youth Leadership Programs
Designed for teens who are interested in being employed as Camp Counsellors at Fircom in the future, these programs provide teens with an opportunity to develop leadership and facilitation skills, outdoor adventure experience, as well as skills to help them successfully work with staff, volunteers and cabin groups of children!
NOVEMBER 13, 2024 UPDATE:
Camp Fircom's CIT (Counsellor in Training) programs are designed to have campers participate as Jr CITs, Sr CITs the following year, and then be eligible to be hired as counsellors when they are 17. Because of this, we require Sr CITs to be 16 years old by the start of the summer, as this guarantees they meet the legal age requirements to be hired the following year. This, in turn, means that Jr CITs should be 15 at the start of the summer. These specific age requirements mean that some CITs may have completed different grades (9 or 10 and 10 or 11 for Jr and Sr respectively) but be the same age because of their birth date.
We ask that campers who are old enough to be Sr CITs be registered for the Sr CIT program, regardless of whether they have completed the Jr CIT program, as it helps us maintain the cycle of campers mentioned above.
Junior & Senior C.I.T. Leadership Training
(Counsellors-In-Training)
Junior C.I.T. Dates: July 20-25 aND August 3-8, 2025 (during Mom&Kids Camps)
Senior C.I.T. Dates: June 6-8, 2025 (TBC), Training June 27-July 1 (TBC), and all three weeks of our Kids camps: July 14-18, July 28-August 1 aND August 11-15, 2025.
PARTICIPANTS:
Junior CIT’s - Teens who are 15 yrs old by July 12th, 2025
Fee: $550.00
Max: 8 participants (**see note below)
Senior CIT’s - Teens who are 16 yrs old by July 12th, 2025
Fee: $0
Max: 6 participants, by invitation (**see note below)
Junior C.I.T.’s
We will be on site during our two Mom & Kids Camps. During the morning kids programming, Junior C.I.T.s will have the opportunity to develop leadership and facilitation skills, as well as skills that will help them successfully work with staff, volunteers and groups of children. They will spend their afternoons and evenings enjoying Fircom programming designed especially for the Junior C.I.T.s to grow their camp skills and connect with their team. This program is designed for teens who are interested in being employed as Camp Counsellors at Fircom in the future, while also giving them a chance to enjoy teen activities (paddling, swimming, archery, hiking, campwide games, evening campfires, etc).
Senior C.I.Ts
We will spend 2 full days on site during Dad & Kids Camp, June 6-8, 2025 with the summer camp staff team, and then attend all three weeks of Kids Camp. Participants in this program will learn hard skills such as how to facilitate a variety of camp activities for children, including Guided Nature Walks, Archery, Outdoor Cook, Tie Dye and Arts ‘n Crafts, as well as how to facilitate a variety of games and lead campfire songs with children. They will also learn a variety of soft skills, including how to: build a culture of belonging within the camp setting; set expectations for children’s behaviour and effectively uphold those expectations; respond to children’s social, emotional and physical needs; and, set healthy boundaries with children and peers. During our Kids Camp sessions, each Senior C.I.T. will be assigned to a cabin group, where they will support Camp Counsellors. They will also have a chance to participate in some ‘C.I.T. Only’ workshops and activities, and will enjoy a special ceremony during their last week of camp to honour their successful completion of the C.I.T. program. By the end of their summer experience, Senior C.I.T.s will have a solid foundation to apply as a camp counsellor in the 2026 season and beyond!
** NOTE: Both our Junior and Senior C.I.T. programs require an interview and evaluation process before applicants are accepted. Junior C.I.T. registrants will be contacted in the spring. All interested Junior C.I.T.-aged teens are welcome to register beginning November 16, 2024 (space permitting). Those interested in applying for the Senior C.I.T. program can send an email to info@fircom.ca. Our summer camp directors will be sending out personal invitations to selected teens that have been a part of Fircom and have also shown interest in being employed on the summer camp team.
More Teen Programs:
Polaris Adventure Camps (age 13-17):
Week 1: JuLy 20-25, 2025
Week 2: August 3-8, 2025
—————
Polaris Expedition Camp
Tuesday, July 8 - Thursday, July 17, 2025
Upcoming Leadership Camp Dates:
What to Expect
Pick up & Drop-off
Checking In/Out
All CIT participants must either be signed in & out by their legal guardian, or written permission can be sent in advance.
Boat Departures
Exact times will be sent via email to all Junior and Senior CIT participants.
Accommodation
Junior CIT’s will stay in a Bell Tent during their two weeks on site.
Senior CIT’s will stay in a cabin during their June 6 - 8 training weekend. During the three Kids Camp sessions, C.I.T. participants will stay in cabins or bell tents with Camp Counsellors and the kids in their cabin group. Accommodations are all-gendered during week 1 and 3, but gendered during Camp Cha7elkwnech, so Senior C.I.T.s can expect to share an accommodation with fellow C.I.T.s and campers of all genders, gender identities, and gender expressions. This change represents a shift towards making camp a more welcoming and inclusive environment. In order for C.I.T.s and campers to maintain privacy when dressing, we will continue to have covered changing stations in cabins and next to bell tents, as well as private stalls in all of our washroom facilities.
