We know a great program and a 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 CampU 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 universities. As well, 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 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 two week training program each summer. We have a staff to camper ratio of one staff member to every four campers.
In addition, all water activities are supervised by Red Cross certified lifeguards and licensed medical personnel are always on duty.
All employees undergo criminal background checks prior to employment. This check includes multi-state and single county searches for felony and misdemeanor records, sex-offender records, inmate records, and arrest information.
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.