Counselors-in-Training (CITs) are volunteers at camp who assist color or studio counselors, help guide campers, and provide a welcoming atmosphere in a crucial volunteer role. Many of our counselors begin as CITs and are vital to the ongoing training and development of our youth counselor program. CITs tend to work alongside color counselors but can also be assigned to work in specific studios supporting the studio artists.
CITs become familiar with most aspects of camp and abide by the same staff expectations as all staff, volunteers, and campers. They learn to become counselors by assisting in color groups and in studios throughout the week by supporting campers alongside color and studio counselors. CITs are not guaranteed counselor positions once they are 16, but many apply as counselors. It is helpful, but not necessary, to have been an art camper previously.
CITs earn community service hours for their volunteer time spent developing leadership experience and will receive a Certificate of Service at the end of the summer. We hope to receive a special grant for thank you gift card funding. We are extremely thankful for our CIT volunteers and hope to give each one a small gift card honorarium thank you for their valued multi-week service to camp.
Qualifications for CITs
- 14 - 15 years of age -- based on our experience, it is important for CITs to take a year or two off between being an art camper and a CIT.
- Have experience caring for younger children and some love and passion in one or more artistic areas of interest via their high school or through other lessons.
- Attend the required Grace Art Camp Orientation & Training (lunch provided!).
- Available to work 2-3 weeks - at least two of the weeks should be consecutive.
- Because camp is organized into weekly sessions, full-time attendance for the assigned weeks is required.
- The CIT program does not ensure employment as a camp counselor at 16 years of age.
- Communicate directly with Grace Institute hiring staff during the application, training, assignment, and performance process.
- Agree to a background check.
SPECIAL NOTE FOR PARENTS OF CITS
We are happy that you are supporting your child’s interest in joining Grace Art Camp as volunteer staff! It is important for young people to go through the application process themselves – from inquiry to application submission to interview. We are interested in their own perspectives and it is an excellent life skill to develop by initiating contact of their own accord. In this way, we get to know these potential counselors better and begin cultivating a relationship with them from the beginning.
Our most successful counselors embrace this responsibility and enjoy taking ownership in what can be a significant part of their summer as well as into their high school and college years. If you have questions about how you might best support your child through this process, please contact the Executive Director, Ashley Klump: ashleyk@grace-institute.org.
2025 Applications are now closed.
Summer 2026 Applications will be Posted in Early February
Click here for the 2025 CIT Application.
Please submit completed 3-page application to:
Ashley Klump, Executive Director
via email at ashleyk@grace-institute.org or mail to:
Grace Art Camp, 1535 NE 17th Ave, Portland, OR 97232
(Emailed applications MUST be sent as a PDF document;
Please DO NOT load into Google Docs platform, it obscures the formatting and you will need to resubmit.)
Grace Institute is an equal opportunity employer/organization working toward cultivating a set of attitudes, perspectives, behaviors and policies that continuously promote equity, diversity, inclusion and cultural responsiveness.
Grace Institute does not discriminate in its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, military or veteran status, socioeconomic status, and any other marginalized characteristics protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
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