, dishwashing
Housekeeping / Laundry:
- Cleaning cabins, bathrooms and other facilities on campus.
- Replenish toilet tissue and towels in all Public assembly restrooms.
- Clean spillage of overflowing sinks and toilets when necessary.
- Being on call for emergencies.
- Washing, drying and folding laundry, towels and linens of campers and staff.
Maintenance:
- General landscaping and field work
- Various construction and repair projects
- Electrical, plumbing
- Painting, carpentry
Security
- Manning the Security Sheds
- Checking in all visitors
- Monitoring parking lot and other security feeds
- Night and Day shifts possible.
Benefits of Interning and Working at Camp Towanda:
- Individually tailored experience to meet your goals, working with school advisors so that you get the most out of your internship.
- Hands on program, working directly in your discipline.
- Real world work experience in the outdoors vs. an office or corporate setting, getting coffee or pushing papers.
- Work with a diverse team from around the world, impacting and inspiring today’s youth.
- Work on the set of the movie “Wet Hot American Summer”. It was filmed here!
- Join a vast network of staff, Alumni and Parents that can connect you in future endeavors.
- THIS IS A PAID INTERNSHIP with transportation reimbursement, housing, meals, uniform and laundry service provided!
Ideal Candidate
- Flexible and acclimates well to change
- Positive attitude
- Team player
- Likes to get their hands dirty.
The next step is to fill out our online application. Our internships are integrated into our hired positions, so there is one application for all positions. We will then set up a time to interview over skype or facetime.