Summer Camp Counselor-in-training Program 2026
Campers ages 12-15 are eligible for our CIT program. The cost for CITs is $150/week. CITs work with a counselor from 8:00am until 12:45pm, break for lunch and then are invited to join our extended day program until 4:30 if they choose.
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Learn about A Day In The Life of a
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Our weekly summer camps run from June 15-August 21. CITs can join for one week only or for multiple weeks. All CITs must attend BVF Counselor training prior to the start of the summer. Training will be offered several times beginning May 2026 so that families can plan accordingly.
During the camp day, CITs will be assigned to one specific camp group of 10 campers + 1 counselor in the 6-11 age group. We also offer limited CIT opportunities to work with our 3-5 year old preschool summer camp with 12-14 campers + 2 counselors. CITs will be given age-appropriate responsibilities.
Our goal at BVF is for CITs to develop and practice confidence, kindness, cooperation/collaboration, creativity and responsibility. We work to grow these same skills in our campers and counselors.
At BVF, we prepare CITs to meet the challenges and thrills of their days and to handle situations they may encounter during their time with campers and counselors. We teach them to be intentional about their interactions with others and to remember always why we are here - to create joy, adventure and community.
CITs gain confidence and independence by learning how to bounce back when things go wrong and to persist when faced with challenges. Perhaps the most important skill we teach is to bring humor wherever they go. Seeing the light side of intense situations is a wonderful way to navigate difficulties and can provide the necessary courage to try again! Summer camp is a terrific place to learn all about not taking ourselves too seriously.
Sometimes, though, laughter isn't the best medicine. We encourage CITs to offer an empathetic and caring ear when they see a camper struggling to complete an overwhelming task or overcome fear. We help CITs learn ways to support others and to understand what specific actions or words show care and concern.
One of our goals in the BVF CIT program is to begin preparing kids for a lifetime of giving and receiving feedback. We meet with them formally once each week and informally throughout the week to find out if they need additional support from staff and how things are working with their assigned counselor(s). We also give them feedback on their work and help them understand how to make changes if needed.
Just as important as feedback is the need to learn the best ways to cooperate and collaborate with other CITs, counselors and campers. We help CITs learn what actions and words create an environment in which everyone feels his/her ideas matter. We teach them specific ways to be genuinely curious about someone else's interests and to work together to creatively solve problems.
In short, we take kids' development and growth seriously in the midst of a summer of magical adventure. The magic is the relationships, the learning, the experience, and the summer journey!
Wilderness & Earth Skills
July 20-24
Art, Theater & Choreography
July 27-31
Cardboard Adventures
Aug 3-7
Inventions Galore Aug
10-14
BVF Olympics Aug
17-21
Renaissance Fest
June 15-19
Pirate Fever & Mermaid Adventure
June 22-26
​LARP & Tabletop RPG
June 29-July 3
Mythical Creatures & Enchanted Forests
July 6-10
Secret Agents & Spies
July 13-17