INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR TEAM?
- Return or New Staff:
- Review Dates and Details for dates of camp, and team meeting times.
- Fill out this School Break Camp Application to work for one or more of our school break programs-February or Spring. It looks like Thanksgiving and Winter are full and sometimes spaces fill for other programs before we can update here.
- Apply to work on the Year Round Team (mostly or all direct service with kids): We are looking for 3 amazing folx to join our year round team – see more details below in “Year-Round Employment”. If interested, send us a message.
- Summer 2025– Application not yet available-check back around Dec 20th.
“Working at Monkey Business Camp was such a wonderful experience. Being hired to play and have fun and show love to these amazing kids and work with such a supportive and fun staff was a remarkably fulfilling experience!”
Position Descriptions:
Site Directors hours approximately 8:10-4:45 (with hour break mid-day), lead a group of campers in close collaboration with their team, creating daily rapport with families, providing mentoring for staff and youth leaders, and initiating the magic and fun that makes each Monkey Business summer unforgettable. They are the heartbeat of camp! Camp supports by providing a clear structured daily schedule, with periods for circle and field games, art, food projects, hikes and other nature exploration games. Site Directors create fun and emergent activities within that structure. Groups are co-located together, so there are awesome chances for connection and some collaboration, for example some groups have prepped for variety shows on the last day of camp. Kids are ages 5-10, split into different groups, with youth leader helpers ages 11+.
Group Leaders, hours approximately 8:10-4:50 (with hour break mid-day), are like Assistant Directors, responsible for reading and maintaining details in leadership materials and in general supporting the site director in all listed above. They sometimes step in to greet parents at drop-in or pick-up or become site director for the day.
Counselors, hours approximately 8:10-4:50 (with hour break mid-day) bring caring, playful, and energetic vibe to co-create and assist in making an incredible summer program for the campers, youth leaders and staff team. They might help with set up and clean up, help with giving other staff breaks, and visit various sites. Our counselors are usually age 17+, occasionally younger if they have grown up at our camp and we have a larger team.
Special Guest/Staff Breaks/Sub: This is an 8:00-4:30 position (or could be less-see minimum hours below) position where you have one main group you are connected with to help staff have breaks mid day, and staff and youth leaders to have team meetings once a week. Ideal amount of hours for this position are either 8-4:30 or 8:30-5:00, with hour break daily, and the hour schedule depends on what group you are a part of. Minimum hours are 1st Monday of camp sessions to greet campers: 8:30-2:10, T-Th: 11:55-3:10 and M & F: 11:55-2:10. Let us know on application in note area what number of hours you would prefer.
Sub-if you are available, but not as many hours, or on a daily basis, apply for this position
WAGE (starting hourly, depends on education and experience): Site Directors – $22.09-$26.09; Group Leaders – $19.09-$22.09; Counselors – $18.09+
WAGE BONUS in SUMMER: If work 6 wks+ full day schedule, receive additional pay at end of camp in honor of the larger commitment of time: $5/hour (site director); $3.50/hour (group leader); $2/hour(counselor)
SCHOOL BREAKS – THANKSGIVING, WINTER, FEBRUARY, SPRING CAMPS: see more about programs at Berkwood Hedge School in Downtown Berkeley.
SUMMER: Positions available at our Tilden Park program.
Please see below regarding year round employment options.
“I had the best time feeling free and joyful working at camp. Monkey Business is structured so well for youth (as well as staff) to explore and connect with community. I cannot wait until next time. Bring on the fun!!”
YEAR-ROUND EMPLOYMENT: Commit more and receive more benefits for that-Up to $3,000/year!
Be part of our community in a more ongoing level. We are grateful to have an intergenerational team on each of our staff teams-we have folks from age 15 to 65 on our teams. We pay above average salaries for the field, and contribute toward health care, vacation and sick time for those who commit to working all of our school break camps, plus at least 6 weeks of our summer program. Ongoing staff benefit our community, and help make it what it is.
We are looking for people who:
- are called to working with kids in a camp environment
- yearn to be part of a community committed to excellence, joy, creativity, justice and love
- want to make an impact on future generations, and have the younger ones influence them
- like down time during parts of the year to pursue other projects or travel, who are not needing a full time gig
- are dependable, creative, and kind
- are able to commit to times over holidays and in the summer
Required Dates (year long commitment), depending on when you join (for example, you could start during Thanksgiving and work through Summer). Please visit our school break camp page to see exact dates for this year or expected ones for upcoming year:
- Thanksgiving Week Camp: always the 3 days before Thanksgiving, with set up and team meeting usually the Saturday or Sunday before
- Winter Camp: over the two weeks (sometimes three) around the holidays when schools are closed, with set up and team meeting the Saturday before the 1st week. We usually have enough staff that some can take off part, but not guaranteed.
- February Camp: Tuesday-Friday after President’s Day (always on a Monday), with full day set up and team meeting on Monday. This might shift to be a 5 day week in the future.
- Spring: Monday-Friday, the first week in April (aligns with Berkeley Unified usually), with full day set up and team meeting the Saturday previous.
- Summer Camp: We usually host at least two 3 week sessions, plus some additional shorter sessions, with in person staff orientations leading up to camp. At start of summer, there is an in person staff orient, usually the weekend before camp starts, and other sessions, staff will come for in person shadow day/team meeting usually Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, depending on their team. All leadership staff in town will attend an in person Youth Leader orient, as well, for a mid-week evening, from 4:45-8:30 (dinner provided) around May 23rd each year. Find out dates for in person camps on the summer page.
- There sometimes are additional needs or options to work day long programs or at events during the year.
In subsequent years, we usually follow local public school calendars, Berkeley Unified for Spring Camp, West Contra Costa/Albany for February Camp.
HOW TO APPLY FOR ANY OTHER POSITIONS: When open, we would have online application, but please feel free to send e-mail and cover letter to our office, if interested, at other times.
MESSAGES FROM PREVIOUS STAFF:
“Thank you for continuing to offer benefits and a big bonus this year! I’m very appreciative and wanted you to know that your work to offer a living wage around here is important.”
“As a former counselor at Monkey Business Camp in Tilden Park, I can honestly say that MBC is a ton of fun! A typical week might include sports, non-traditional games, nature walks, arts and crafts, theme days, and so much more to challenge and entertain your child. There is an appropriate staff-to-camper ratio and every activity is planned out and well organized. The staff even makes sure campers take water and sun-screen application breaks! If you’re looking for a camp that will return your child happy, healthy, and worn out from all the fun, Monkey Business Camp delivers.”
“MBC is amazing on so many levels–fun, professional growth, and building lasting relationships. I will never forget what I experienced this summer; everyone is a huge family–campers and workers are invested in this camp!”
“I greatly enjoyed working with the staff at MBC. Most every experience was positive and I felt connected to the rest of the team, which really made the summer much more fun. Also, the kids really love coming to MBC so you’ll get to have a ton of fun playing with some really awesome kids. I really valued my interactions with both staff and campers.”
“My experience at MBC was amazing, in great part due to the incredibly high quality of the Staff, YL’s and Admin staff. The campers and parents were wonderful too, but Heather has built a model that so many other places could aspire to emulate.”
“The behind the scenes support makes the camp easy to create with a sense of fun at every turn. Even the most non- creative person can make this camp fun and exciting with just the protocol offered. But, obviously it is more fun to engage one’s creativity. And, you can’t help but fall in love with all the cuteness of the campers. I worked with the young ones.”
