Written by Jennifer Brady, fifth year Kohut staff member, Staff Coordinator and current 18-Month J-1 Visa Summer Camp Intern
Behind every successful summer at Kamp there is a team of people working together towards the same goal, to make the summer the #BestSummerEver. At Kohut, this team is the Kohut Staff. From the Year-Round-Team and our Kohut Counselors to the Support Staff and Leadership Team, there are over 110+ individuals each summer who help keep the wheels of Kohut turning, and without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Come with us as we share more about the various types of people who are best suited to work at Kamp, the hiring process, and how they are trained (both before and after they arrive at Kamp) to ensure the Kohut experiences they create for our campers is the best it can be.
Every year our staff surprise us more and more with their incredible attitudes, remarkable teaching skills and their overall commitment to making the summer the best one yet! One of our favourite parts of the staff experience is bringing young adults from all over the world to Kamp to create the magic that is Kohut. In Summer 2026 alone we have already hired a fantastic team from over 15 countries!
There are a number of different ways we find our staff: word of mouth, college coaches, hiring fairs, and international agencies.
Around half of our staff are international, and each of them have to go through a visa sponsorship agency. These agencies, with their own vetting process on top of Kohut’s, are crucial partners in finding the most qualified staff. Even before applications find their way to our desk, these international staff applicants will have undergone background checks, have had multiple references checked, and qualifications certified. When possible, we also love to attend international hiring fairs so that we can meet these staff applicants in person and really get to know them. Some of our super star Kohut staff members from previous summers also attend these fairs with us, giving us even more perspective on if they feel an applicant could be a successful future member of the Kohut staff.
From the moment a staff member is hired, they are in contact with a member of the Year Round Kohut Team through to the moment they arrive at Kohut in June. Staff are kept up to date with any forms they need to complete, reminded of visa appointments, provided with information about packing, transportation, and more as we inch closer to the summer. We also create social media groups and have monthly zooms for our staff to meet one another as well as the Kohut Leadership Team. We want our staff to be as equally excited and prepared for their summer as our campers are, even before arriving at Kohut for orientation.
Even before everyone is on Kamp for all-staff Orientation, there are a lot of trainings and specialized courses needing to be completed. Typically, our Waterfront and Outdoor Education teams arrive at the start of June as both departments require extensive, mulit-day trainings delivered by specialists from outside of Kohut. For nearly two weeks, staff are completing ropes, waterski, lifeguarding and boat-driving certification courses, with plenty of time for training, observation, and practice. The health and safety of everyone at Kohut is incredibly important and a key part of our mission to provide a high-quality instructional program at Kohut. After all, everyone needs to learn the ropes… pun intended!
After two weeks of these specialized trainings, it is time for our all-staff orientation. All-staff Orientation at Kohut is an industry leading 11 days. We are committed to an extensive and lengthy Staff Orientation that discusses every aspect of camp life, and leaves our staff feeling confident in themselves and us feeling confident in our staff. It is the perfect way for every member of staff to bond, from our Admin Team to the activity departments to our Support Staff, everyone feels connected by the end of our Orientation.
Staff happiness is essential for keeping our staff motivated, focused, and for them to be willing to put in the hard work of the summer camp job. We want our staff to feel trust within their many different teams at Kohut and work well together. Throughout orientation and the rest of the summer, we organize off-Kamp excursions and memorable special experiences to show our appreciation for all of their hard work. One evening our staff may enjoy a private chartered 2-hour sunset boat cruise and the next day there could be a Dunkin Donuts food truck!
The staff experience, particularly for our international staff and the cultural exchange component of their visa, is incredibly important. Kohut works hard to create many different opportunities to experience American culture, specifically in the beautiful state of Maine, from our fun trips and activities during Orientation, to helping plan staff time off in the summer, to networking and creating long lasting Kohut alumni connections well beyond the summer. As child development specialists, we want our staff to leave their time at Kohut with experiences, skills, and real-world connections to use for the rest of their lives. Take it from us, our staff enjoy their summer just as much as our campers do!
Many of our staff have never experienced summer camp before, especially one in the United States, and yet have grown up hearing about it through TV, social media, and many friends with connections and ties to summer camps. This is why we want our staff to have a feel for what every aspect of Kohut is like. I mean, wouldn’t you want to experience summer camp for the first time again?!
One of our favourite things we organise for our staff, and a highlight in our summer, is the staff ‘Day in The Life.’ During Staff Training and Orientation, our staff get to teach one activity to another group of staff and then participate in the other five periods, as if they were a Kohut camper. It’s not only great practice but also a wonderful way to experience Kohut daily life. We also have all of the staff participate in a Staff Trip Day, so not only can they be prepared for our weekly Trip Days, but they also get to experience our favorite places in beautiful Maine and New Hampshire.
It is safe to say we place a high value on our staff’s experience, and making sure everyone feels welcome, included, prepared, and appreciated. We truly believe this is one of many reasons we have so many staff members return year after year and for multiple years! On average around 70% of our staff return the next summer, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Our Kohut staff are very close and many of them stay friends for life. As I write this I am sat thinking of my Kohut friends, who I can proudly say are the closest people in my life. I’m sure you all can recall similar friendships made in similar situations. It is crazy to think that without my summers at Kohut, I wouldn’t have these friendships at all. Ultimately, it all comes back to the experience I had as a first year counsellor, which kept me coming back year after year. My first few summers set the foundation of my lifelong friendships and my love for Kohut, and to me it is important that every staff member has the same opportunity.
To end this, I should tell you what the best part is: Every new staff member has their own chance to create unforgettable memories, build lifelong friendships, and understand what makes camp so special. It all starts with that first interview.