Top Swim Summer Camps and Summer Swim Programs for Kids & Teens in Illinois

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The Road Less Traveled
Illinois Location(s)

Visit Our The Road Less Traveled Website
773-342-5200
info[AT]theroadlesstraveled.com
2331 N Elston Court
Chicago, Illinois 60614

OTHER CAMP LOCATIONS:
Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Iceland, Norway, Azores, British Columbia, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Michigan, Maine, Tennessee, Virginia, Wyoming, New Zealand, Ecuador and the Galapagos.

WINTER (OFF-SEASON) OFFICE ADDRESS:
See listed above - primary address

CAMP VIDEO LINK:
Watch Our The Road Less Traveled Video

CAMPER AGES: 11-17 (approximately)

TYPE OF CAMP: Overnight/Sleepaway. Two-four week long community service, wilderness adventure, and language/cultural immersion programs, Gap Year and Family Programs.

CAMPER GENDER(S): Coed Campers.

BRIEF CAMP DESCRIPTION: The Road Less Traveled is a life-changing educational travel experience - an extraordinary opportunity to join with others, explore humanity, and build deep relationships and an appreciation for our world’s vast adventurous scenery. RLT offers domestic and international community service, language, and multi-sport adventure travel programs all over the world. We engage in the service of presence and active listening. We support young people to get outside, seek adventure, experience challenge, make new friends, build community, and understand the world in a new way. We encourage involvement, cultivate leadership and sensitivity, develop personal initiative and communal participation skills, and inspire a sense of social activism and environmentalism.

CAMP INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES OFFERED:
Adventure, Wilderness/Nature, Waterfront/Aquatics, Travel, Academics, and more. PADI Scuba Diving, White-water Rafting, Rock-climbing, Hiking, Backpacking, Safari, Camping, Zip-lining, Surfing, Snorkeling, Marine Biology Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, Organic Farming, Teaching English, Cooking Classes, Yoga Classes, Animal Conservation, Music Classes, Art Classes, Black History Education, Cultural Immersion, Community Service

CAMP LOCATION: Our year-round office is located in the heart of Chicago, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Our trips are run in a multitude of domestic and international locations. Our staff training is held every year in the Midwest, several weeks before trips are scheduled to depart.

CAMP FACILITIES: Facilities and accommodations vary from trip to trip.

CAMP PROGRAM INFO: The Road Less Traveled as an organization was founded by Jim and Donna Stein in 1991, and has been successfully running safe, exciting, life-changing trips for teens ever since. Both Jim and Donna are still the current directors, and are integrally involved in every single aspect of the company. In the summer, they are on call 24/7, available both to parents as well as to our leaders in the field.

We are an ACA accredited organization with an impeccable track record. We believe in the process of accreditation. It allows us to compare our standards to other professionals in the industry. Our accreditation allows us to follow specific standards related to leader screening including use of application forms, reference checks, personal interviews, work history review, and background checks.

Many years ago, we were the first company serving young adults to require that all leaders have a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) medical certification. WFR training is far more advanced than standard first aid or wilderness first aid. In addition to this certification, we carry extensive first aid kits on all of our programs that include antibiotics and epinephrine. Contents, protocols, and standing orders are reviewed and updated every year by our Medical Director who is an MD.

Since our inception, RLT has been on the cutting edge of technological advances in communication. We began carrying Iridium satellite phones on all of our programs as soon as they were available. Today we continue to carry the latest in emergency communication systems. According to geographic location, programs are equipped with satellite phones, ground-to-air radios, and/or cellular phones providing the possibility of 24-hour access to medical help in case of emergency.

CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS OR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: We offer many need-based scholarships and financial aid packages. Visit Geography of Hope's website to learn more: Our Camp Website Link: www.geographyofhope.org

FAMILY CAMP SESSION(S): We offer Gap Year, custom trips as well as family programs in the winter, spring, and at the end of the summer. Please contact us at 773-342-5200 with any questions.

OTHER CAMP INFO: Flights, travel arrangements, and other trip-specific information is available on our website.

