UCLA
Recreation

Bruin Woods Job Application Information

Staff supervision and programmatic oversight for the Bruin Woods Family Camp is transitioning to management under Student Affairs, specifically UCLA Recreation Youth and Family Programs, effective Summer 2023. UCLA Student employees and counselors are the heart of the Bruin Woods experience and we are thrilled to align our work at Lake Arrowhead with the longstanding principles and values of student-centered work demonstrated in our campus-based programs. We are passionately committed to the well-being, dignity and safe working conditions of all our employees and we are bringing this longstanding commitment and many years of camp supervision experience to our new role with Bruin Woods.

Camp jobs offer invaluable skill-building, leadership, training, and enrichment opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else. Regardless of your college major, camp experiences allow you to learn and develop skills that will enhance your job marketability. The benefits go far beyond a paycheck. Business executives often note that experience as a camp counselor translates into excellent management and personnel skills.

  • Live, play, and work in the great outdoors
  • Go on active adventures
  • Make new friends
  • Learn leadership skills
  • Make an impact on kids and families

Work for Bruin Woods! For 10 weeks in summer, the north shore of Lake Arrowhead reverberates with the happy sounds of nearly 800 UCLA Alumni families. More than 50 of UCLA’s finest students join 100 Bruin Woods career staff to provide a memorable vacation for the guests.

Applications for summer 2024 are NOW LIVE! Read below for more details about working at Bruin Woods and the application and interview process.

Apply Online

kids playing on the grass

About Bruin Woods

What is Bruin Woods?

UCLA Alumni families come up for one of our ten, week-long sessions to join 80 other families at our charming resort in pristine Lake Arrowhead. UCLA student camp counselors share their Bruin spirit with the families while they all make new friends and reconnect with past camp buddies.

What are we looking for in Bruin Woods Staff?

Bruins Woods staff are creative, team-oriented individuals who can provide a safe and welcoming environment for families. These are some characteristics and qualities that make an ideal Bruin Woods Staff:

  • Friendly
  • Approachable
  • Reliable
  • Flexible
  • Honest
  • Positive

We also look for staff members who are looking forward to being a role model to our camp kids and provide amazing customer service to our camp families all summer.

Bruin Woods Staff Selections Timeline 2024

Applications are now live, and you can apply here.

Applications will be accepted until Sunday, March 31 at midnight.

Application Information

APPLICATION PROCESS and APPLICATION LINK

Applications are now live, and you can apply here.

DEADLINES FOR APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Application Deadline is Sunday, March 31, 2024 at midnight.

INTERVIEW INFORMATION

Interviews will be held throughout March of 2024. Interviews will be held in-person. Creativity is an essential element of working at Bruin Woods. Interviews will be held in a group setting. You will be playing and leading games and activities.

ELIGIBILITY

In order to be eligible staff at Bruin Woods, one must be enrolled at UCLA as a student.

REQUIRED DATES AT CAMP

Applicants with more availability for summer will have a higher consideration for hire. Training, Camp, and Clean-up run from June 15 – September 4.

EXPECTED STAFF SALARIES

The starting staff salary for the summer is $400-$500/week base plus room and board.

BACKGROUND CHECKS

All staffers are required to complete and pass a driving record check and FBI/DOJ fingerprint criminal background check. As a veteran staffer, your fingerprints remain on file with the University of California Police Department. You must complete a new Authorization and Release form each year that you work for CAA so we can run a driving record check.

STAFF HANDBOOK

Guidelines and policies of Bruin Woods are explained for hired staffers in the Staff Handbook which will be passed out during training. Violation of any policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Bruin Woods Staff Position Descriptions

All Staff Duties

Each week all staff members are required to participate in a Saturday morning ‘Big Clean’ of the camping grounds and facilities, and a Saturday morning staff meeting. Each staffer will have a primary job, as detailed below, but will also have assigned duties outside of that job. In addition to fulfilling specific job duties, all staff members are required to interact with our campers, be role models for the kids, and participate in all campfires shows and athletic events. All staff will begin the summer season with a training week.

All staff are required to be First Aid/CPR/AED certified prior to arriving at camp.

Arts & Crafts Staff

Duties:

  • Manage the camp-wide arts & crafts program
  • Teach ceramics, working with leather and other general mediums to 150 adult guests at the Craft House and Arts & Crafts Yurt
  • Teach crafts to children's groups
  • Balance arts & crafts accounts
  • Provide individual assistance as needed
  • Clean the Craft House and inventory supplies
  • After hours, perform other duties such as firing pottery, receiving orders, etc.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • General familiarity with arts and crafts listed above and/or willingness to learn about and excel in them
  • Ability to give clear directions
  • Patience and willingness to answer hundreds of questions a day
  • Tolerance for lots of people noise
  • Ability to appreciate and inspire the creative efforts of others

Waterfront Staff

One waterfront staff member will serve as waterfront supervisor. Waterfront staff members must acquire an Arrowhead Lake Association License during pre-camp training.

