Yes! We fly you here and pay you to play... and learn, and grow, and develop your leadership voice and soft skills necessary for success in any field you choose!
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The mission of Sunset Bay's Beach Camp MMA summer program is two-fold. To educate and empower our students with outdoor education and environmental science life skills. And, to educate and empower our staff by helping them develop the type of soft skills necessary for success in any field they choose. And for those thinking about selective colleges or grad school but coming up short in the personal essay department, a summer here will supply a lifetime worth of compelling human interest narratives for your grad school applications.
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It goes without saying that you can accomplish a lot more with an organization behind you than on your own. But it’s a lot harder to work within an organization because it requires special “soft skills” that take time and opportunity to develop. ​The three main soft skills for getting along and ahead within organizations are “managing up” (dealing with your boss or bosses), “managing down” (dealing with your subordinates), and “managing across” (dealing with your peers in the organization). All three take real world practice to develop and there is no book or video that can do it for you. Everyone needs to develop their own leadership voice, and the Sunset Bay Beach Camp MMA program offers a unique opportunity for young people to practice these soft management skills in a forgiving and low stress environment.
The ability to start afresh each week leading an entirely new group, and being able to work with different staff members each week is experience that would take years to replicate in a typical job with the same co-workers and customers year after year. ​​And Sunset Bay is small enough that summer staff have daily interaction with upper management giving them experience “managing up” rarely available in summer employment. ​
At the end of each season, summer staff in good standing are eligible for year around positions with favorable odds. And for staff members where a career match is not in the cards, Sunset Bay may still be able to offer subsidized housing and hourly work sufficient to allow part time off season staff to support themselves while attending college or grad school or launching another career path job search in the Seattle area, one of the most vibrant employment markets for young people in the country.
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How do I apply
Sunset Bay Wharf is a fast growing organization with student enrollment increasing every year. We have new career and seasonal positions every year with resume building opportunities for young people with a passion for the outdoors and empowering the next generation. There is simply no more valuable, fun, and rewarding way to spend a summer or beyond than at the Sunset Bay Wharf, living and working with young people from around the country and the world.
Positions are limited to people who are happy and comfortable in and around the beach and water and support our mission of empowering the next generation with outdoor education life skills and the courage to use them.
If this is you and you wish to apply for a position for next summer or beyond, please follow this link to our online application here: https://form.jotform.com/232985869045169
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Summer Positions
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Counselor Positions
Two counselors and one CIT form the management team responsible for leading their Orca, Dolphin, Seal, or Minnow cabin groups each week. They receive additional support from instructors, head counselors, and staff members assigned to marine science research and dock manager duties for the week.
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Counselors attend two pre camp training weeks starting the last week in June and have access to training videos and written materials year around. Counselors may be cross trained as certified lifeguards, and since the main form of Beach Camp transportation is paddleboards, summer staff must be sufficiently fit and water oriented to swim and stand up on stand up paddleboards leading paddleboarding expeditions for their group. Counselors with aptitude may also be trained to operate our fleet of Zodiacs for trips to the sealion buoy.
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Instructor Positions
Instructors are responsible for supporting Counselors in the teaching of Beach Camp MMA curriculum to Orca, Dolphin, Seal, and Minnow cabin groups. Instructors receive assistance from CITs and Counselors, and are primarily responsible for delivering skill and knowledge instruction in one or more of the 20 skill and knowledge areas that we teach. Instructor positions include:
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-Sailing
-Skimboarding/Skateboarding/Electric surfboards
-Kayaking/Canoeing/Rowing
-Climbing Gym
-Beach/Mountain Biking
-Marine science/tide pooling/Weekly Marine Mammals in Your Backyard play
-Fishing
-Rope rescue/rigging/knots
-Ninja Gym/Martial Arts/Gymnastics
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Managers
Beach Camp Managers are responsible for overseeing Counselors and Instructors, scheduling activities, managing food service and facilities, and answering parent inquiries. Manager positions include the following.
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Head Instructor - Oversees Instructor Staff
Head Counselor (M & F) - Oversees Counselor Staff
Dock Manager - Oversees equipment & facilities
Zodiac Manager - Oversees Zodiac expeditions and Rescue operations
Compliance Officer - Insures camp procedures are being followed
Food Service Manager - Runs food prep & meal service using parent helpers
Parent Liaison - Answers parent inquiries
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Staff Compensation and Overview
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Summer Counselor and Instructor staff receive round trip air fare from anywhere in the country, $4,000 ($400 per week) stipend, food and lodging, and free time use of camp facilities so that at the end of the summer camp staff are likely to have most if not all of their summer earnings in the bank.
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Summer staff attend two paid staff training weeks starting the last week in June, followed by 8 Monday to Saturday camp sessions with one Sat-Sun day off between sessions. Like any manager within an organization, counselors and instructors lead and motivate their group to accomplish a wide variety of missions each week. And like any modern organization managers, leadership is accomplished through fun and encouragement. What is unlike a typical management trainee job, is that our leaders live and work with young people like themselves from around the country and the world, and get a fresh start each week with a new group of students to try out new things and work toward finding their best leadership voice. Beach Camp educators leave with friends and connections across the globe, and with leadership experience equal to many years or many jobs in a typical organization.
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Cheers!
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Although it is never easy for young people to obtain meaningful work and financial independence right out of school, the Sunset Bay Beach Camp MMA Program offers a well trod path and supportive environment for young people to grow, learn, relax, and pursue their dreams.
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Look us up!
Sunset Bay Wharf
14725 Norma Beach Road
Edmonds, WA 98026
206-324-6715 Main
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