What is a camp counselor agreement?
Camp staff are often young, often away from home, and responsible for other people's children around the clock. Parents, licensing bodies and accreditors expect camps to check staff, train them and hold them to clear rules. Counselors, for their part, need to know what they will be paid, where they will sleep and when they get time off.
This template works for residential and day camps. It records the position, campers' ages, who the counselor reports to, the staff training start date, last day and sessions; pay, pay schedule and hours records; housing and meals, time off, travel and an optional end-of-season bonus; the background checks and certifications required; safeguarding rules on supervision, private contact, photos and reporting concerns to your named lead; phone rules and conduct, including no alcohol or drugs at camp; health information; emergencies and signing out on time off; and how either side can end the job, with help getting home.
- Best for
- Residential summer camps, day camps, sports and activity camps
- Signed by
- The camp director and the counselor
- Covers
- Pay, housing and meals, time off, checks, safeguarding, phones, conduct, ending
- Length
- 3 pages, initialled on every page
When to use a camp counselor agreement
- Hiring cabin counselors for a residential summer season
- Bringing on waterfront or climbing specialists who need certifications
- Day camp staff for school holiday programmes
- Returning counselors signing for a new season
- International counselors arriving for staff training
What you fill in
25 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: camp, counselor.
1 The job
- Camp name*
- Camp address*
- Counselor's full name*
- Type of camp* a residential (overnight) camp · a day camp
- Position*
- Campers' ages
- Reports to*
2 Dates
- Staff training starts*
- Last day of work*
- Camp sessions (optional)
3 Pay and benefits
- Currency*
- Pay*
- Paid* per hour · per day · per week · for the whole season
- Pay schedule*
- Housing and meals
- Time off*
- Travel to and from camp (optional)
4 Safeguarding
- Background checks required*
- Certifications to hold
- Safeguarding or child protection lead*
5 Rules
- Personal phones* kept away during on-duty hours and used only in staff areas on breaks and time off · handed in at the start of each duty shift and returned at the end · allowed on duty only for camp business
- Other camp rules (optional)
6 Ending
- End-of-season bonus (optional)
- Notice to end (days)*
- Governing law*
7 Who signs
- Camp signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The camp director or another person authorised to hire staff.
- Counselor signature and date, initials on every page · The counselor signs in their own name. If they are under 18, a parent or guardian should also agree to the terms; check local rules for young workers.
What the camp counselor agreement covers
- Role and dates
- Pay, housing and time off
- Safeguarding, checks and training
- Phones and conduct
- Health
- Emergencies and leaving camp
- Ending the job
- General
Using the camp counselor agreement, step by step
1 Describe the job
Enter the camp, the counselor, residential or day camp, the position, campers' ages and who they report to.
2 Set the dates
Add the staff training start date and the last day of work, and the session dates if you like.
3 Pay and benefits
Enter pay, how it is calculated and when it is paid, housing and meals, time off, travel and any end-of-season bonus.
4 Safeguarding
Name the background checks and certifications required and your safeguarding lead. Choose a phone rule and add any other camp rules.
5 Ending and signing
Set the notice period and governing law, then send it to the counselor to sign online before they arrive.
Tips before you send it
- Don't let a counselor work with campers until their checks are back. The agreement makes that a condition.
- Wage rules for camp staff vary widely. Check minimum wage, overtime and any deductions for housing and meals before setting pay.
- Cover private messaging and social media after camp too. It protects campers and counselors.
- If a counselor is under 18, ask a parent or guardian to read the agreement too, and check local rules for young workers.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Camp counselor agreement: frequently asked questions
Is a counselor an employee?
This template treats the counselor as a seasonal employee, paid through payroll with the usual deductions, for the dates in the agreement only.
What safeguarding rules does it include?
No one-to-one time out of sight of others, no physical punishment, no private contact or photos of campers on personal devices, following rules for sleeping and changing areas, and reporting any concern to your named safeguarding lead the same day.
Can the camp end the job early?
Yes, with the notice you set, or immediately for a safeguarding concern, a failed or incomplete background check, or serious misconduct. The counselor is paid for work done, residential staff get reasonable time to arrange travel home, and the camp helps a counselor under 18 get home safely.
Can counselors sign before they arrive?
Yes. Send it by email, and counselors sign on their phone or computer. The signed agreements are kept together in your FileIt vault.