Duties:

  • Operate the ski boat to teach guests to water ski and wakeboard and drive skiers around the lake
  • Practice and enforce waterfront safety rules
  • Drive pontoon boat, take guests to the village, provide commentary during evening cruises and provide boat rides to all children’s groups
  • Clean boats, docks and dock areas and keep in good repair; keep boats moored safely, noting problems; take boats in for service as needed
  • Keep accurate record of boat use; maintain knowledge of boat use and location; make sure boats are filled with gasoline and ready for operation at all times

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Prior experience operating a motor boat
  • Experience in water safety
  • Dedicated commitment to waterfront rules and safety procedures
  • Patience and the ability to coach
  • Love for the lake and willingness to help passengers enjoy time on the water
  • Willingness and ability to get up early in the morning

Frontier Village

Duties:

  • Frontier Village staff help create the Frontier Village atmosphere by decorating the village, teaching outdoor skills and telling stories to guests of all ages

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Outdoor skills
  • Food organizational skills
  • Ability to teach both children and adults
  • Enjoy the outdoors
  • Poise and self-confidence
  • Great for people with lots of outdoor camping experience

Kids Group Counselor

Duties:

  • General supervision of multiple children while facilitating program rules
  • Model positive behavior to campers through excitement and participation in daily activities
  • Plan and implement activities
  • Organize group athletic tournaments
  • Supervise evening cruises
  • Help organize the weekly dance
  • Perform other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Prior experience working with children in recreational, educational, and/or large group settings

Outdoor Adventures

Duties:

  • Organize and monitor all outdoor adventure activities including overnight camping trips, hikes and nature games and activities
  • Monitor and care for camping equipment
  • Pack food supplies for all offsite outdoor adventures and cookouts including overnights, field trips, etc.
  • Re-stock unused supplies after each event
  • Inventory food and equipment as requested
  • Organize and lead field trips including hikes, mountain biking, etc.
  • Serve as the resident expert on available field trips or places to go
  • Drive program groups to scheduled offsite destinations
  • Keep camp vehicles clean and ready for use
  • Deliver guests with limited mobility to camp-wide events
  • Perform other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Prerequisites: Assertive; self-starter; work well with others; organized, detail-minded; willing and able to perform behind-the-scenes work required to make trips a success
  • Sincere love for the outdoors
  • Desire to camp out and hike 2-3 times per week
  • Pleasant disposition, outgoing personality, physical stamina
  • Knowledge of outdoor safety practices essential
  • Confident and experienced
  • Experience in food service
  • A good driving record is a must

Pool Staff

One member of the pool staff will serve as pool supervisor.

Duties:

  • Organize activities at Lake Arrowhead’s beautiful outdoor swimming pool
  • Enforce safety rules, ensure safety at the pool and handle emergency situations
  • Help plan and carry out weekly camp-wide events
  • Teach aqua fitness and give swimming lessons to young children
  • Clean and oversee the pool house and arrange poolside furniture
  • Clean, set chemicals and monitor use of the Jacuzzi and Jacuzzi room.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • American Red Cross Lifeguard Certified (we can certify you if you do not already have this)
  • Strong sense of responsibility for the lives of others
  • Knowledge of commercial pools and pool chemical maintenance, or aptitude to acquire this information
  • Pool maintenance responsibility and a desire to promote maximum use

Other Specialized Positions

Positions:

  • Kayaking Instructor
  • Lifeguard
  • Boat Driver
  • Archery Instructor
  • Mountain Biking Instructor

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Proper training and certifications in the applicable fields
  • Strong leadership and teamwork
  • Ability to improvise and cater to individual groups

FAQs about Camp Life

Where is Bruin Woods Located?

Bruin Woods is in Lake Arrowhead: 850 Willow Creek Road, Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352

What will my work schedule and time off look like?

Once offered a position your daily schedule will mostly revolve around duties pertaining to that position. All staff provide coverage in other areas of camp and there are many all-staff events. On any given day you will have a number of programs on your schedule, and a number of hours of free-time to do with what you wish. Most evenings staff will have unscheduled personal time unless assigned to specific evening programs.

What are the living conditions like?

All staff members live in the Cedar Lodge, a two-story guesthouse. There is a lounge on the first floor where you can hang out, and you'll share a bedroom and private bath with one or two or three fellow staff members. Bruin Woods furnishes clean bed linens and towels each week.

How do meals work?

The Bruin Woods staff receives 3 meals a day in the dining rooms with families. One assigned meals will be taken apart from families as a break.

Contact

Email: bruinwoods@recreation.ucla.edu

Phone: 310.206.7689