Let’s Get Ready for Summer!
We are so excited to welcome you all to our community. Your passion, enthusiasm, skills and experience separated you from a large pool of applicants and we cannot wait to meet you in person to get the ball rolling this summer. Not only are we committed to creating a life changing summer experience for our campers, we are also committed to the professional growth of our staff members.
In light of this, your summer orientation is a key part of a creating an incredible camp experience for you. The time we’ll spend together during staff orientation will be a lot of work but lots of fun, too! Our focus will be helping you feel confident in your role this summer while also building a staff community that, together, will have a profound impact on the lives of our teens.
To help you feel ready BEFORE you arrive, please review this webpage to prepare yourself for an amazing summer. The more ready you feel, the better our collective summer will be. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us this summer. We cannot wait to see the amazing work you will do in our community!
Warmly,
Kevin & Kristin
- Taking Care of Yourself at Camp
You’re going to work a lot during Beyond Akeela, and you’re going to work hard! We know that keeping you rested and healthy is essential to your role at camp. You can expect to have two days off each camp session, and two additional half days off. Additionally, everyone will have one activity period (50 minutes) off on a daily basis, and staff will have every other night off. All staff will have a full day off in between camp sessions.We encourage you to think about what your self care routine will be at camp. Days are long and strenuous, and everyone needs to have a self-care plan when they’re at camp to avoid burnout. Please take some time to think about how you’ll take care of yourself at camp. Let us know if you have any questions at all and how we can support your self care plan.
What’s around campus for time off?
- Great outdoor opportunities with Cape Cod and Blue Hills Reservation within short driving distance.
- Local restaurants near campus.
- On-campus fitness center.
- Providence, RI (~45 minutes from campus).
- Boston! (~30 minutes from campus)
- Staff Lounge with Roku TV
- Your Professional Development
We want to support your professional development goals this summer. Give some thought to what you hope to get out of this experience, as it will be a key part of your supervision sessions with a member of our leadership team! Below are some common skills you will practice and develop at camp:Coaching & Mentoring
Communication
Counseling
Critical Thinking
Group Leadership
Managing Behaviors
Neurodivergent Experience
Problem Solving
Self-Starting
Team Building - Staff Housing
All staff will live in single rooms in our Beyond Akeela dorm. We encourage you to bring some items that will help make your room feel like home and your space, be they decorations, pictures, etc. Your room will have a desk and wardrobe with closet/drawers. Hangers are not provided by the university, but your welcome to bring some.Staff will share communal bathrooms with other staff and campers that live in the same wing as them. There are private shower stalls and toilets in each bathroom. We will have some gender neutral housing available, and ask that you please let us know in advance of orientation if you’d prefer not to live in that wing.
- Packing List
Below is a guideline of what staff members should bring to camp with them. There are department stores and pharmacies close to campus so you can plan to get a few items from there, if you don’t want to travel with everything.
8 t-shirts
4 long-sleeved t-shirts
4 pair of jeans/sweatpants
4 pair shorts
4 sweatshirts/light jackets
2 pair shoes (comfortable for walking and being on your feet for extended periods of time)
10 pair underwear
10 pair athletic socks
2 pair of hiking socks
2 towels (for shower and swim)
1 shower caddy with toiletries
1 bathing suit
1 pair flip flops/sandals/Crocs
2 hats with brim
1 rain jacket or poncho
1 small backpack
1 water bottle or canteen
1 watch - Forms, Glorious Forms!
There are several required forms for your employment at Beyond Akeela. These forms are due May 10! To access and complete your forms, please click the Staff Log In link:
Beyond Akeela Staff Travel Information
Certifications (e.g. First Aid/CPR, Lifeguard…this is not required for all)
Driver’s License (If you do not have a driver’s license please let us know)
Health History Form
Physical Exam & Immunization Report (Must be from an appointment AFTER January 1, 2023)
Release for Background Check
Required ID for Domestic Staff
Staff T-Shirt Form
Voluntary Disclosure Form
*BOLD FORMS ARE REQUIRED BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AT CAMP*Several forms require contact and/or an appointment with your primary care physician or other medical professionals. Please begin working on these ASAP to avoid delayed access to your physician’s exam report and certificate of immunization.
- Travel to & from Camp
Please complete the online Staff Travel Form, on the forms dashboard of the staff log-in page. Please submit this form no later than May 10th.For those interested in driving to camp, there are places on site where you will be able to park your cars for the duration of the summer. We understand it is not possible for everyone to drive, and we plan to do pickups at Boston Logan Airport for those who cannot drive to camp. See below for arrival and departure details.
Arrival
Car: Please plan to arrive on campus between 3-4pm on the start date of your employment agreement.
Air Travel: We will be doing pickups at Boston Logan airport. Please plan to fly into or meet at Boston Logan airport no later than 2pm on your arrival day.Departure
Car: Please plan to start your drive home after 1pm on August 6th. There will be closing procedures at camp that we may ask for your help with.
Air Travel: Your expected departure date from camp is August 6th. Please plan to fly out of Boston Logan airport that afternoon no earlier than 3pm, as you will be helping Beyond Akeela campers get to their respective flights home that day. - Connecting Before Camp
Staff Zooms:
To help everyone get to know each other before camp begins we will schedule a couple all staff Zooms in April/May. These will be chances to go over some important pre-orientation topics and start building our team! We’ll send out Zoom details when these events are scheduled.GroupMe:
We have found GroupMe to be the easiest way for us to connect as a staff throughout the summer. We’ll be sending out an invite to the group before the summer so we can start getting the hang of using it together! Here are links to download the app for Androids and iPhones. It’s free to download and use. - Pay at Camp
You will be eligible to receive a portion of your travel allowance when you arrive at camp. You can collect two cash advances throughout the summer, each spread out roughly two weeks apart. All remaining compensation will be provided in a lump sum check at the end of the session. - Internet Access & Phones
Cell phones are a critical communication tool we will use throughout the summer. We ask that you are mindful of your phone use when around campers, it should be used strictly for camp communication when you are on-duty. The campus is wired for internet which you will get access to. You are welcome to bring your own laptop, and we will have camp computers in our dormitory that you can access for personal use while campers are not on them. - Mailing Address at Camp
Use the following address to mail anything to camp:Curry College
c/o Your Name, Beyond Akeela
1071 Blue Hill Avenue
Milton, MA 02186 - Boston Summer Weather
Expect sunny skies and warm weather for most of your time at camp. July is the warmest month of the
year in Boston, and it is typically in the mid 80’s during the days. Rain will still hit camp, so come prepared with some rain gear! We have an air-conditioned dorm to help us stay cool! - Ordering Akeela Clothing (Optional)
In the past, staff members have told us that they would like to purchase Beyond Akeela logo’d
clothing. This year, we are working with a clothing company called The Camp Spot. Of course, you’ll have a staff T-Shirt waiting for you at camp, and no purchases are required for staff.To order, go to Beyond Akeela’s Camp Spot Page and click on
“Shop Camp Store”. Use keycode “CGSTAFF” during checkout for 20% your order! Please call The Camp Spot (973-994-7416) if you have any questions.
