Volunteer at Walden West!!

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Walden West! Whether you volunteer to be a cabin leader during the school year or a counselor during the summer, you’ll find that it is a great opportunity to build self-esteem, work as part of a close knit team, and acquire leadership skills while having fun working with children.

School Year Volunteer

Summer Camp Volunteer

SCHOOL YEAR VOLUNTEER:

As a Cabin Leader, you will supervise 5^th/6^th grade students in the cabins, model appropriate behavior, assist during hiking class time, be a part of all camp activities and give the students someone to look up to and count on during their week away from home. You have a chance to be a part of these kids' life-long memories! It is hard work but extremely rewarding. Volunteers receive 100 hours of community service for their week at camp.

REQUIREMENTS:

We are looking for motivated volunteers for almost every week of the school year. We ask that volunteers are at least 16 (juniors, seniors) or have a reference from their school/teacher saying that they are mature and would make a good leader and role model.

All volunteers, 18 years and older, must be fingerprinted by the Live Scan Fingerprint Services in order to work with children at Walden West Outdoor School (you will not be able to volunteer without a Walden West fingerprint clearance even if you have been printed elsewhere). Your prints will take a few days to clear and may take up to two weeks, so please plan ahead!

Some high schools require a specific GPA or attendance record, others may only let students volunteer during their school breaks - please check with your school to learn what their policy is before signing up! If you will be missing class, all of your teachers and an administrator must be willing to sign you out.

Volunteers not currently in high school do need a reference of their character. A simple note from an employer, college professor or past high school teacher stating that you would be a good match to work with children will do. (Please note- if you are 18 years old or older, we will be sending your name through the County Office's database as per Megan's Law protocol.)

HOW TO SIGN UP:

• Figure out what date you are available/interested in coming to Walden West. Check with your school about major exams, school events or potential conflicts. Talk to your parents/guardians and make sure that they are comfortable with you signing up and don't have other plans for that date. You need to talk to your school and parents before you sign up and write it down on your calendar! Feel free to get a group of friends together and come together. If you have a large group, call in advance to the Cabin Leader Coordinator (408) 573-3056 and see what week we can accommodate you.
•   Fill out the online application/request.  Once you fill out this request, you have made a commitment that you are serious about volunteering. If you fill out the request online and are no longer able to volunteer, you need to call the Cabin Leader Coordinator immediately. We have limited space and are counting on people to follow through. Please don't wait to cancel, we need to fill your spot!
• You should receive an email back within a few days confirming your request. Some weeks fill really fast so feel free to sign up far in advance. If you do not receive confirmation within a week, please call the Cabin Leader Coordinator to check on your request.
• Once confirmed, get your Health/Transportation and Excused Absence Form completed and signed. If teachers/administrators or parents refuse to sign them, please let us know so we can help or cancel your request. These forms are available online at Forms and Publications (under For Cabin Leaders section). Print the 2 required forms, complete them and bring them with you to camp. You may also print and complete the Contract and Volunteer Agreement forms and bring those with you too. There is also a packing list you can download and use! ***Don't forget to stop by your Attendance Office and have them photocopy your signed Excused Absence Form!
• Plan for the training. There is a mandatory cabin leader training the night before students arrive each week at 6:30pm at Walden West, 15555 Sanborn Rd. Saratoga, Ca 95070 (this is usually Sunday night but is Monday night on 4-day weeks!). You should eat dinner before the training and bring all of your paperwork and luggage with you. You will spend the night at Walden West and be there to greet the students in the morning. Directions are available on our web page, beware of GoogleMaps/YahooMaps giving confusing directions. Camp is only about 10 minutes from downtown Saratoga up Highway 9.
• We will send you an email a week before your scheduled date to confirm that you are all set and have a ride up to camp. It is extremely helpful if you can get a ride to camp for the training - carpooling is a great idea! We do have a van that can pick volunteers up at their local high schools but seating is limited! When we check in with you the week before, let us know if you will need a ride up to camp. **Rides back to your school on Friday after camp are available too, we will check in with you once you are at camp! We end around 12:00pm, noon, on Friday.
• Respond to our final check in! Please email us back to let us know that we should be counting on you as a volunteer! Don't just ignore messages, keep us informed. If you can't check email, call us and let us know!
• Show up!!! Be on time and have all of your paperwork and luggage. If you will be late, or get lost, call us so we can help! All volunteers meet in the Main Lodge next to the parking lot at our Sanborn Site (even if you are volunteering at the Costanoan Site) at 6:30pm.

The training will answer all sorts of questions and teach you all you need to know about being a leader. Most weeks we will split the group of volunteers, asking some to go to our second site on Tuesday. We will do our best to take requests and keep friends together but do not make promises in advance!

SUMMER CAMP VOLUNTEER:

As a Counselor, you will have three different opportunities to volunteer. You may work one week at Wild Things, Day Camp, and Core Crew for a total of three weeks during the summer. All of these programs require patient, caring, and responsible high school and college students. You can choose to volunteer up to three weeks, but, because of the large number of volunteers you can work with each program only once.

Counselors who want credit should let Badger know during the week they are at camp. He will provide them with a form letter or they can bring a service form from their school. Summer Camp volunteers receive 55 hours, Wild Things 40 hours, and Core Crew 40 hours.

Summer Counselors must be at least 15 years old, or be LIT graduates, and have previous involvement in any of our programs as either a camper or counselor.

Those interested in volunteering as a Summer Camp Counselor should call Badger, Summer Camp Director, @ 408-573-3055 and leave their name and email address. Please speak slowly and clearly to insure that we have your correct address.

Information regarding Summer Counselors will be sent in late April. Applicants will be asked to schedule a meeting with Badger at which time they will be asked to complete a form listing their availability for work. Please do not worry about scheduling vacation around volunteer dates. Badger will work around your schedule.

Leaders-in-Training graduates from the previous summer will automatically receive this information if their email address hasn’t changed.

For more information call Walden West Science Center at (408) 573-3060 or email us at waldenwest@sccoe.org.