At a recent camp conference, I caught up with Jessie Emmons, executive director of YMCA Camp High Harbour at Lake Burton in Georgia. I told her about my obsession with counselor-in-training (CIT) programs, and Jessie shared with me what has made their CIT program exceptional.
High Harbour’s program is so distinct because it integrates leadership components at a young age and is grounded in mentorship. Starting in sixth grade, campers receive feedback and lessons on leadership. When campers enter eighth grade, they can join the Advanced Leadership Camp (ALC) program. As ninth and tenth graders, they can join their Leader-in-Training (LIT) program. Jessie explained that the “LITs are often referred to as the ‘backbone’” (YMCA of Metro Atlanta, n.d.). They focus on service, adventure, leadership, and technical training. This creates a pipeline of future staff applicants and keeps campers coming back year after year with hopes of becoming an LIT.
Stories of programs like these reinforce the belief that investing in a CIT program is investing in a camp’s future.
Why CIT Programs Meet Youths' Needs
Leadership programs at camp address several competencies necessary for success in education and work. According to Wegner et al. (2022), educational competencies are continually evolving to meet the demands of the 21st century. These competencies include:
- collaboration
- courage
- critical thinking
- curiosity
- growth mindset
- leadership
- resilience
For example, CITs practice critical thinking when they’re challenged to solve unexpected issues with campers or to plan activities.
It is humbling to work with children. It is often filled with challenges. When coaching individuals working with children for the first time, I often reflect on a quote from Angela Duckworth, a former ACA Tri-State Conference keynote speaker: “When you have setbacks and failures, you can’t overreact to them” (2016).
We know that, as employers, summer camps give staff a distinct experience that is hard to replicate elsewhere — the community-building and friendship that can occur between campers and staff; the sense of purpose and meaning from helping others; and the personal growth that happens within such a short amount of time. Youth seek those same qualities and experiences.
Camp already helps to prepare kids for the world. CIT programs take youth development a step further and focus on building leadership skills.
CIT Program Hallmarks
An effective CIT program has six hallmarks:
- Camp counselor skills. Today’s generation of youth need coaching and training on the developmental aspects of working with campers. Behavior management can be covered in explicit detail through role playing. Specialists should demonstrate techniques to comfort anxious children. CITs need to practice group management and leading campers with experienced counselors in the wings to guide them. CITs can also benefit from camp directors explaining the importance of camper families and providing customer service training.
- Time working directly with children. Depending on a camp’s operation, a CIT program may allow trainees to work with a wide age range. Very few environments outside of camp allow for staff to work with both younger kids and teens. The key is exposure. When something goes wrong (and something will go wrong), CITs must learn how to say to themselves, “OK, that didn’t go so well, but I guess I will just carry on” (Duckworth, 2016). Those experiences only happen when CITs are hands-on — and they only turn into teachable moments through performance feedback in both group and individual settings.
- Technical skills and emergency preparedness training. Certifications in CPR and First Aid can help create a safer environment for campers and staff. The same can be said about a certification in Youth Mental Health First Aid. Camps with strong aquatic programs can also include CIT lifeguard training. Technical skills can be intentionally paired with skills such as backpacking or canoeing that are needed for camp staff to be successful in the program.
- Life skills training. Camps often have a store or a snack shack that can be turned into an opportunity to teach entrepreneurial skills. Demonstrating how to write a resume and navigate an interview for a job will help CIT program participants secure employment later on down the line. Discussing managing their personal brand or finances can also help prepare youth for adulthood. Providing opportunities for CITs to shadow camp staff in other areas of camp — such as marketing, human resources, or administration — can also provide youth with an interesting perspective and food for thought.
- A focus on volunteerism. Teaching stewardship and servant leadership can reinforce the importance of taking care of camp. Camps often ask CITs to give back by managing large, logistical, daily operations like the dining hall. This could include everything from bringing food to the table to managing the food waste, cleaning the dishes, or sweeping the floor. Some camps will hold a fundraiser, such as a carwash in the local community, so CITs can help raise scholarship money for campers. Still other camps will allow their CITs to design and carry out a construction project to give back to the camp.
