What camp will I work at?
West Ohio Camps has three beautiful camp and retreat centers spread out across Ohio. All three camps work together but have different specialties in our ministry. Camp Otterbein, in Logan, Ohio, is located in the Hocking Hills region and offers high adventure activities to its campers such as rock climbing, kayaking, high ropes, and lake swimming / Blob Tower. Camp Wesley, in Bellefontaine, Ohio, is centered around a 19 acre lake and offers many water-based activities like canoeing, slip-n-slide, stand-up paddleboarding, and lake & pool swimming / Adventure Island. Camp Widewater, in Liberty Center, Ohio, is a fully accessible facility hosting mostly retreat groups, offers some programs for people with differing abilities, and pool swimming. You will have one base camp where you will work for most of the summer, but you may be asked to spend a week at one of our other camps based on registration patterns.
Who comes to West Ohio Camps?
Our camps are open to everyone, you do not have to be a member of a United Methodist Church to attend. Our summer campers are girls and boys ages 7-17 from all across Ohio.
What does the staff team look like?
Alongside our year round leadership staff, the staff team typically consists of 15-20 young adults to act as counselors and program staff. We also have many volunteers that join in throughout the summer to help the ministry be successful. We regularly bring in international summer staff to provide awesome cultural experience and world view.
What kind of camps do you offer?
We offer three different types of camps throughout the summer: WOC programmed events, partnership events, and retreat groups. For WOC programmed events, our staff plan, run, and serve as counselors for the program. For partnership events, we work alongside a local church or organization and may or may not serve as counselors for the event. For retreat groups, our staff host the group and lead staffed activities and serve meals. All three camps offer a variety of these different events over the summer.
Is this a paid position?
Yes. First-year staff recieve $74.40 per day as well as housing and meals for the summer. Returning and leadership staff may recieve higher pay based on their experience. WOC also pays for any certifications you may need for the summer.
How long does the summer last?
Our staff are typically hired for 11 weeks of the summer, two weeks of training, eight weeks of camp, and one week of closing. For summer 2022, our season runs from May 23 - August 3. There will be a mid-summer break for the week of July 4th.
Will I have any time off?
Camp typically runs Sunday afternoon through Friday evening, which means you get weekends off! In addition, all staff get a minimum of one hour break each day. We understand that you have a lot going on over the summer so we can accomodate one planned week off for a mission trip or family vacations. Any time off needs to be scheduled before summer staff training begins.