Island Camp – Be a Mentor!

THE BOYS WE SERVE:  Mayhew boys all come from disadvantaged backgrounds (low-income, single-parent homes) and participate tuition-free.  Some boys are referred to Mayhew because they’ve demonstrated questionable behaviors at home and at school that make them at-risk for more serious problems in the future.  Other boys simply lack opportunities to participate in the sorts of activities that Mayhew offers.  Still other boys are referred to Mayhew simply because they can benefit from the boost in self-esteem that Mayhew often provides.    Regardless of the reason for their referrals, all Mayhew boys must make their own decision to join the Mayhew community and to strive to live up to its ideals and expectations.  OUR YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING: We’re called the Mayhew Program because we’re much more than a summer camp.  Mayhew begins for the boys on the Island, but the support Mayhew offers lasts throughout the year with our community outreach program.  We employ 7 full-time staff members who visit with the boys in their home communities throughout the school year.    OUR AMAZING LOCATION: Mayhew’s summer program is lucky enough to call Mayhew Island home: an idyllic private island in Newfound Lake, New Hampshire.  OUR SMALL SIZE: With a counseling staff of 25 charged with working with just 42 boys during each of two summer sessions, you’ll be an integral part of a uniquely supportive and cohesive community.  There’s a genuine camaraderie and shared sense of purpose among everyone at Mayhew.  OUR WELL-HONED PHILOSOPHY: Mayhew’s been around since 1969 and over the past 50+ years we’ve managed to create a very well-defined, well-practiced, and effective approach to working with the boys of the program.  Everything we do is centered on the notion of working for the good of the group and the community.  We emphasize the ideals of Respect, Responsibility, Community, and Challenge in everything we do.  Mayhew offers great training in learning to work effectively with young people: an invaluable experience for anyone interested in teaching or working in the social services.  OUR FOCUS ON CREATING AN UNRELENTINGLY POSITIVE COMMUNITY: Mayhew strives to be an overwhelmingly positive and supportive community for boys and staff alike.  That’s not to say that we ignore negative behaviors, but our primary focus is on recognizing the positive contributions of the boys, no matter how small.  By recognizing and reinforcing good behaviors, we’re in a much more effective position to confront any negative behaviors.  

Job Overview

Mayhew challenges and helps at-risk New Hampshire boys to believe in themselves, work well with others, and find their best. We accomplish this mission through a unique and award-winning year-round program comprised of a residential summer camp and a school-year mentoring program. Boys participate, tuition free, for eight years.    

At our summer facility located on Mayhew Island in beautiful Newfound Lake, the boys are challenged to help create a positive, supportive, and sustainable community both within their cabin groups and in the greater Island community. 

We’re looking for great people who are eager to be role models for the boys of our program this summer.

“Hey, wait a minute,” you might be thinking, “that sounds like a summer camp to me.  I don’t want to be a camp counselor.” 

Yes, we run a camp program, but WAIT! We’re not your typical summer camp.  Sure, we have lots of fun, but we’re a place with a serious mission as well. 

Special Benefits

• Make a meaningful difference in the lives of some very deserving boys 
• Develop practical & effective skills for working with youth  
• Challenge your own limitations and grow in more ways than you ever thought possible 
• Experience life on a private Island! 
• Earn up to $6000 + full room & board for ten weeks  
• Be an integral part of uniquely positive and cohesive community working towards a shared mission 

Minimum Requirements

First and foremost, we look to hire good people who naturally do what’s right. We seek individuals who are interested in living in a dynamic, disciplined, and highly structured community and who are willing to be selfless and to sacrifice their own interests for the good of the boys and for the program.  

We seek individuals of strong character, maturity, adaptability, and personal responsibility who naturally model the sorts of behaviors and interactions we hope to promote in the boys of the program.    

A good sense of humor, creativity, patience, a strong work-ethic, a willingness to learn, a commitment to purpose, and a strong ability to work well with others are also tremendously important. With the extraordinarily demanding environment we like to create on Mayhew Island, we hire only the most capable and resourceful applicants each year.    

Collegiate area-of-study is not important (past staff have included English, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Engineering and Sports Science majors), but we do ask that you have one year of college experience or equivalent work experience.  

Experience working with children is ideal but not required. Interest in working with at-risk youth is vital.  

Finally, staff must be 18 years of age and be available for a ten-week commitment from June 8 – August 13, 2024.