Volunteer with UCLA UniCamp
Sing songs. Play games. Change lives.
Applications are due January 31, 2025 (11:59pm)
(The deadline has been extended from January 24 to the 31 due to the fires / campus closure.
If you can, please submit your application early so we can begin interviews. Thank you!)
Join us for a virtual info session TONIGHT (1/16) at 8pm!
Be part of UCLA’s official student charity, a student tradition since 1934, and apply to volunteer as a UCLA UniCamp counselor for our 2025 camp season! Mentor and inspire kids from underserved communities and give back for one week this summer, all while making new friends throughout the school year and having fun!
Top reasons to join UniCamp:
#1: Build connections
You’ll build live-long connections with other UCLA student volunteers and UniCamp alumni. These connections often lead to friendships, jobs/internships, and more! (Sometimes even marriages!)
#2: Grow your leadership skills
UniCamp gives you real-world experience that’s applicable to every career path. Our alumni go on to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, and more, and often say that their UniCamp experience helped them get and succeed at their jobs.
#3: Give back to the community
Camp changes lives. Spend part of your summer in the mountains working with children, giving them a week they’ll never forget. Campers learn life lessons, practice social-emotional skills, and build strong connections with supportive adults (that’s you!).
Recruitment Events
Learn more about UCLA UniCamp by attending info-sessions and other events where you’ll have a chance to hear from UniCamp volunteers and student leaders. All events will be posted here and announced on our Instagram @UCLAUniCamp.
🌟 Info Sessions
Info sessions are the best way to learn about UCLA UniCamp! Volunteers will share about their experiences, give an overview of UniCamp, and answer any questions!
- Wednesday, January 22, 4-5pm. Ackerman 3516
- Thursday, January 23, 3-4pm. Kerckhoff 131
- Tuesday, January 28, 6-7pm. Virtual info session (click here to join)
- More info sessions during weeks 3 and 4 will be added soon!
🦋 Other events
Bruinwalk – Weeks 3-4
Stop by our table on Bruinwalk weeks 1 and 3 to pick up a flyer and talk to current volunteers about their experience
Stay tuned here, on Bruinwalk, and on Instagram (@uclaunicamp) for more events!
Role Description
Volunteers have the most important role at camp: they work directly with the campers in small ratios to create a magical experience. You will be sorted into a session and will train with your co-counselor(s) through winter and spring quarters to build the mentorship and leadership skills you’ll need to be an amazing counselor. Your responsibilities include:
- Attending all training meetings/events and your week of camp for your assigned session (dates listed below).
- Building relationships with fellow volunteers to create a supportive camp community
- Supervising campers, ages 9-17, keeping safety as a top priority and giving them opportunities to grow and have fun
- Building supportive, mentoring relationships with campers
- Envisioning, planning, and executing activities for small groups of campers under guidance from your session’s student leadership team
- If chosen as a Specialist, learning about one activity and leading it at camp for the week. Activities include swimming, climbing, arts & crafts, archery, dance, mountain biking, and more. Training is provided!
- Identifying and responding empathetically to camper behaviors
- Meeting a $450 fundraising goal. Support and training is provided!
Most UniCamp volunteers have jobs, internships, or classes over the summer and are able to ask for a week off. We’re happy to work with you to help you request time off, including providing you a letter showing the impact of your volunteering in UniCamp. You can also switch session dates if needed later on. Apply and we’ll figure it out together!
| Session | Meeting Dates* (in-person at UCLA) | Summer Dates (first day listed is pre-session at UCLA) |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 Community School Session | Thurs 7-9p | June 21-29 |
| Session 2 | Wed 6-8p | June 28 – July 6 |
| Session 3 The Village Session | Thurs 6-8p | July 5-13 |
| Session 4 | Tues 7-9p | July 13-21 |
| Session 5 | Tues 7-9p | July 19-27 |
| Session 6 | Wed 7-9p | July 26 – August 3 |
The Village Session is partnered with The Village Nation. The week of camp empowers Black American youth to achieve their full potential by providing them with guidance from elders, resources for success, and immersing them in African culture. Campers and volunteers from all ethnic backgrounds are welcome.
The UCLA Community School session is partnered with the Horace Mann UCLA Community School. Volunteers will work with faculty and staff from the schools to run a week of camp focused on social and emotional learning.
All-Camp Events
These are required for volunteers in all sessions. Finalized dates will be announced soon.
- All-Camp Meeting (2-hour evening meeting, takes the place of your April 22, 23, or 24 meeting)
- Camp-A-Thon (February 22 at UCLA)
- Session Retreat (April 19-20, 2024 off-campus, overnight camping trip)
- On-Site Orientation (two days / one night during June 17-19 at camp)
Requirements to apply:
- Be a college/university student, past camper, or past volunteer
- Meet all the essential functions to be a UniCamp volunteer (listed below)
- Be at least 18 years old and are no longer in high school by February 1, 2025
- Pass a criminal history background check and reference check
- Be willing to agree to a conduct agreement to make sure UniCamp is a safe place for all
- Have a passion for working with kids and being outdoors
- Ability to communicate in English
- Ability to navigate on dirt or mulch trails. Our campsite is in a national forest and all the roads/trails are unpaved.
Please contact us if you’re unsure if you’re eligible or to discuss accommodations.
