Potential Staff FAQs About Camp Kupugani
Have questions about working at camp? See below!
If you’re reading this, you are either researching our camp as a future prospect for a summer job or you’ve already said yes to joining our fantastic team. Understandably, you want to know more about what it’s like to work here as a staff member. Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions, from current counselors and staff members.
For FAQs geared toward parents, please check out our parent FAQs.
Click on a question below to see its answer.
Camp Life
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The beauty of our staffing structure is that is “generalist” (as opposed to “specialist”) in nature–so everybody gets to do a bit of everything. There are also slightly different responsibilities depending on your specific role. There are general counselors, junior counselors, and counselors with lifeguarding or climbing qualifications. The primary responsibility is safety–keeping yourself and the campers around you safe. Other areas of importance include being punctual, staying on schedule, looking after our camp and its environment, and partaking in some physical tasks which help prepare and maintain camp for the season.
Counselors are assigned to cabin groups–to look after a group of 7-10 kids with another counselor for each two-week session. You are with this group during the night, during the morning until the end of post-breakfast chores, and during siesta after lunch. Cabin responsibilities include making sure everyone is awake on time, getting to the washroom to shower at their designated time, and dressed appropriately for the day’s activities, and at days’ end making sure campers get to bed at the designated time. You get to meet a diverse range of children over the summer and work with a variety of ages and needs. You’ll be in charge of making sure they are all safe, hygienic, happy and integrating well into camp.
Throughout the rest of day, you’ll be leading team building groups, running camptivities (camp activities) and evening activities, and sitting at tables with the kids during mealtimes. Basically, counselors are the main people in charge who keep camp ticking over throughout the day! Some other responsibilities include: being energetic, singing camp songs, finding ways to keep camp interesting and fun, looking after yourself, and having fun with the kids and your peer counselors.
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For the first 3-4 days of the camp session, there will be an early bird activity, for which campers pre-notify counselors–and means waking up at 5.30/5.45 to wake the kids up and take them to the early bird meeting point. The majority of staff will all be waking up at some point over the 6 weeks of camp and for the weekend camps to run early birds, so you should only have to lead one or two early activities during your time at camp!
7-8 am: Get the kids up, changed for the day and tidying cabins
8-8.15 am: Morning circle outside the dining hall
8:15 – 9am: Breakfast
9am: Chores around camp with your cabin
9.30/9.45 – 10.50am: Team building
10.55-11.45: Camptivity/Recreation or Team building
11.45-12: Making sure all kids and groups are accounted for, singing songs
12-12.55 Lunch
1 -2pm Siesta! “rest hour” after lunch. This time is to be used to rest and relax in cabins.
2.10 and 4pm: Camptivities (camper activity choice)
3.30: Staff meeting
5.30: Back to cabins and get changed for evening activities
7pm: Evening activities
8/8.30pm: Return to Cabins/Showers
9:45pm: Lights out
10pm-11pm: Ninja training/admin office hours (not every night)
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- Two weeks of staff training
- Two weeks of blended 1
- Two weeks of blended 2
- Two weeks of girls session
- One week of a rental group or prep before Mother Daughter Weekend
- One week of a rental group or prep before Parent Child weekend
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From Saturday afternoon -sunday afternoon in between the two-week sessions, we transition the camp for the following session–clean the cabins, bathrooms and general camp, getting it ready for the next group of campers. We also make decorations for our cabins and then chill out in the evening, most likely a chill campfire or a pool party! In the time between girls and the parent weekend sessions, we slow down a little bit but keep busy with keeping camp organized and in tip top shape.
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We have excellent, freshly-prepared food for all meals during camp. We have a varied menu, including favorites like cinnamon coffee cake, Sloppy Joes/Janes, and Chicken Kiev. We serve three meals per day and have snacks available for purchase in the afternoon.
Here’s what campers have to say about the food!
- “[The food] was soooooo good! Thank you Cook Natasha!!!! 🙂 – N.C.
- “I absolutely loved the food. It was always so delicious.” M.S.
- “It was Delish! Yum! :)” – A.P.
- “[The food] was so so so so good.” – T.T.
- “[The food] was AMAZING! Oh my gosh, I will miss the food so much.” – J.L.
- “To be honest, the food was some of the best food I’d ever had.” Z.S.
- “Amazing.” – A.E.
- “I love it and I want all of the recipes!” – A.M.
- “It was AMAZING!” – K.L.
- “Best food ever.” B.D.