CAMP SESSION DATES & FEES:
Visit our Program Chart to see all trips, dates, and prices: Our Camp Website Link: www.theroadlesstraveled.com

SUMMER CAMP JOBS:
Trip Leader/Co-Leader

Travel domestically and/or internationally with a group of high-school and/or middle-school students, monitoring and facilitating community service, language/cultural immersion, and/or wilderness adventure trips

Minimum Qualifications
• Minimum of 21 years of age
• Minimum of a bachelor's degree or in the process of completing a degree. Equivalent experience working with teenagers in related field will be considered if not currently enrolled in school
• Experience Previous program leader experience working with and or teaching young people age ranging in age between 12-19. Knowledge of and experience with group dynamics, teaching or facilitating groups, supervision of meal planning, food preparation and cooking, managing logistics. Ability to teach program specific skills, environmental awareness, and related scientific, cultural, and historical knowledge pertaining to the regions through which you will travel and their relationship to each other.
• Strong Physical Condition
• Current CPR for the professional rescuer
• Current Wilderness First Responder, WEMT or EMT certification
• Current Red Cross lifeguard or Swiftwater rescue certifications preferred but not mandatory
• Current unrestricted valid drivers license with no major convictions during the previous three year period; driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, reckless driving, hit and run, homicide or assault with a motor vehicle, drag racing, operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent, license suspended or revoked within the previous three year period for accidents and or moving violations. Driving record should reflect no more than three moving violations and/or chargeable accidents during the previous three years

• For Adventure Programs: Knowledge of three or more wilderness travel methods. Whitewater rafting, sea kayaking, international trekking, biking, backpacking, technical rock or ice climbing and mountaineering. Mandatory requirements for adventure trips include: the ability to lead groups of students on backpacking trips of three to eight days, ability to comfortably lead through remote wilderness areas. This includes, but is not limited to, backpacking preparations, backcountry travel, route finding, campsite selection, equipment maintenance, Leave No Trace camping techniques in desert and alpine terrain and proper protocol in dense bear country.

All leaders must possess the ability to make prudent decisions in adverse conditions. International Service Learning and Language Immersion Programs: Leaders and must be highly proficient or fluent in the spoken language of the program country (Spanish, etc.) and have extensive experience with community service, international travel, managing multiple responsibilities abroad, experience and/or living abroad, cultural immersion. Knowledge of the following is helpful but not mandatory: Sea Kayaking, Whitewater Rafting, Trekking, Surfing, and Snorkeling

• International Service learning and Language Exposure Programs: Leaders to have extensive experience with community service, international travel, managing multiple responsibilities abroad, experience and/or living abroad, cultural immersion. Knowledge of the following is helpful but not mandatory: Sea Kayaking, Whitewater Rafting, Trekking, Surfing, Snorkeling

• Service Learning Programs: Leaders to have extensive experience with community service, experience managing multiple responsibilities, construction experience preferred. Knowledge of the following is helpful but not mandatory: Sea Kayaking, Whitewater Rafting, Rock Climbing, Hiking, PADI Scuba certified
• Ability and experience supervising co-instructors and participants
• Valid Passport
• Ability to drive a standard transmission vehicle
• Ability to communicate and work with teenagers and co-instructors, and provide necessary instruction
• Ability to creatively schedule programs, facilities, and co-instructors
• Ability to observe participant behavior, assess its appropriateness, enforce appropriate safety regulations and emergency procedures, and apply appropriate behavior-management techniques
• Visual and auditory ability to identify and respond to environmental and other hazards related to the activity
• Physical ability to respond appropriately to situations requiring first aid
• Good character, integrity, and adaptability
• Enthusiasm, sense of humor, patience and self -control
• Ability to follow written procedures as outlined in the leader-training manual
• Ability to support program philosophy and implement procedures
• Ability to work long hours
• Ability and experience in facilitating groups

Specific Responsibilities/Job Description
1. Plan, coordinate and execute daily activities and trip logistics
2. Monitor co-instructor and participant assignments for the day
3. Monitor groups and supervise co-instructors' responsibilities
4. Act as a positive role model for participants
5. Responsible for the relationships with general public, people of the land, and subcontractors
6. Monitor ongoing safety and provide education for co-instructor and participants
7. Supervise the health and safety of the participants and environment
8. Together with co-instructor and participant, plan and execute the evening program
9. Identify and address inappropriate behavior with participant or with other co-instructor, for actions that put health and safety of a participant at risk
10. Together with co-instructor, plan and implement evening program as needed
11. Management of financials and accounting including monitoring of expenditures, record keeping, advances, bookkeeping and end of trip summary of information
12. Management of gear, vehicles, inventory, storage, documentation and end of trip summary information
13. Evaluate co-instructor and perform reviews and summer end evaluations
14. Evaluate program and current season and make suggestions for following season

Dates of Employment
June through August seasonally - recommend early application.

Remuneration
Salary is commensurate with experience/certifications/qualifications. Your salary with The Road Less Traveled includes all food, lodging and transportation from the beginning through close of your trip. We also offer pro-deals on outdoor equipment from a variety of well-known manufacturers.

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Laura Dunmire-Director
2331 N Elston Court
Chicago, IL 60614
employment[AT]theroadlesstraveled.com

Please visit: Our Camp Website Link: www.theroadlesstraveled.com


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