About JONES CENTER
For 30 years, Jones Center has been a trusted community anchor for Northwest Arkansas—a place where everyone can learn, play, and thrive together. With 600,000 annual visitors and a mission to fuel community connections and cultivate spaces and experiences for all, we serve as a dynamic hub for education, recreation, arts, and nonprofit sustainability. Through our Jones Community for Nonprofits campuses, we empower more than 100 mission-driven organizations, strengthening the social fabric of our region.

Job Summary

The Seasonal Camp Support Specialist reports directly to the Education Programs Manager. This seasonal, part-time position supports the summer day camp program by providing an additional layer of camper care, behavior support, and counselor guidance.

This position is designed for a caring, calm, and highly supportive individual who can help children acclimate to the camp environment, assist campers experiencing behavioral or emotional challenges, and provide practical guidance on camper management and engagement to camp counselors. The Seasonal Camp Support Specialist serves as a trusted support presence for campers and staff, helping create a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and positive camp experience.

Main Responsibilities

· Provides calm, compassionate support to campers who are struggling to adjust to the camp environment, daily schedule, transitions, group activities, or separation from caregivers.

· Supports campers experiencing frustration, anxiety, homesickness, overstimulation, conflict, or difficulty following camp expectations.

· Uses positive behavior support strategies, redirection, encouragement, and relationship-building to help campers rejoin activities when appropriate.

· Help maintain a safe, welcoming, and inclusive camp environment for all campers.

· Assists with identifying patterns or triggers that may be impacting a camper’s ability to participate successfully in camp activities.

· Communicates camper concerns, recurring behavior challenges, or significant incidents to the Education Programs Manager.

· Provides real-time guidance to camp counselors on camper management and engagement, behavior redirection, conflict resolution, and age-appropriate communication.

· Models calm, respectful, and consistent approaches to supporting camper behavior.

· Helps counselors develop practical strategies for group management, transitions, and inclusion of campers who need additional support.

· Serves as a resource for counselors while reinforcing camp policies, safety expectations, and program goals.

· Assists with camper supervision during high-need times, including drop-off, pick-up, transitions, lunch, large-group activities, and unstructured play.

· Follows all Jones Center policies and procedures related to child safety, supervision, incident reporting, confidentiality, and emergency response.

· Documents and reports of significant camper incidents, concerns, or parent communication needs according to camp procedures.

Additional Responsibilities

· Able to perform other general duties and special projects assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Required Skills and Abilities

· Ability to communicate with children, families, counselors, and supervisors in a positive, calm, and helpful manner.

· Strong Ability to remain patient, professional, and emotionally regulated during stressful or challenging situations.

· Ability to build rapport with children quickly and communicate with warmth and clarity.

· Understanding of positive behavior support, child development, trauma-informed care, social-emotional learning, or similar approaches.

· Ability to de-escalate challenging situations safely and respectfully.

· Ability to provide guidance to camp counselors in a supportive and nonjudgmental manner.

· Good judgment in knowing when to step in, when to coach staff, and when to involve camp leadership.

· Dependable, flexible, and able to work in an active camp environment.

· Commitment to inclusion, access, and creating a positive experience for every camper.

· Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.

Education, Training, and Experience

· Experience working with children in a camp, school, childcare, youth program, recreation, counseling, social work, or similar setting.

· Experience supporting children with behavioral, emotional, developmental, sensory, or adjustment-related needs preferred.

· Experience in education, special education, counseling, social work, occupational therapy, youth development, or behavioral support preferred.

· CPR/First Aid certification preferred.

· Must meet all Jones Center requirements for seasonal youth-serving staff, including background check requirements.

Physical Requirements

· Ability to move throughout the Jones Center campus and participate in an active camp environment.

· Ability to remain stationary, stand, walk, bend, and supervise children during indoor and outdoor activities.

· Ability to respond quickly to camper needs, behavioral concerns, or safety situations.

· Must be comfortable working in a busy, energetic environment with frequent transitions and noise.

· Ability to work in indoor and outdoor camp environments, including occasional exposure to summer weather conditions.

· Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.