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Most staff (counselors, photographers, and sometimes program staff) sleep in the cabins with campers. We typically have two counselors in a cabin with 7-10 campers. Our cabins have wood bunks and built in drawers, and each cabin has a ceiling fan and box fans. You can see a cabin tour on our youtube channel!
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The most impactful part of camp is almost always the connections you make with the people around you. Over the course of each session, you will see your campers grow in ways you never would have thought possible. It is incredible to be an instrumental part of that growth. Throughout the summer, you will also make amazing memories with your fellow staff. Some of our staff become friends for life!
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You can check out this flow chart for a few key questions to help you answer that! Overall, if you are ready to push yourself, make incredible connections with campers and other staff, and do one of the hardest (but most rewarding) jobs out there, this might be the place for you. You can also feel free to send us an email or call with any specific questions!
Time Off
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When camp sessions start, you will get one full day off a week. Days off generally start at 8am and finish at 8am the next day. You also get one off period a day too, generally spanning from 1-1.5 hours. Camp is not an intense rush of work and busy activities all day. Often, groups are small and the activities are enjoyable for staff as well as campers! For instance, your “work” for an afternoon could consist of taking a few campers on a nature walk and then making friendship bracelets with a different group after our staff meeting.
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On days off, your time is your own! Feel free to chill out in the staff cabin, catch up on sleep, listen to your music, check in with family and friends…whatever your heart desires! Everything offered to our campers is free for our staff to enjoy too–from kayaking in the lake or swimming in the pool, to archery, arts and crafts, or even taking the time to explore the natural beauty and trails around camp. If you would like to explore more than just camp, we offer a shuttle to the local towns where staff can visit the local stores and buy necessities or much needed snacks, grab a bite to eat, or catch a movie. If you have your car at camp, you can plan your own trips, alone or with friends. If home is close enough for you to visit in one day, as long as you’re back and ready to work at 8am the next day, we can say sayonara until then!
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Adeline, Forreston, Freeport and Oregon are our closest local towns. As we are out in the countryside, be ready to experience country vibes–which is a fantastic way to see different parts of American culture! We do have major cities within driving distance, such as Rockford (35-40 mins), Chicago (<2 hours), Madison (<90 mins), and Milwaukee (<2 hours). Fourth of July celebrations, county fairs, apple picking, farmers markets, and amusement and skate parks are all available and easy to get to on time off. If you’d rather hang at camp, pool parties, stargazing on the tennis courts and night hikes to Walnut Grove often constitute favored staff group activities.
Overall Camp Questions
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There’s no better way to have fun, make real connections with lifelong friends, and become more in touch with the environment, all while becoming a better all-around person. Studies show that campers get better at responsibility, decision-making, social skills, and appreciation of natural surroundings. You make new friends, get to know other campers who are different from yourself, feel good about yourself, and do things that you might have been at first afraid to do!
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Camp Kupugani / Camp White Eagle is less than a two-hour drive from Chicago, Illinois, and nestled within 126 acres of lush forests. We’re located in Leaf River, Illinois, alongside the Leaf River in the northwestern part of the state near Wisconsin and Iowa. The Leaf River is a tributary of the Rock River; via the Rock, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed. Click here for a map!
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Our staff members are carefully selected from hundreds of applicants from throughout the United States and all over the world. We offer positions to only those truly committed to being a teacher, counselor, mentor, protector, and friend to our campers.
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Our campers come from all over the country and the world! Campers have come from as far as Japan, China, Liberia, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Germany, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, Anguilla, the Bahamas, and Mexico, with others joining them from the Virgin Islands, California, Washington State, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Utah, New York, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Wisconsin, in addition to kids from right here in Illinois. Our campers’ ethnic backgrounds are a nice mix too–including Caucasian, African-American, Bi-racial, Hispanic/Latina, Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Native American; our young people embrace identities from everywhere!
Staff Policies
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Just like the campers, we have a no-electronics policy–which includes all phones, tablets and music players (except from radios) until your day off. It may seem strange at first, but many view it as a welcome break to get better connected with the people around us, and with yourself and nature. It certainly makes you feel like a celebrity with a lot of notifications if you choose to reconnect with your phone on your day off! We do have “camp” phones that we use for music when working in the kitchen, during pool parties and general prep work (AKA when there aren’t any kids), which is definitely a positive if you’re an avid music listener. A cool thing we do is we create a staff music playlist, to which every staff member can add their favorite songs, which creates a really beautiful mix of different styles and languages–as many of our staff come from other countries.
