Community Volunteer

What Does A Community Volunteer Do?

Community Volunteers support counsellors and campers during daily camp activities, helping to create a safe, engaging, and positive environment. They offer guidance to young staff—typically aged 18 to 23—many of whom are gaining leadership experience for the first time. This role is ideal for individuals who are enthusiastic, encouraging, and eager to support the next generation of Canada’s workforce. Specific responsibilities include:

Mentoring Staff

Community Volunteers serve as informal mentors to young camp counsellors, many of whom are stepping into leadership roles for the first time. By modelling professionalism, positive communication, and calm problem-solving, volunteers help counsellors gain confidence in their responsibilities. Volunteers can offer gentle suggestions, encouragement, and reminders throughout the day—helping staff reflect, grow, and develop essential workplace skills. Their presence alone provides reassurance for counsellors who may be unsure or overwhelmed in certain situations. This mentoring role is especially important in fostering a respectful, learning-rich environment for both staff and campers.

Subject Matter Expertise

Many Community Volunteers bring years of valuable experience in fields such as education, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or child development. Their presence adds depth to STEM and STEAM activities, providing campers and counsellors with a trusted resource who can clarify concepts, enrich discussions, or provide real-world context to activities. Volunteers may help explain the “why” behind the activity or encourage creative problem-solving by sharing how similar challenges are tackled in professional settings. At the same time, it’s important that volunteers support—not take over—the activity, allowing counsellors to maintain their leadership while benefiting from the volunteer’s guidance. This balance elevates the educational value of camp while respecting the learning process for staff.

Camper Engagement and Support

Volunteers are an additional set of caring eyes, ears, and hands to help ensure every camper has a positive and inclusive experience. They might step in to assist a camper who is struggling with fine motor tasks, reading instructions, or participating in group discussions. Their presence can also help manage transitions, ease first-day nerves, or redirect camper behaviour in a calm and constructive way. Volunteers play an important role in building trust and connection with campers, often noticing small things that might otherwise go unseen in a busy environment. Their goal is not to discipline or supervise independently, but to work alongside staff to support each camper’s success.

Enhancing Camp Operations

The daily flow of camp depends on a team effort—and volunteers are a vital part of that team. Whether it’s setting up materials before an activity, helping with site clean-up, supervising during snack breaks, or ensuring safety during transitions, Community Volunteers help everything run more smoothly. Their reliability and flexibility allow staff to stay focused on leading and connecting with campers. Volunteers may also assist during arrival and dismissal, helping organize campers, speak with parents, and answer general questions. This support behind the scenes contributes directly to the success of each day, even if it’s not always visible to campers.

Requirements

The successful applicant is required to…

Submit a successful Police Vulnerable Sectors Check within the past year
Attend training
Volunteer in July and/or August
Commit to at least 8 hours of volunteering
Adhere to organization policies and procedures; and
Demonstrate a history of working with children

Skills

The successful candidate should possess the following skills…

Excellent abilities to work in a team environment
Excellent communication (written and verbal), time management and organizational skills; and
Competent computer skills, including email

Bonus Skills

Skills that would be a bonus but are not required include:

Experience with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics subject areas