Dressing up at farmfest

Each summer Camp Treetops looks for seasonal staff to fill positions as counselors, registered nurses, cooks, kitchen assistants, and farm interns.

Occasionally, year-round positions, which serve both Camp Treetops and North Country School, become open. Year-round positions can be found here.

Apply To Work At Treetops

What We Look For

Treetops looks for applicants who are emotionally mature and able to live and work in a fast-paced, intense, rewarding camp community where they will serve as positive role models for children. We are especially interested in individuals who:
have a genuine respect for children

  • experience working with children
  • a love for the outdoors
  • a sense of adventure
  • flexibility
  • patience
  • a sense of humor
  • lots of energy.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation is dependent upon experience and job responsibilities.

Benefits include:

  • room and board
  • laundry facilities
  • opportunity to live, work, and play in a beautiful setting
  • computer and Internet access.

Of course the greatest benefit comes with the meaningful relationships and friendships developed with children and peers, the opportunity to help children have transformative experiences, and becoming a contributing member of the Treetops community.

Employment Dates & Time Off

The employment period extends from mid-June through mid-August. Staff arrive two weeks before campers for orientation (see below) and remain three days after campers depart in August.

All staff members will have at least six days off during the seven-week camper season, to be arranged as duties permit. In addition to a day off, staff members usually have two other evenings off per week, which begins after dinner.

Staff Orientation

All staff attend our comprehensive staff training before the arrival of our campers. A fun and educational time, Staff Orientation provides time for staff to get to know each other and to acquaint (or reacquaint) themselves with our program. Staff participate in a combination of group work periods to set up the Camp activity areas and living quarters and training sessions that cover a range of topics — from Treetops philosophy to how the program works, health and safety concerns, and sessions on working effectively with children.

Staff also have the opportunity for certification in courses such as Wilderness First Aid, CPR, and Lifeguard Training.

Accommodations

With our commitment to simple living, our staff are housed in rustic cabins or wooden platform tents designed for two to four people. Staff accommodations are separate from but nearby those of the children.

Seasonal Employment

Each summer Camp Treetops hires approximately:

  • 75 counselors
  • 2 to 3 registered nurses
  • 2 to 3 cooks
  • 10 kitchen assistants
  • 2 to 3 farm interns

When to Apply

We begin accepting applications in early September and start the interview process in early December. Interviews continue until all staff positions are filled — typically around mid-March.

Apply Now

How to Apply

1. Read through the description of the position(s) you’re interested in and the qualifications to ensure that you meet all requirements.

2. You can save your application and continue to work on it later. However, if you plan on completing it in one sitting, please allow at least 15 to 30 minutes.

3. Gather necessary information needed to complete the application in one sitting:

  • contact information for three references
  • employment information for the past two years (including summer): employer name, email, location, start, and end dates
  • certification information for CPR/AED, EMT, Lifeguard Training, Nursing License, Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, WSI.

4. Apply using our online application. Click here for the online application.

Interviews & Hiring

We must receive all three reference forms before we contact applicants to schedule an interview.

Interviews are conducted in person, by phone, or via Zoom, based on your location and availability.

Hiring decisions are generally made two to four weeks after the interview.

Year-round positions at Camp Treetops and North Country School:

Seasonal positions Camp Treetops

Counselor

Counselors must be at least 18 years old and out of high school for at least one year. We want our counselors to have experience working with children, understand our philosophy, and be able to offer activities in several areas.

About North Country School / Camp Treetops

Located in Lake Placid, NY, North Country School is a junior boarding and day school for
students in grades 4-9. The school educates and nurtures children today in such a way that they
develop the resourcefulness and skills they need for tomorrow. For over 75 years, North Country School has achieved this by placing daily and equal emphasis on arts and outdoor education and by upholding values, such as our commitment to the environment and the
importance of working as a community. Learn more about North Country School here.

Camp Treetops is an overnight summer camp for children ages 8-14 years old, which nurtures
an inclusive community with an emphasis on values that remain vital to this day – child-
centered education, the fostering of self-reliance and self-confidence, living in harmony with
nature, and preserving a child’s world through a summer unplugged.

EOE Statement

WE ARE AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Applicants and employees are
considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, race,
color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status,
sexual orientation, marital status, or any other protected Federal, State/Province, or Local status
unrelated to the performance of the work involved.

Nurse

Must be a licensed Registered Nurse in New York State with nursing experience, preferably with children. They should have the desire to work and live in a camp community and the ability to work as a member of a team.