- Opportunities for mentorship with experienced staff. In a CIT experience, it is key that participants are mentored by seasoned staff. Feedback on their individual performance is important, as are mid-week group check-ins to allow for mentorship to happen from group leaders and peers. (For more information on improving staff success through mentorship, refer to “Unlock Staff Excellence with Mentorship,” in the November/December 2024 issue of Camping Magazine.)
CIT vs LIT
What is the difference between a leader-in-training (LIT) program and a counselor-in-training (CIT) program?
Frankly, the difference is minimal. While there are recommended hallmarks, there is no universal definition of what LIT and CIT programs require. Typically, an LIT program replaces the content directed at becoming a camp counselor with a curriculum geared toward leadership development. With the hallmarks mentioned herein, this can be accomplished by replacing the components focused on working directly with children with more opportunities to develop 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, growth mindset, leadership, and resilience (Wegner et al., 2022).
Camper to Staff Pipeline
The largest and most robust CIT programs create a pathway to this opportunity early in the camper experience. When camps create a culture that fosters a sense of belonging and campers feel connected to their fellow campers, CITs, and staff, they can often imagine themselves coming back to a place they love in a position they now admire. Camps should also clearly communicate the pathway to becoming a CIT verbally and through printed or digital materials.
For an effective CIT experience, it is important that camps implement a screening and onboarding process. This tells prospective participants that becoming a CIT is a serious matter — a privilege — that they must earn. Components of a camp’s screening process may include:
- a written application
- essay questions
- video screenings
- interviews
- references
Onboarding, including online training sessions and precamp communication, will inform incoming CITs that they are joining the team and that their experience will differ from their previous years as a camper. The goal is to prepare them to make the most of their CIT experience, absorb the many lessons and opportunities provided them through a robust program focused on the six hallmarks previously discussed, and leave them wanting to return as a full counselor the following season.
For CITs not quite ready to transition to full staff at the end of a season, make sure that mentorship and encouragement continues, particularly in the areas in which they need to improve. For program participants who are ready, camps should make announcing CIT promotions to staff members a part of their marketing and communications plan. Their success stories will reinforce the strong community the camp has built.
Remember, “The road to success is paved with mistakes well handled” (Coyle, 2018).
CIT programs teach young leaders that challenges are not setbacks but stepping stones on the path to growth. In these programs, campers learn to face mistakes with resilience, seeing each one as an opportunity to adapt, improve, and build confidence. By navigating these experiences in a supportive environment, CITs develop a mindset that embraces growth through trial and error — a valuable skill that extends far beyond camp. With each lesson learned, they become stronger, more capable leaders, prepared to face future challenges with grace and determination. These programs do more than prepare young people to work at camp; they help to create a bridge from adolescence to responsible adulthood, instilling confidence and teaching invaluable life skills. Camps that invest in these programs cultivate a community rooted in tradition, growth, and purpose. With each CIT, camps secure not only their immediate future, but also contribute to a legacy of leadership that will serve for years to come.
References
- YMCA of Metro Atlanta. (n.d.). Leadership programs. YMCA of Metro Atlanta. Retrieved November 4, 2024, from ymcaatlanta.org/camp/leadership-programs
- Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. New York, NY: Scribner.
- Wegner, M., Gans, K., Myers, E., & Tice, C. (2022). Competencies for the 21st century: Jurisdictional progress. Brookings. brookings.edu/articles/competencies-for-the-21st-century-jurisdictional-progress/
- Coyle, D. (2018). The culture code: The secrets of highly successful groups. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
Dan Weir is obsessed with leaders' influence at summer camps. He is the senior consultant for Immersive1st as well as a former camp director and proud camper parent. Dan is also the co-founder of Day Camp Community, a support structure for YMCA Day Camps (daycampcommunity.com). He holds a master’s degree specializing in youth development. He can be reached at dan@immersive1st.com or via the web at immersive1st.com.
Photo courtesy of Roundup River Ranch, Gypsum, CO, Camps Airy & Louise, Baltimore, MD, The STEM Connection, Indianapolis, IN.