Northbrook Park District debuts Counselor in Training program

This summer, the Northbrook Park District will offer a Counselor in Training program for teens ages 14 and 15 who want to have an enhanced summer camp experience offering opportunities for personal growth and development of leadership skills.

“The program is a fantastic opportunity for 14- and 15-year-olds to further develop fundamental life skills like responsibility, leadership and teamwork,” Northbrook Park District Director of Recreation Eileen Loftus said.

The CIT program will be offered twice this summer: the first session runs from June 9 to July 3, and the second session from July 7 to Aug. 1. Program hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and CITs will need to commit to at least one full session.

The counselors in training will be assigned to a summer camp for children ages 10 and under. They will be supervised by experienced site directors as they help with duties such as assisting with games and art projects, and leading some activities.

“Through hands-on experience working with children, they gain confidence while building a strong foundation for future jobs and college applications,” Loftus said. “This summer program not only fosters personal growth but also allows the counselors in training to share in their favorite camp activities — like swimming and field trips — in a new leadership role, giving them a fresh perspective as they guide and support younger campers.”

Northbrook Park District summer camp Site Directors Staci Babich, Nick Horvat and Grace Wilson said they are excited to welcome counselors in training this summer.

Babich said she was a counselor in training from ages 12 to 14 at another park district, where she learned leadership and communication skills.

“I learned valuable lessons that helped shape me into the leader I am today,” she said. “I think having counselors in training at that age is a great benefit, and also trains the next generation of counselors.”

Similarly, Horvat said he realized he wanted to work in recreation administration after working birthday parties at another park district at age 16.

“Anything that can help kids make the critical decision of what they want to do in life is a great resource to give the community,” he said.

Until about 2019, the Northbrook Park District offered a junior counselor assistant program, whose participants were included in a variety of summer camps, from preschool to athletics, art and theater. This year’s Counselor in Training program is a revamped version of that.

“When I started as a counselor when I was 16, I had a junior counselor assistant in my group, and she was a tremendous help. I saw her grow up a lot that summer. She went from being shy with staff and children to putting herself out there and running activities and games,” Wilson said. “I recall being really proud of the progress she had made by the end of the summer. She then came to work as a counselor for the next two summers.”

Participating in the CIT program can help prepare young people for future job opportunities if they take a summer camp counselor position in the future, Wilson said. “I do wish I did something like this, because it would have helped me feel more prepared and comfortable with the position before I had a larger role at the summer camp,” she said.

The counselors in training will be assigned to summer camps after an initial training, during which they will learn about topics like playground safety, communication skills, child development, confidence-building, organization, and behavior and time management, said Northbrook Park District Youth Program Manager Mary Mucci.

“Their role will be different from camp counselors,” Mucci said. “They will assist with activities and help plan different sports, games, and arts and crafts. As they become more confident, we will have them lead some activities, and because they are program participants, they will never be unsupervised or responsible for a group of campers alone.”

The skills that counselors in training will learn this summer will enhance their resumes, no matter which professional path they may take, Mucci said. “These are essential skills for any job, and this experience will be valuable no matter what they choose to do in the future.”

To learn more and to register, visit nbparks.org/programs/summercamps/#counselortraining or call (847) 291-2993.