Counselors & Counselor Parents
Ready to make an impact this summer? If you’ve completed 7th through 12th grade, we invite you to apply to become a K4K counselor, where you'll lead kampers and share the love of Jesus through a week of high-energy fun. Just submit your application, provide a character reference, and join us for an interview to start your journey as a leader in our community!
Important Dates for Prospective Counselors:
- March 6 Counselor Applications Open
- March 28 Counselor Applications Close
- April 3 Character Reference Letters Due
- April 12 Counselor Interview Day (1:00pm-7:00pm)
- May 8 Deadline for Counselor Position Acceptance
- May 9 Counselor Training Option A (9:00am-2:00pm)
- May 17 Counselor Training Option B (1:00pm-5:00pm)
- May 29 Deadline for Support Letter Mailing + Proof of Completion
- July 7 K4K Kamp Set-Up (6:00pm)
- July 9 K4K Fresh Encounter @ CCC (7:00pm)
- July 11 Counselor Move-In (10:00am-11:00am)
Everything K4K Counselor Parents Need To Know
Attend K4K Worship (and Baptism!) with Us!
You are all invited to bring a chair and join us for the following:
1. Church at Playland 11:00am, Sunday, July 12th (followed by a picnic) Located at the Stage behind the Playland Community Building
2. Worship & Message at Playland 7:00pm, Saturday – Thursday (July 11-16th), Located at the Stage behind the Playland Community Building
3. Baptisms at the Pond 7:00, Friday, July 17th, Located at the Pond just off of Playland Drive
Playland Leisure Park, 24773 Playland Drive, Meadville, PA
How (and why!) Counselors Raise Support
WHY do we ask for support?
Asking our friends, family, and the community to come alongside us is an integral part of the success of Kamp4Kids. We ask for the following:
1. Prayer: We don’t just do Kamp4Kids FOR God…do it WITH God…and what an honor it is to invite HIM!!
We instruct our Counselors to ask friends and family to partner with them in prayer. At K4K we contend with logistical issues, weather, behavior/personalities issues, and even some ridiculous nuisances – like bugs and critters. We have a budget to keep, yet the supply list just keeps growing and its inevitable that accidents will happen and maintenance will be required. All of these things can hijack the goodness we are trying to accomplish… but none of these things is bigger than our God. If we ask, He can!!
2. Financial Support: Kamp is expensive…We ask our Counselors to help us offset some of the costs by seeking financial support. It costs more than $100/counselor to feed and house each teen for the week, yet $100 is all that we are asking that each teen raise. Just like a missionary serving in a foreign land, we are asking each Counselor to raise their own support, while asking for prayer.
HOW do we gain prayer and financial support?
1. Each Counselor is instructed to send 5 Support Letters to 5 different friends and/or family members who may be willing to pray for Kamp and possibly provide financial support.
2. Each letter mailed should contain a Support Slip. [Support Slip Link]
3. Support Letters are to be mailed by May… and a copy of the support letter and each potential supporter address should be submitted to the K4K team via [Support Submission Link]
*Siblings can enclose individual letters in one envelope with one support slip…HOWEVER each counselor must complete and send his/her own letter.
VENMO support submissions are allowed, however tax slips cannot be supplied to supporters using VENMO. The Church Venmo account is “Cochranton Community Church of the United Brethren in Christ”
- If supporters are donating via Venmo, the supporter must note “K4K Counselor Support, Counselor Name” in memo line - THIS IS A REQUIREMENT
- If you, the parent, are collecting financial support and want to Venmo us one lump sum…please list “K4K Counselor Support, Counselor Name” in memo line. You can then supply us with corresponding support slips.
PARENTS! HOW can YOU help?
1. Speak to your teen about who they will ask. Provide suggestions and encouragement.
2. Provide FULL names and FULL addresses to them (even if grandma and grandpa just live next door and they will hand them the letter). WHY? Because we intend to send every individual, family, or business that prayed and/or financially supported K4K a thank you. We want them to know that we appreciate their support and would love to tell them how their contribution made a difference.
3. Help Prepare your Counselor - explain the “why we do this” and help us set the expectation that they must supply a copy of their letter and a list of people they sent it to …they can’t hear it enough!
Our Severe Weather Plan
Please check back here for more information as the committee makes changes to our weather policy!!!
Counselor Special Drop-Off Policy
Every teen needs a pick-me-up every now and again and we LOVE that YOU want to love on your Counselor. Your love, support, and encouragement are so important!
This is all we ask…if you are bringing a special food, drink, or other treats, please bring them at one of these designated times:
1. BEFORE our Kampers arrive (no later than 8:15am)
2. AFTER our Kampers go home (no earlier than 4:30pm)
Cars at K4K (what's allowed and what isn't)
Sometimes it is a necessity, but teens driving to Kamp is highly discouraged. Please consider the following:
1. Parking is VERY limited.
2. Teens driving to and from Kamp for practices, appointments, etc… causes concern. We love your Counselor and would rather know that he/she is being transported by a parent/guardian.
3. If a teen is bringing a car to Kamp as a last resort - permission must be granted by a K4K Staff member and a completed permission slip MUST be supplied to K4K Staff at check-in.
4. Teens, who drive a car to Kamp, will receive instructions regarding where to park and should be prepared to leave their keys with the K4K staff for the duration of their stay at Kamp.
How Will We Communicate with Counselor Parents?
