JUNIOR STAFF
Applications accepted
October 1, 2025 - January 10, 2026
Application / Registration Process
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The Junior Staff program allows teenagers who have come to Strong River as campers a chance to take on a new role as leaders at camp. The Junior Staff program consists of counselors-in-training (CITs) who are 13, 14, and 15 years old, and junior counselors (JCs) who are 16, 17, and 18 years old. The Junior Staff helps counselors with camper cabins, assists with activities, and performs dining room duties.
The application window to be on the Junior Staff opens October 1 and ends January 10. We begin to send out Junior Staff acceptances in late January and continue into the spring as spots become available. There are many factors that determine acceptances, including counselors’ evaluations of your performance from the previous summer, your age, the quality of your letter, and how many spaces we have available in each session.​
2026 Junior Staff Rates & Dates​
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Strong River 101: June 3-6
Session 2: June 7-13
Session 3: June 14-20
Session 4: June 21-24
Session 5: June 25-July 4
Session 6: July 5-11
Session 7: July 12-18
Session 8: July 19-22​​
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Discounted Fees One Week Session 5
First Year Junior Staff $1200 $1500
Second Year Junior Staff $900 $1000
Third Year Junior Staff. $600 $750
Fourth Year Junior Staff $300 $500
Fifth Year Junior Staff $300 per summer
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Strong River 101, Session 4, and Session 8 - These three-night sessions are $300 for Junior Staff, but are free to Junior Staff who also attend a full session in 2026.
If attending back-to-back sessions, we can not accommodate Junior Staff on nights in between sessions.
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To apply:
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Login to your UltraCamp account and sign up for the waitlist for any of the Junior Staff Sessions you are interested in attending. Waitlists are free to join and you may choose to be on multiple session waitlists.
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Submit your letter explaining why you want to be part of the Junior Staff at camp. The letter should include your choice of morning activities you would like to help with and, if you signed up for multiple session waitlists, the list of sessions in order of preference. You can mail or email your letter.​​​​​​​​
Applications are not considered complete until you have signed up on your preferred Junior Staff waitlists on UltraCamp and submitted your letter.
You will be notified by email if/when space becomes available for you to register. The discount for first-year Junior Staff is already reflected in the session fee. For returning Junior Staff, use the following codes during the registration process:
CIT2 for second-year Junior Staff
CIT3 for third-year Junior Staff
CIT4 for fourth-year Junior Staff
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Discounts will be applied once they are verified on our side. If you register for a three-night session, the Junior Staff discount is already applied and there is no additional discount code you need to enter.
FAQ
What if I’m 13 but not ready to be a CIT?
If you are 13, you can choose to be a camper one last summer or you can apply to be a CIT. It’s totally up to you!
What if I want to apply to be on the Junior Staff but have never been to Strong River before?​
Unfortunately, we can only offer Junior Staff spots to those who have come to Strong River as campers.
If I’ve been on the Junior Staff before and written a letter, do I have to write another one every year?
Yes! We love to hear from you every year. It helps us understand what excites you about camp, how you’ve grown over the past year, and how you want to contribute to camp.
Do I get community service hours for being on the Junior Staff?
Yes! Junior Staff receive 20 hours of community service for 3-night sessions, 40 hours for one-week sessions, and 60 hours for the 9-night session. At the end of the summer, we will send out a service hour email confirming the number of hours you received for each session you attended.