Good Pickin’ Farm Counselor-in-Training Program 2024

The Good Pickin’ Farm CIT (Counselor in Training) program is designed for young people between the ages of 13 and 15. We find that this age group is eager for more independence but not quite ready for all the responsibilities of older teens. Our CIT’s and their parents find this program to be a perfect middle ground between being a camper and being a counselor.

CITs, also known as leaders-in-training, staff-in-training or junior counselors, are usually between 8th and 10th grades—too old to be campers and too young to be staffers, but just right for taking on more responsibility and contributing in meaningful ways.

The intention of Good Pickin’ Farm’s counselor-in-training program is to boost kids’ confidence and teach a host of valuable skills.

What qualities should a CIT at Good Pickin’ Farm have?

• Loves kids: a young person who loves taking care and playing with young children or is interested in learning more about working in education.

• Loves animals: a young person who loves taking care and being around animals or is interested in learning more about working in the veterinary or agricultural fields.

• Loves the Outdoors and Nature: a young person who loves being outside regardless of the weather and has a passion for nature. They may also be interested in learning about working in recreation, environmental studies or parks services.

• Loves camp: Good Pickin’ Farm’s Counselor-in-training programs offer a great way for young people to evolve their relationship with a favorite camp and help deliver the experience they fell in love with to a new generation of campers.

• Ready for responsibility: Good Pickin’ Farm’s program allows young people to follow a supported path to build important new skills in everything from operations to leadership to being a positive member of a community.

What do kids generally do in CIT Programs?

Good Pickin’ Farm’s Counselor-in-Training program provides young people the opportunity to spend the summer learning about child-management and child-care, the responsibilities and opportunities of being a member of a growing community, and operational and leadership skills, all while putting them into practice under the supervision of caring and knowledgeable adults.

Here are a few aspects Good Pickin’ Farm’s CIT Program:

Working with kids

• CITs both observe staff members and work alongside them, learning and practicing how to teach campers new skills, lead them in games or help them create projects.

• CIT’s support campers during more unstructured parts of the day like breaks or lunch, helping to enrich their camp experience without directly supervising them.

Camp operations

• Counselors-in-training often get a behind-the-scenes peek at what it takes to run different aspects of camp, pitching in to help with camper check-in, lunch service, office organization and more.

• CITs can lend a hand in planning and organizing large-scale events like all-camp games, closing ceremonies or talent shows.

Leadership skills

• This category covers a breadth of important skills, including how to give and receive feedback, set and achieve goals, resolve conflict, speak to a large group, lead activities and plan and debrief multi-part events.

Farm and agricultural Skills

• Counselors-in-training often get a behind-the-scenes peek at what it takes to run a nature based education farm including aspects of animal care, helping younger campers to handle the animals, identifying plants in the garden versus the weeds, office organization and more.
  CITs can lend a hand in planning and organizing activities with animals and other farm resources like goat hikes, community events and more.

Here is a snapshot of Good Pickin’ Farm’s CIT program:

• Morning meeting: Counselors-in-training spend time with each other and a dedicated CIT leader. They build camaraderie through teamwork games and spend dedicated time learning leadership skills. Examples of those skills include: how to establish a growth mindset, positive child/camper management, goal setting and effective communication methods.

• Group farm chores and cuddle time: In this rotation, counselors-in-training choose which camper age group they’re most interested in working with (pre-K – K, 1st – 2nd grades, 3rd – 4th grades or 5th – 6th grades) and help mentor those campers as they learn to care for the farm and handle animals.

• Independent activity time: This rotation allows CITs to choose from a variety of camp operations, and child management. They can decide to lead outdoor games and events, design and create art and engineering projects, participate in skits and ceremonies, create camp posters and props or help with logistics in the camp office.

Why should kids participate in a CIT program?

• Experience: While CITs certainly provide a service to their camps, counselor-in-training programs are less about the work kids do and more about what working teaches them. CIT programs teach kids how to work efficiently and effectively—to show up every day and accomplish things, to set goals and see them through.

• Exploration: Good Pickin’ Farm’s Counselor-in-Training program is a way for kids to try out different types of roles, identifying their interests and strengths before they enter the working world.

• Leadership: Beyond learning foundational skills like communication and organization, CITs start to elevate their thinking about the ways they can bring their unique strengths to the world at large and to contribute to their community.

• Confidence: The responsibilities counselors-in-training undertake at camp (in a safe, supported environment) help boost a young person’s self-esteem and build their independence.

How do we pick the right CIT program for the Good Pickin’ Farm camps?

• We talk to your aspiring counselor-in-training to figure out what they’re interested in. Do they primarily want to work hands-on with kids? If so, what ages? Would they rather be working behind the scenes? Are they looking for a balance of both? Are there particular activities they do or don’t want to participate in? We need to have a good sense for your child’s preferences to help them get the most out of the experience.

Good Pickin’ Farm wants Counselors-in Training to have a wonderful summer experience while learning leadership skills, gaining farming and environmental knowledge, building self-confidence while having tons of fun!