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Typically, staff get paid at the end of their contract. However, if needed and/or wanted, staff can get advances on their pay. Domestic staff are able to get advances after two working weeks and international staff are able to receive theirs after four-six working weeks. With each advance, you are able to get up to 70% of your earnings! At the end of camp, you can either be paid via check or by Paypal. For our staff pay scales please see this link.
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The amount of time you work at camp depends on your contract. Most staff work between 6-9 weeks. First-time international staff have a minimum requirement of 9-10 weeks; first-time domestic staff must work a minimum of 4 weeks. Returning staff can work between 2 and 10 weeks.
Two months might seem like a long time away from home. Our advice? Throw yourself into camp life, make friends, be brave and make memories. Take your time getting to know the kids and camp, and enjoy every moment you can. The summer passes a lot quicker than you think!
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Camp Kupugani does not permit alcohol or drugs. Smoking is not allowed on camp property. Furthermore, no one may return to camp (i.e. after time off) under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
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Yes! You are welcome to drive to camp, and we encourage you to bring a car if you have one. While we try to provide a shuttle to town when available, it can be nice to be able to go wherever you decide on days off rather than having to stick with the group.
Preparing For Camp
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Before arriving at camp, you will be signed up to virtual training modules, which give a good introduction to the different topics to be covered at camp, and provide valuable insight into the dynamics of working with children at a summer camp.
The two weeks prior to our first session is when all staff are in camp to do in-person staff training. The days are packed full of learning, team building, and fun–basically all that camp is about!
The days are long–since we’re learning so much about child development, personal development, team dynamics, and how camp runs generally. During this time, we get to know our new team, what “trotting: is, the layout of camp, and plenty of health and safety debriefs. You’ll soon learn what the “rule of 3” is and why crocs are put into “sports mode.” Each day varies.
Throughout training, you’ll learn how to run team building exercises and a variety of our “camptivities”, like: biking, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, archery, arts and crafts, nature walks, challenge hikes and more. Some staff will also be trained as rock climbing or crate stacking specialist activity leaders.
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Definitely! While food is not allowed in the cabins, there is plenty of space in the staff lounge for any favorite snacks from home. If you like, you can bring enough to share and exchange with other staff so you can try something from their home countries as well!
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We can accommodate most routine dietary requirements and allergies at camp. For some dietary requirements, we may ask you to bring along some food to supplement what you can eat from the normal camp menu. Please feel free to email us with specific questions!
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Camp can provide transportation from Rockford at the start of your time with us. There is regular coach bus service from downtown Chicago and O’Hare Airport. For first-time international agency staff, your bus ticket from O’Hare to Rockford on the way to camp can be reimbursed if you turn in your receipt.
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Summers in Illinois are typically warm, with highs around 85 Fahrenheit/30 Celsius. It’s smart to pack mostly shorts and t-shirts or tank tops. However, some nights can definitely get chilly! For the weather and the bugs in the evening, it is best to bring at least a few pants and hoodies. Be sure to bring along rain gear, as we do get occasional summer rain. (There’s also a full packing list supplied in the spring.)
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There’s a full staff packing list supplied in the spring. You can see an archived camper packing list here. For staff it is mostly the same, although of course you (unlike campers) can bring money (that you can store in the camp safe), snacks, and electronics that will not be stored in the cabins. You can also look out for an email about theme days if you want to pack something fun for those. Common theme days include wacky hair day, superhero day, and decades day. Also be sure to bring an item that represents your culture/family/who you are in some way for our diversity show and tell!
What Our Campers Have to Say
“The most important thing I learned at camp was to empower who you are.“
“I love Camp Kupugani because I met people who were kind and accepting.“
“This place is a palace of adventure and will cripple every form of doubt when you set foot out of the car.”
“The most important thing I learned at camp was to be kind to each other and to make a difference in the world.”
“Camp Kupugani has helped improve my communication and leadership skills, while having lots of fun at the same time!”
“Camp Kupugani was one of the best experiences I have ever had. The camp allowed me to meet new friends, learned new things, and experience independence. I’m looking forward to coming back!”
“I love Camp Kupugani because I was able to gain more confidence and be more independent.”
“I have gone to the camp for 5 years and I have always had an amazing experience going there. When you go you not only become friends with each other you become family with each other.”
“It is the most positive environment I have ever found. The people are amazing, and, even after eight years, I’m still learning.”
“There’s lots of activities and you can make new friends and everyone there is loving, caring and joyful.”
“I love Camp Kupugani because it embraces everyone like no other place in the world.”
“I love camp because it is a safe place to be myself without being criticized for it.“