About North Country School / Camp Treetops

Located in Lake Placid, NY, North Country School is a junior boarding and day school for
students in grades 4-9. The school educates and nurtures children today in such a way that they
develop the resourcefulness and skills they need for tomorrow. For over 75 years, North Country School has achieved this by placing daily and equal emphasis on arts and outdoor education and by upholding values, such as our commitment to the environment and the
importance of working as a community. Learn more about North Country School here.

Camp Treetops is an overnight summer camp for children ages 8-14 years old, which nurtures
an inclusive community with an emphasis on values that remain vital to this day – child-
centered education, the fostering of self-reliance and self-confidence, living in harmony with
nature, and preserving a child’s world through a summer unplugged.

EOE Statement

WE ARE AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Applicants and employees are
considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, race,
color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status,
sexual orientation, marital status, or any other protected Federal, State/Province, or Local status
unrelated to the performance of the work involved.

Kitchen Assistant

Kitchen Assistants must be at least 18 years old. They should have an interest in preparing food and working in a camp kitchen, the skill to interact positively with children, and the ability to accept supervision in occasionally fast-paced situations.

About North Country School / Camp Treetops

Located in Lake Placid, NY, North Country School is a junior boarding and day school for
students in grades 4-9. The school educates and nurtures children today in such a way that they
develop the resourcefulness and skills they need for tomorrow. For over 75 years, North Country School has achieved this by placing daily and equal emphasis on arts and outdoor education and by upholding values, such as our commitment to the environment and the
importance of working as a community. Learn more about North Country School here.

Camp Treetops is an overnight summer camp for children ages 8-14 years old, which nurtures
an inclusive community with an emphasis on values that remain vital to this day – child-
centered education, the fostering of self-reliance and self-confidence, living in harmony with
nature, and preserving a child’s world through a summer unplugged.

EOE Statement

WE ARE AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Applicants and employees are
considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, race,
color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status,
sexual orientation, marital status, or any other protected Federal, State/Province, or Local status
unrelated to the performance of the work involved.

Summer Farm Interns

Job Description

We’re seeking three summer farm interns for the 2023 season from June through August.

Summer farm interns will participate in all aspects of the farm, both in the gardens, at the barn, and within the camp program. 

You will help lead twice daily chores at the barn, garden, and compost. You will offer weekly farm-based activities for campers and help prepare and lead a weekly garden lunch. Activities are whimsical and connected to our garden and animal spaces. We take pride in being well organized and maintaining beauty in the fields and the quality of what we produce and grow. We work with children and camp counselors connecting to the natural world.

In the gardens, you will be a part of everything from seeding to transplanting to harvest and working with our farm-to-table kitchen. You will spend a lot of time preparing fields and planting and working to tend tomatoes in our 100 ft greenhouse. During the summer, the focus will be on the production gardens and perennial gardens. We typically grow over 30 varieties of annual flowers and 25 annual vegetables and herbs.

You will also work year-round at our barnyard, caring for and learning about chickens, turkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, and horses. We harvest our birds on-site with the help of a caring community of adults and children. You will help campers and students with daily barn chores to care for the well-being of our animals year-round. You will be responsible for all animal chores twice daily on weekends during the school year. 

Desired Skills and Qualifications

  • A strong work ethic and timeliness with an eye for detail and efficiency.
  • Upbeat, able to find joy in simple moments, willing to laugh and have fun. We work closely together, and camaraderie is part of the joy of farm work. Communication is vital for understanding instructions and maintaining a comfortable work environment. 
  • Proactive and forward-thinking, both in daily farm tasks and your education. Even if no explicit instruction is happening, there are always opportunities to learn. 
  • Able to perform physical labor. There are often long days spent doing physical work in various weather conditions. 
  • Year-round farm interns must be able to lift 50 lbs., kneel for long periods, and be comfortable with repetitive tasks. 
  • Night and weekend work 
  • A driver’s license and clean driving record.
  • Must be 21 years old or older to operate equipment
  • Prior farming experience is a plus but not necessary. You will learn as you go, as our campers and students do in our hands-on experiential learning model. 

Compensation

Summer farm interns are paid a stipend, housing, meals, and paid time off.

This intern position is an excellent opportunity to learn more about growing food for your community and farm education. We want to be your guides on that journey! 

How to Apply

To apply, please send the following to 

a) Tell us about yourself, your interests, your longer-term plans, and why you want to work on an educational farm

b) What do you hope to learn?

e) Do you have any previous related work experiences on a farm or in a school?

g) What is your learning style?

i) Please include a resume.

j) Please provide three references from previous work experience. 

