Our Leaders

 We know a great program and spectacular location are not enough: a wilderness summer camp is only as good as its staff. Our staff is comprised of enthusiastic, warm and caring people who love working with children. Many of them come from our own Counselor-in-Training program and have been active at Unalayee for many years. In fact, many of our staff have parents who were counselors before them. To maintain a diverse outlook, we continually recruit and train new staff, typically from California colleges, and we hire a number of qualified international counselors.

Our highest priority is a safe, well-supervised program. All Unalayee staff are at least 18 years old and have Red Cross certification in Wilderness First Aid and CPR. All staff are experienced outdoor leaders with prior experience working with children. All staff must also complete our intensive ten day training program each summer. We average one staff member for every four campers.

In addition, all water activities are supervised by Red Cross certified lifeguards and licensed medical personnel are always on duty.

The skill and experience of our staff ensures that every camper will have a safe, meaningful wilderness summer camp experience.

“My son returned with one of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen and he didn’t stop telling stories for several days. The leaders were clearly fantastic. I have heard many stories about what they said and did.” -Mother, Fairfax, CA.