Camp Counsellor (19+ Volunteer)

THE OPPORTUNITY

Campfire Circle is expanding our circle of dedicated and passionate camp volunteers (19+) to help us better serve even more children with cancer or serious illness.

We will be running in-person overnight Weekends at Camp at both of our locations, Rainbow Lake (Waterford, ON) and Muskoka (Rosseau, ON) this winter, between February and April.

New volunteers must commit to one winter Weekend at Camp - a Friday-to-Sunday overnight experience that’s full of fun, connection, and seasonal camp activities running from February to April. All volunteers will serve as Family Guides.

Family Guide Volunteer Role
As a Family Guide, you’ll work alongside other volunteers and staff to support your assigned family throughout the weekend. The Family Guide role is responsible for ensuring children (age 0-18) are safely supervised and engaged in meaningful play, and to accompany your family to all activities, meals and special programs. Together with staff and fellow volunteers, you’ll help create a welcoming, fun and inclusive environment that meets each family’s unique needs.

Family Guides can expect to be fully immersed in programming between 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, following a typical camp day schedule, with support and brief pauses to help maintain your energy and well-being.

Room and board are provided. All meals at camp are prepared by a professional catering team, with accommodations made for all dietary restrictions. Volunteers are provided modern, heated housing which are shared with fellow volunteers and staff.

By volunteering at Campfire Circle, you’ll make a meaningful difference in the lives of kids and families affected by childhood cancer—and they’ll change your life, too. Help us deliver high-impact camp programs to even more kids and join us for a Weekend at Camp! You can get your application started here.

ABOUT YOU

Required Criteria:

Minimum age to participate is 19, with a willingness to fully participate as a volunteer with children and families in a recreational overnight camp setting; committing to a Friday-to-Sunday experience.

In accordance with our mandate of creating a caring and safe environment for seriously ill children and their families, we require attestation of childhood vaccinations, completion of a two-step tuberculosis test and an updated Criminal Record Check.

Our community of 400+ Campfire Circle volunteers bring boundless enthusiasm, a can-do attitude, and a commitment to creating unforgettable and meaningful experiences for campers and their families.

Don’t sweat it if you don’t have any of the criteria listed below. We are committed to providing the necessary training and tools so volunteers can be successful in their roles at camp.

Advantageous Criteria:

• Experience working/volunteering with children and/or families in a recreational, overnight camp or day camp setting.
• Experience working with children and teens with additional physical, behavioural, and/or psychosocial needs
• Experience creating, instructing or facilitating recreational activities, Camp activities or adaptive programming.
• Experience building inclusive environments and spaces.
• Valid First Aid certification, Bronze Cross or National Lifeguard (NL) certification.
• Demonstrated ability to work with children with serious illnesses and an understanding of how illness impacts the entire family.
• Demonstrated commitment to volunteerism or volunteer sector.

Particular Working Conditions:

• Volunteers will be required to participate in a pre-camp virtual training in January 2026.
• All volunteer positions will require living at the Muskoka or Rainbow Lake campsite for the duration of their volunteer commitment (Friday to Sunday). Room and board is provided.
• In consideration of the population Campfire Circle serve, smoking is not permitted on site at our camp programs.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are encouraged to apply through our online application here.

Group interviews will take place in November 2025. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. For more information about Campfire Circle, please visit www.campfirecircle.org or e-mail volunteer@campfirecircle.org.

ACCESSIBILITY & DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Campfire Circle is strongly committed to diversity within its community and welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous People of North America and the world, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons, and those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

We are equally committed to providing an inclusive and accessible workplace. Applicants requiring accommodations to access our postings and apply for volunteer roles with our organization are invited to reach out to our Volunteer Support Team at volunteer@campfirecircle.org or in a manner that fits their accessibility needs. More information about our accessibility commitments can be found at https://campfirecircle.org/about-campfire-circle/accessibility-at-campf….

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Campfire Circle is grateful for Indigenous communities’ stewardship of the land that we occupy—including the traditional territory of many nations including the Anishinaabeg, the Chippewas, the Haudenosaunee peoples,and many other diverse First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. We aspire to be deserving stewards of the land, in partnership with them.