Incredible summers

Teens volunteer in community for experience, fun and perks

BY ANDREA NOVEL BUCK

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID BALLARD PHOTOGRAPHY

Take this seriously,” Sam Luoma told a group of junior counselors attending orientation at the start of Chester Bowl’s summer day camp. “For many of you, this is your first job experience.”

Luoma, Chester Bowl’s programoperations manager, outlined his expectations:

• Show up on time. “When you say you’re going to be here, we need to know you’re going to show up.”

• Sign in on the time sheet.

• Check in with the counselors about what you will be doing for the day.

• Interact with the campers. “When they’re playing, my expectation is you’re in the action with them. … Eat lunch with the kids. Sit with someone you don’t know, talk to them, get to know them.”

• Have a good attitude about whatever you’re doing. “Don’t go, ugh! We’re doing tie-dye.”

• Be prepared. Bring a lunch, a water bottle, sunscreen, water shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. Dress in layers. “We are going to be outside every single day.”

Most of the junior counselors at Chester Bowl this summer were part of the 4-H Incredible Exchange, a program that helps teens, ages 13 to 15, build job skills. The program also encourages teens to volunteer in the community, creates positive mentoring relationships between teens and adults, and gives teens access to recreational and cultural activities.

How It Works

Interested teens first need to join 4-H, then apply for the Incredible Exchange online. Qualified applicants must be 13 by the April 30 application deadline and residents of South St. Louis County.

Once selected, teens attend a session where they interview with mentors from the various community organizations seeking summer help.

“They learn how to present themselves and answer questions,” said Katie Ecklund, 4-H program coordinator, who works with 55 to 60 teens and mentors from 18 community organizations over the summer. The program is offered through the University of Minnesota Extension.

“I look for maturity, how serious they’re taking it,” Luoma said. “If they’re staring at a phone or laughing about something on the Internet, they won’t get placed with me. I’m looking for someone who will watch the kids.”

The teens rank their three top sites, while mentors rank the teens as candidates. Placement is determined from those rankings.

“Usually it’s their top choice,” Ecklund said.

The teens go through an orientation at their work sites. They are required to log a minimum of 25 service hours. In addition to gaining work skills and experience, they can earn $100 to $200 ($4 an hour, up to a maximum of 50 service hours) vouchers that they can put toward ski or golf passes, art classes, dance, music or horseback riding lessons, YMCA passes, or other approved activities.

On The Job

At Chester Bowl, the “Incredibles,” as the teens are dubbed, set up and run the games campers play, assist the camp counselors and campers with activities such as hiking or crafts, keep an extra eye out for the campers, and help clean up at the end of the day. Most of this year’s bunch were former campers or were involved in Chester Bowl’s ski program.

Luoma, who was an Incredible many years ago at Portman Community Center, gives teens room to learn through experience, including from their mistakes. “They get a fair amount of responsibility,” he said. “I’ll tell them to go set up a game — Capture the Flag or dodgeball or something.” Some of the teens, especially at first, will get distracted and not have the game ready, he said. Rather than yelling at them, which is the way he remembers learning on one of his first jobs, he gives them opportunities to do it again and get it right.

Early one summer morning, a handful of Incredibles played soccer with the campers who already had arrived. A couple escorted campers to and from the Chalet for water or to use the bathroom.

“I like hanging out with kids and being outside. It’s fun,” Ben Flotten said, while kicking a soccer ball back into play. Moments later, he was retrieving another ball before it landed in Chester Creek. “And it’s hard because you have to do stuff you don’t want to do,” he said, identifying his least favorite activity as cleaning bathrooms at the end of the day.

Shea Bradley held the hands of campers as they walked across a slack line and walked the line herself.

“I need to set an example for the kids and make sure I’m behaving right so they do,” she said. She was a camper for four years before becoming a junior counselor. “It’s basically the same,” she said, “Except we help out more, and we clean at the end of the day.”

“The most important job is to help the campers and keep them safe,” Storm Krause said. “Cleaning up and carrying stuff around is just a normal part of the job.” Storm planned to work as a junior camp counselor all summer, well beyond the maximum service hours for a voucher. “I hope to get more courage in myself and more leadership,” he said, noting that one day he wants to be hired as a camp counselor at Chester Bowl. — MDT

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