Kamp4Kids consists of many moving parts. To keep things well oiled, we rely on thorough communication with everyone involved, including our Counselor Parents. K4K 2026 Communication will happen in the following ways:
1. Kamp4Kids Website (New 2026!) General Kamp information, including the “K4K2026 In The Know” flyer [LINK], which contains a list of individual contact numbers, will be made available on the website. Parents should also check the website frequently for updates regarding deadlines and important dates published prior to Kamp as well as severe weather or emergency plans/status during the week of Kamp.
2. Individual Text Message/Phone Calls Individual messages/calls will come from one of the K4K Staff if we need to check on a Counselor application or registration item before Kamp or to notify you regarding an illness or other counselor need during Kamp.
3. Group Communications – GLOO The group texting app, GLOO, will be in use again in 2026. The app allows us to notify all Counselor Parents regarding:
- Application and Registration deadlines and reminders
- Reminders regarding Support, Training, and Check-in Details
- Updates, new information, or a change in plans before and during Kamp (i.e. schedule changes)
- Weather updates, emergency information/plans the week of Kamp
*Parents who experienced issues with group texts in 2025 (or suspect they are not receiving texts in 2026) should reach out directly to Melissa Cox (724-456-0637) for tech support/troubleshooting.
2026 Counselor Cell-Phone Policy
Cell phones ARE permitted at Kamp, however Counselors will only be permitted to have their phones during certain times of the day. The remainder of the time, the cell phones will be placed in cell phone lockers and kept in a secure location. Cell phones will be collected at Check-In and will then be made available at the following times:
- Saturday – after evening Worship until 10:40
- Sunday – after evening Worship until 10:40
- Monday – Thursday – 4:30pm to 6:30pm and after evening Worship until 10:40
- Friday – Cell phones returned at 4:30pm
Please be aware of the following:
1. Counselors will be advised that K4K Staff will not be responsible for charging cell phones. Please advise your Counselor to power off his/her cell phone prior to locking it in the lockers.
2. Cell phones can be made available, for a short period of time, upon request, should a Counselor make a special request to call home at a time other than those listed above.
3. Need to contact your teen? Contact one of the numbers on the K4K2026 In The Know flyer [LINK].
Checking In My Teen at K4K Move-In
We can’t wait for K4K Move-In! This is what to expect:
1. Counselors MUST arrive between 10:00 and 11:00am on Saturday, July 11, 2026–NO LATE ARRIVALS…Drop off times are mandatory due to training
2. Lunch will be provided
3. All Counselors MUST STAY AFTER CHECK-IN - counselors cannot come, check-in, and then leave with plans to return later in the day
4. Parents should be prepared to SUPPLY PERMISSION SLIPS FOR EVERYTHING…cars at Kamp, unavoidable absences, permission to leave for evening sports practices, etc… (note…If permission slips are not turned in at check-in your, Counselor will not be permitted to leave Kamp.) [Permission Slip Link]
5. Medication will be collected and stored at our Kamp Nurse’s Station
6. Support Collection – if your Counselor collected financial support, and it was not forwarded to the church, plan to turn it in at check-in.
Can My Teen Leave for Practices or Other Commitments?
Kamp is a major commitment…we get it! And that’s why we select the cream of the crop, those that are willing to dive in and plant some roots for the week! To be a K4K Counselor is a great responsibility and we need our teens present and involved with our Kampers each and every day. Absences disrupt our Kamper groups and cause a loss of opportunity for Kampers and Counselors to bond. It also strains our resources as we shuffle Counselors to cover the void.
Please consider the following:
1. Doctor appointments, sports physicals, and dentist appointments should not be scheduled during the week of Kamp, if at all possible.
2. Athletic, band, and other practices are considered excused absences if they are scheduled after 4:30 and the Counselor can be back at Kamp prior to the beginning of Worship (6:45pm).
3. Counselors leaving Kamp for reasons stated above must submit related permission slips at Check-in on Saturday. No exceptions. [Permission Slip Link]
4. Counselors that find themselves ill, homesick, or otherwise unable to attend to duties during the week should seek out a K4K Staff member for advice and direction. (Illness is sometimes unavoidable…we love your teen and will be sure to contact you should a situation arise. …and if they are sick, of course they can go home.)
5. Counselors must sign-out with a K4K Staff member before leaving and must promptly sign-in upon return.
Counselor Dismissal POST K4K
All good things must come to an end. K4K2026 will conclude on Friday, July 17th, at 11:00pm.
Counselors must stay for baptisms (7:00pm at the Pond) and are free to leave after.
- Counselors are invited to stay until 11:00pm and spend the evening decompressing and basking in the joy of the week.
- Teen drivers (that have Jr licenses and drove a car to Kamp) will be instructed to leave at 10:00pm to avoid issues with curfew.
How Can Parents Serve at Kamp4Kids?
Link to Sign Up: [Link to Planning Center]
Contact Karen Haines at 814-573-2226 to volunteer!!
- Set-up…July 7, 2026 @ 6:30pm (Rain Date July 8, 2026 @ 6:30) …Sign-ups not necessary
- Teardown… July 19, 2026 8:00am…Teardown is a huge undertaking and doing it on Saturday is new. We are looking to assemble a fresh team of individuals who are willing to help us pack up and put away. Please contact Karen Haines to let us know that you want to be part of the team.
- Other Opportunities (Contact Karen Haines for details):
- Lifeguards…at Playland and/or Wilderness (formal certification is not necessary)
- Lunch/Snack Prep
- Dinner Cleanup
- Prepare a dessert
- Playground monitors
- Craft assistants at Playland or Wilderness
- Tent Parents