About North Country School / Camp Treetops

Located in Lake Placid, NY, North Country School is a junior boarding and day school for
students in grades 4-9. The school educates and nurtures children today in such a way that they
develop the resourcefulness and skills they need for tomorrow. For over 75 years, North Country School has achieved this by placing daily and equal emphasis on arts and outdoor education and by upholding values, such as our commitment to the environment and the
importance of working as a community. Learn more about North Country School here.

Camp Treetops is an overnight summer camp for children ages 8-14 years old, which nurtures
an inclusive community with an emphasis on values that remain vital to this day – child-
centered education, the fostering of self-reliance and self-confidence, living in harmony with
nature, and preserving a child’s world through a summer unplugged.

EOE Statement

WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Applicants and employees are
considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, race,
color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status,
sexual orientation, marital status, or any other protected Federal, State/Province, or Local status
unrelated to the performance of the work involved.

Year round positions at Camp Treetops and North Country School

Mental Health Professional

North Country School and Camp Treetops is seeking an experienced and collaborative Mental Health
Professional. This position is full-time, year-round, and would work with both the School and Camp.
The Mental Health Professional would be responsible for overseeing the general health and wellbeing of
the students and campers. The successful candidate must be comfortable working to support the mental
health and well-being of children and adults in the community. Responsibilities would include:
● Educating children and adults on social-emotional wellbeing
● Developing and establishing mental health protocols and procedures
● Facilitating connections with at-home mental health providers
● Work towards reducing the number of acute and sub-acute mental health crises
● Reduce stigma around behavioral/mental health challenges & services
● One-on-one sessions with children and adults, as needed
Requirements and Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
● License Preferred- MSW, LCSW, LMHC, NCC
● Passion for interacting with children ages 8-14 and supporting adults in the community
● The desire for a highly collaborative work environment that values innovation and creativity
● Sense of humor and a pitch-in, can-do, “yes…and” attitude
● Satisfactorily completed a nationwide criminal background check.
Interested candidates should email a resume, cover letter, and references to
.

About North Country School / Camp Treetops
Located in Lake Placid, NY, North Country School is a junior boarding and day school for students in
grades 4-9. The school educates and nurtures children today in such a way that they develop the
resourcefulness and skills they need for tomorrow. For over 75 years North Country School has achieved
this by placing daily and equal emphasis on arts and outdoor education and by upholding values, such as
our commitment to the environment and the importance of working as a community.
www.northcountryschool.org

Camp Treetops is an overnight summer camp for children ages 8-14 years old, which nurtures an
inclusive community with an emphasis on values that remain vital to this day – child-centered education,
the fostering of self-reliance and self-confidence, living in harmony with nature, and preserving a child’s
world through a summer unplugged.

EOE Statement: WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Applicants and employees are
considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, race, color,
religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation,
marital status or any other protected Federal, State/Province, or Local status unrelated to the
performance of the work involved.

Kitchen Cook

Now hiring a full-time/year-round cook for North Country School/Camp Treetops.

Starting pay is commensurate with experience. We provide amazing benefits including health insurance from day 1. We cook with produce that has been grown in our gardens or locally procured. Our pork and lamb have been raised on site and cared for by our farm staff and our students and campers. We buy other meats locally, sustaining our local economy. We also raise our own chickens and turkeys for both meat and eggs.

Our cooks have the opportunity to cook using their individual skills. We prepare meals from scratch every day and provide family-style meals to our students and staff (with exceptions due to managing during the pandemic). We bake our own bread and are creative in providing desserts.

This is a full-time position with 2 days off each week and a schedule that allows you to be home at a reasonable time each night. If you are interested, please contact us with a resume with job experience.

EOE Statement:

WE ARE AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. Applicants and employees are considered for positions and are evaluated without regard to mental or physical disability, race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status or any other protected Federal, State/Province or Local status unrelated to the performance of the work involved.

About North Country School and Camp Treetops:

North Country School (NCS), an independent boarding and day school for grades 4-9, and Camp Treetops, a seven-week, overnight summer camp, share a spectacular 200-acre campus in the Adirondack High Peaks region of upstate New York.  North Country School and Camp Treetops serves children from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and countries and provides a humanistic education rooted in respect and responsibility for self and others. At NCS, children are known well by the dedicated, multi-talented adults who teach and care for them. NCS’s unique programming includes an engaging traditional core curriculum at school and hands-on projects alongside signature programs in the arts, farm and garden, outdoors, and community life for both school and camp. With extensive offerings in studio and performing arts, outdoor activities from horseback riding to ice climbing, and barn and garden experiences like watching lambs give birth or harvesting vegetables, NCS provides a variety of venues in which every child can find success.

Year-round Farm Intern 2023-24

Come farm with us! We’re seeking two year-round farm interns for the 2023-2024 season from June-June. 

