SUMMER SPECIALIST PROGRAM
A work exchange opportunity for young adults to live and learn on the farm.
JUNE 3 – AUGUST 15, 2024
Experience a summer of living communally on an urban farm while working with children at summer camp!
This program offers young adults ages 19-22 the opportunity to build their skills in a particular speciality (art, cooking, music, or farming), teach children in a spirit of mindfulness and joy, and live in community with other college-aged students.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
WORK EXCHANGE
Each specialist will work 25 hours a week at camp and on the farm in exchange for room and board and an end-of-summer stipend. Summer specialists live on the farm itself in our modern residence building which includes a large, well-stocked kitchen and plenty of living space. Specialists will share a room with one other person.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Summer specialists lead daily activity blocks for summer campers in their area of specialization (see below). Specialists help with children during all-camp activities, including the daily morning circle and end-of-week Shabbat service. Some specialists may be expected to help counselors in small group activities as well. There is also ample time to brainstorm, develop and plan new activities, and collaborate with peers.
SUPERVISION
Summer Specialists will get regular, consistent supervision and feedback from the Camp Manager and Educational Programs Director, as well as the Farm Director and other members of the Urban Adamah staff. They will receive extensive training before camp starts as well as learning opportunities in Jewish values, farm techniques, mindfulness, DEI, nonviolent communication, and other topics.
The Four Specialties
Each summer specialist will focus on one of four specialties. In each, we are looking for people who find joy in teaching others, who have skills already developed in a particular area, and who are enthusiastic about farm life and being outdoors.
FARMING
Farming specialists will engage children in activities to foster appreciation for farm life and responsibilities. They will guide summer campers in learning how to plant, tend, and harvest crops, as well as directly support Urban Adamah’s lead farmer in farm care duties.
ARTS & CRAFTS
Arts and crafts specialists will plan and teach a range of creative activities, including candle making, Jewish crafts, puppet making, lanyards, nature-based art, and beyond. They will also oversee the cleaning, organization and stocking of supplies and equipment.
COOKING
Cooking specialists will guide campers in hands-on learning in the kitchen including: preparing challah for our weekly Shabbat end-of-camp service; teaching canning and pickling; making food from our farm produce; teaching basic kitchen and cooking skills to a wide range of ages.
MUSIC
Music specialists will lead camp-wide sing-a-longs of Jewish summer camp songs as well as American and Hebrew folk songs at morning opening circles and at camp Shabbat on Friday afternoons. They will also develop fun, interactive activities like musical games, songwriting workshops, and more.
LOGISTICS
DATES
The Summer Specialist Program runs from June 3 – August 15, 2024.
While Summer Camp runs from June 10 – August 9, Summer Specialists are expected to arrive on June 3 for training and stay through August 15 for a week of debriefing, celebration, and packing up. Summer Specialists are expected to be present for the entire experience, though they will have July 4 off from work.
TIME REQUIREMENT
Each specialist will work 25 hours a week at camp which runs Monday – Friday between the hours of 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Those hours will include leading 1 or 2 hour-long activity blocks for summer campers each day in their area of specialization. All specialists will also be expected to do 3 – 5 hours of farm chores per week (including some weekend hours) such as animal care, watering, weeding, cleaning, and compost maintenance.
While specialists are critical to camp life and expected to work the required hours on the farm and at camp, you may also work off-site if you would like to pick up a part-time job. There may also be additional work opportunities on the farm, including helping to run after-camp, etc. Any additional work will be paid at $21/hour, although the availability of additional work is not guaranteed.