Essential functions to be a UniCamp volunteer
- Able to traverse UniCamp trails/paths (including dirt trails with slopes/rocks)
- Able to interact with and supervise campers in an outdoor environment 24 hours a day over a 6-8 day period
- Able to foster a wholesome and supportive environment in which campers can express their individuality and experience success
- Able to maintain a positive example for the campers
- Able to understand and follow UniCamp rules and schedules with minimal supervision
- Able to manage time off appropriately and without direct supervision
- Able to fulfill duties in the mountain climate (which can range from 40º-100ºF in rain and sunshine)
Interview Process
Step 1
Step 2
A leadership team from one of your preferred sessions will reach out to you to schedule an interview or ask for more information
Step 3
If accepted, your session’s leadership team will invite you to the first meeting (Winter Week 6)
UniCamp operates with a continuous interview process after you are initially accepted. Your leadership team will be working with you throughout the training process to make sure you are developing the skills required to be a great camp counselor.
QUESTIONS?
To volunteer with UCLA UniCamp, you must be at least 18 years old and no longer in high school by February 1, 2024.
In addition, you must be either a university/college student or former UniCamp volunteer/camper. Weekly session training meetings are held in-person at UCLA. If you aren’t a UCLA student and don’t live in West LA, you may be eligible to apply for CVP (Community Volunteer Program) that accommodates volunteers who aren’t able to make it to campus every week. Email cvp@unicamp.org if you’re interested in applying for CVP.
During the school year:
- 2 hours per week for session meetings (not held during 10th or finals weeks)
- (optional) 1+ hours per week for socials or session events
- 1 full weekend in spring quarter for retreat
- Full Saturday in winter quarter for Camp-A-Thon
- Varies: fundraising and other planning/preparation
During the summer:
- 2 full days for on-site orientation (at camp)
- Varies: planning with your co-counselor for your week of camp
- 1 full week for your session at camp
Don’t worry! Many summer plans and internships are flexible since UniCamp is only a one-week commitment. Just stay in contact with us as your plans solidify. We can provide letters and emails to jobs/internships to help you ask for the week off, or you can switch session dates if needed.
UniCamp is also a great opportunity to meet people who can write you great letters of recommendation!
Nope! We provide all the training needed, based on American Camp Association standards. Depending on the roles you select, you can also learn about lifeguarding, archery, mountain biking, belaying, and more. At camp, you will work in teams with others close by if you need help.
Yes! During training, you’ll learn how to fundraise effectively and will be given opportunities to participate in group fundraisers.
The $450 fundraising minimum is an expectation that you fundraise, and is not a participation fee.
The key to fundraising is asking. If you make the effort and receive a number of small donations but don’t hit your goal, we can often work with you.
Nope! This is a volunteer position for a single week during the summer. There will be opportunities to “float” in other sessions and to apply for a full-season paid staff position at camp if you’d like to be at camp longer than your one week. Info for those roles will be sent out to all volunteers in spring.
Although you don’t have to be at camp for the full summer, please make sure you’re available for your full week of camp!
UniCamp takes place at Camp Pine Mountain in the San Bernardino National Forest near Big Bear.
As a volunteer, you’ll board a bus to/from camp in Westwood, so just make sure you are able to get to UCLA at the start of your session.
You’ll be sorted into one or both of these roles based on your preference and the session’s availability. Everyone will have a “co-counselor” or “co-specialist”.
Counselor: you’ll be in charge of a group of 6-10 campers for the week, eating meals, sharing a cabin, and going to activities together. You’ll be their primary supervision and your role will be to keep them safe and support their growth throughout the week.
Specialist: you’ll be in charge of an activity and will get to work with campers from all different cabins throughout the week. Specialists often join a cabin where you’ll sleep and you’ll have a chance to work with the unit’s counselors in getting to know the campers. Activities include swimming, archery, arts & crafts, climbing tower, nature/hiking, mountain biking, drama, dance, and more. Training/certifications will be provided as-needed.
About half-way through training, you’ll “pref” the role you’d prefer (including age group and activities) and everyone will be sorted.
Nope! You’ll always have a “co” — a co-counselor or a co-specialist. You’ll “pref” who you’d like to work with (along with the role you prefer) and you’ll be assigned one or more “coze” around half-way through training.
Don’t worry, plenty of volunteers will learn alongside you during training! All we ask is that you’re open to new experiences.
We spend the majority of the day outside. You’ll get a packing list before camp, but the only special supplies you need are a sleeping bag and flashlight.
Volunteers positions are unpaid, but we do have paid full-summer staff roles (e.g. kitchen staff) that volunteers can apply for in the Spring. Meals during your week of camp and transportation from camp to UCLA and back are provided. (If you’re looking for a summer job, paid summer staff, or “k-staff,” is a great way to spend your summer, and you’ll still be able to volunteer during your session!)
If you have any further questions, please email us at cpds@unicamp.org, send us a message on Instagram, or come to an info session.
We will continue to operate at Camp Pine Mountain, just down the road from Camp River Glen, as we continue repairs. We moved to Pine Mountain in 2024 due to flood damage at River Glen. Pine Mountain is in the Barton Flats area of the San Bernardino National Forest.
Apply anyway! You don’t have to commit to anything until you are offered a volunteer position after your interview. The interview process is a great way to learn more about UniCamp and meet other volunteers to help decide if this is right for you.
Anything else?
If you have any other questions or concerns, please email us at cpds@unicamp.org, send us a message on Instagram, or come to an info session (dates above!).
We look forward to receiving your application!