Job Description

Year-round farm interns will participate in all aspects of the farm, both in the gardens and at the barn.

In the gardens, you will be a part of everything from seeding to transplanting, tractor work, harvest, and working with our farm-to-table kitchen. During the internship, you and our garden manager will help manage our rotating drum compost facility. You will spend a lot of time preparing fields and planting and working to tend tomatoes in our 100 ft greenhouse. During the months of May-October, the focus will be on the production gardens and perennial gardens. In the winter and spring, we will create a crop plan, take classes to further our farming knowledge, and prepare for and lead the community in maple sugaring in our 11-acre sugar bush. We typically grow over 30 varieties of annual flowers and more than 25 annual vegetables and herbs.

You will also work year-round at our barn, caring for and learning about chickens, turkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, and horses. We harvest our birds on-site with the help of a caring community of adults and children. You will help campers and students with daily barn chores to care for the well-being of our animals year-round. You will be responsible for all animal chores twice daily on weekends during the school year.

During the camp season from June through August, you will help lead twice daily chores at the barn, in the pasture, compost, and gardens on a weekly rotation – experiencing each area of the farm with campers and counselors. Each week, you will offer 1–2-hour activities with campers in the camp you are working in (Junior 8-11 or Senior 12-14). These activities are focused on farming and the natural environment here in the Adirondacks. These activities are whimsical and based on your personal interests and connecting the farm to our campers’ experience. You will participate in, and help lead weekly community mornings during the summer in each camp, where a large amount of the farm-related job takes place. You will also help cook Sunday lunch for the campers on the garden harvest that week. Again, the creativity is up to you!

Each week during the school year, from September through May, you will support an Edible Schoolyard (ESY) class. Here, you can share connections from our farm to the classroom. There are often times to incorporate the farm into other core classes throughout the year. You will offer (2) “out times” per week each week. These are outside and active activities at the end of the school day that brings students to the farm and the outdoors. The farm works together to head tables at breakfast and lunch. The school year is a balance between working on the farm and supporting the school program. Your day will be a mix of both farm work and working within the school community. Weekend programming is a space to be creative with a group of students. These could include working at the barn part of the day and cooking lunch, seeing a play, or going for a cross-country ski. The possibilities are endless and up to your interests and the students’ interests. Being a part of the school community includes going to town meetings, faculty meetings, home nights, and all school events where we can come together and share our work.

We take pride in being well organized and maintaining beauty in the fields and the quality of what we produce and grow.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

  • A strong work ethic and timeliness with an eye for detail and efficiency.
  • Upbeat, able to find joy in simple moments, willing to laugh and have fun. We work closely together, and camaraderie is part of the joy of farm work. Communication is vital for understanding instructions and maintaining a comfortable work environment.
  • Proactive and forward-thinking, both in daily farm tasks and your education. Even if no explicit instruction is happening, there are always opportunities to learn.
  • Able to perform physical labor. There are often long days spent doing physical work in various weather conditions. Must be willing to work long days, sometimes long nights, to provide direct care for our farm.
  • Year-round farm interns must be able to lift 50 lbs., kneel for long periods, and be comfortable with repetitive tasks.
  • Night and weekend work
  • Willingness to learn how to operate farm equipment
  • A driver’s license and clean driving record.
  • Must be 21 years old or older to operate equipment
  • Prior farming experience is a plus but not necessary. You will learn as you go, as our campers and students do in our hands-on experiential learning model.

Compensation

Year-round interns receive a monthly stipend, housing, all regular meals, and paid time off. Additionally, year-round interns can elect to sign up for health insurance.

Ultimately, this year-round farm internship can be your stepping stone. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about growing food for your community and farm education. We want to be your guides on that journey!

How to Apply

To apply, please send the following to

  1. a) Tell us about yourself, your interests, your longer-term plans, and why you want to work on an educational farm
  2. b) What do you hope to learn?
  3. e) Do you have any previous related work experiences on a farm or in a school?
  4. g) What is your learning style?
  5. i) Please include a resume.
  6. j) Please provide three references from previous work experience.

Located in Lake Placid, NY, North Country School is a junior boarding and day school for grades 4-9. The school educates and nurtures children today in such a way that they develop the resourcefulness and skills they need for tomorrow. For over 75 years, North Country School has achieved this by placing daily and equal emphasis on arts and outdoor education and by upholding values, such as our commitment to the environment and the importance of working as a community.

Camp Treetops is an overnight summer camp for children ages 8-14 years old, which nurtures an inclusive community with an emphasis on values that remain vital to this day – child-centered education, the fostering of self-reliance and self-confidence, living in harmony with nature, and preserving a child’s world through a summer unplugged.