FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Getting to Camp
Maine Teen Camp is located in southwestern Maine. We are about one hour from Portland International Jetport and 2 hours from Boston Logan International Airport. Staff are responsible to get to Portland, Maine and we arrange to pick you up on staff arrival day! You can fly, take a bus, take the train, or drive your own car. Many American staff will bring their own vehicles, and there is plenty of parking space at camp.
Staff Population
About 60% of our staff come from all over the USA. The remaining 40% are internationals, holding their US J-1 working visa through sponsoring staff agencies. About half of our staff return the following summer.
Living at Camp and Daily Routine
If you are a camp counselor, you live with and supervise teens. You teach or assist in activities during the day, and then live with and supervise the teens in your cabin. Cabins range in size from holding 8–12 campers and two counselors, to those that hold 20 campers and four counselors. Our program runs on a six day activity week, followed by two days that we use to take the campers on trips out of camp.
Facility
We are located on a private road, almost completely surrounded by two lakes. Maine Teen Camp utilizes Stanley Lake as the source for waterfront activity. Our cabins are a mix of modern and more rustic, but all have indoor plumbing and electricity. We have many studios for activities, five hard surface tennis courts, one lighted basketball court, sand volleyball court, a main field, climbing wall and ropes course, health center, camp store, and beautiful main lodge.
Expected Policies and Free Time
We offer camp counselors every other night off during regular activity weeks, and a full day off at the end of each activity week. We also give staff a full day off during our inter-session break. We have firm policies on smoking, drugs, and alcohol consumption. We expect that if you have a driver’s license, you will be considered an eligible camp driver. We do not require a uniform, except that we ask that you wear your staff t-shirts on opening days of camp. Your clothing is your own, but we do not allow sexually suggestive or offensive clothing — in other words, clothing must be kid and parent-friendly! As a role model, we ask that you maintain a tidy appearance, but have no restrictions on physicalities (i.e. piercings, tattoos, beards, long hair, etc.). We are a teenage summer camp — we embrace uniqueness and individuality! We are reasonable and fair to our staff as individuals and team members — we care about each of you. We offer ongoing support in a fun and enriching summer job.
Salary
We evaluate each staff member based on collegiate experience, work and leadership experience, camp work experience, and certifications. Salaries are inclusive of room and board and some staff ‘perks’. We offer staff some camp transportation accessibility during the summer, and internet access. We do not provide travel expenses to/from your camp job.
Directors and Supervisory Staff
Monique and Matt Pines are the owners and directors of Maine Teen Camp. Kris Kamys, a founding director, joins us in the summer. Sarah Lentz is our program director who has several years of experience and works in our winter office year round. We have a whole team of office staff including an office manager, a travel coordinator, a trip coordinator, facility coordinator, and entire team of support staff including health center, kitchen, maintenance, and house keeping departments. Additional supervisory staff are four head counselors who are hired to oversee campers and staff. We also have two senior staff who run our evening programs. Our entire staff population is approximately 115.
Our Planet and Maine Teen Camp
Living in a community where you work, you are not going to be commuting. You are eating communal meals, so the energy wasted is reduced. We recycle the majority of our used cartons and containers. We use zero emission 100% renewable electricity, combined with conservation measures such as compact fluorescent bulbs. We are taking steps to upgrade everything from computers to hot water heating systems each year with the most energy efficient system available. As much as possible, we encourage our campers to conserve.
Food
The food is prepared by a team of dedicated and experienced chefs and cooks. We pride ourselves on preparation with fresh foods, choosing organic where possible, and cooking and baking in our own kitchen. We have a head chef, assistant, and prep staff. Campers and staff serve themselves and dine together in our dining hall or outside on our picnic tables. We are sensitive to dietary requirements and within reason, will try to accommodate your needs with advance notice. We do have a vegetarian meal option.
Health at Camp
All staff MUST submit a medical health history form every two seasons. Your health is important to our community. We have a fully staffed and stocked health center in camp and if you must see a doctor, we are very near a full service health center in town. It is highly encouraged that all staff have medical insurance. While we will make every effort to assist you with your physical well-being, staff are responsible for their own health care visits. We also encourage a healthy life-style at camp. It is important to get enough rest, exercise, drink plenty of water, and eat meals. Remember, you are a mentor to teenagers and you have an incredibly important and influential role to play!
Prepare for your Job
Before camp, you will receive many newsletters and emails, and each new staff will receive a staff training manual that you will be expected to be familiar with prior to your start date. We encourage you to connect with other staff via our website prior to your arrival to ask questions and become familiar with each other! Once at camp, we have all staff undergo a 10 day training period, involving activity training, informational discussions, camp clean-up, and staff bonding exercises. We will have you prepared for our teens!