Roughing It Day Camp
Internship Field Experience Manual
Internship Overview
The Roughing It Internship Program gives college students the opportunity to build their resumes and earn academic credit by completing internship, practicum, or independent study requirements. The student will gain hands-on experience in a camp environment and work alongside our leadership team in areas such as outdoor recreation, education, program development, environmental studies/education, media, management, business administration and operations.
The goal is to create a structured learning experience that aligns with the student’s academic major, meets their institution’s requirements, and helps them build practical skills. Interns receive supervision, mentorship, and regular check-ins to ensure they are moving toward their academic and professional goals.
This page is a resource for students to use when discussing possible internships with their academic advisors or professors. It outlines Roughing It’s history, the general requirements for different educational experiences available (internship, practicum, independent study), the purpose and descriptions of the internship opportunities available, hours and duration, skills developed, capstone projects and a condensed list of targeted majors.
Our Mission
Building Happy, Healthy Kids that have skills to thrive in life. For over 50 years, we’ve helped kids grow through outdoor learning experiences, preparing them to take on the world.
Our Vision
We create outdoor learning experiences through an 8 week camp program focused on camper growth & staff development. We hire, train & coach an amazing staff who lead outdoor activities designed for campers to learn life skills, connect to nature, make friends and have fun outdoors.
Our Values
Friendships, Teamwork, Happiness, Resiliency, Leadership, Confidence, Independence, Role Models.
Value Added Elements
Interns become an integral part of our community, contributing to camp life while developing their professional abilities. We believe the most meaningful professional growth occurs through hands-on experience in real-world settings. Our internship program at Roughing It provides opportunities for students to develop personally and professionally while actively participating in the daily operations of a youth-centered outdoor organization. Interns engage in teamwork, problem solving, decision-making, group management, & group leadership while working alongside experienced staff and supervisors. Each role offers direct leadership opportunities, whether through program instruction, curriculum development, administrative support, or youth guidance. The internship experience emphasizes experiential education, applied learning, and service to the camp community, enabling students to develop strong professional competencies while making a positive impact on the children and families we serve.
Professional Trainings and Certifications
Interns begin with a comprehensive training program covering youth development, safety, activity leadership, and camp operations, along with job-specific preparation for their internship track. When available, interns may participate in supplemental trainings and certifications such as CPR/First Aid, boating, fishing, or water safety, further strengthening their professional readiness.
21st Century Skills
The internship experience emphasizes the development of key 21st-century competencies including communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability. Through daily responsibilities, leadership tasks, and problem-solving opportunities, interns gain practical experience applying these skills in dynamic, real-world environments.
Support for University Requirements
We work with universities to ensure that all academic requirements are fulfilled. This includes completing learning contracts, verifying hours, providing evaluations, documenting supervision credentials, and supporting reflective assignments or capstone projects. The program is designed to be flexible and responsive to the expectations of individual academic institutions.
College Credit & Getting Paid
Interns receive a paycheck and will also be able to count your camp experience toward your college credit. Students will collaborate with their college advisor and the camp supervisor to connect camp skills to their field of study, helping them become stronger job candidates.
Career Skill Development
Roughing It supports interns in translating their field experience into marketable professional skills. Depending on their placement, interns may develop portfolio pieces such as curriculum materials, media content, administrative tools, or program resources. Supervisors offer coaching on career development, professional communication, and identifying transferable skills relevant to recreation, education, media, and administrative fields.
Roughing It Day Camp provides the following types of field-based learning experiences:
Internship
- Between 10 and 16 weeks of full-time (40 hours per week) experience (most schools allow camp set-up, training, and take-down to count toward the number of weeks or needed hours of experience)
- Students earn six to 15 academic credits
- Academic requirements — weekly reports, evaluations, major project
- Usually completed during the final semester of a student’s coursework, although some programs offer internships in the summer between the junior and senior years
- Often requires exposure to a breadth of experiences – leadership, supervision, programming, marketing, budgeting, human resources, maintenance, etc.
Practicum
- Between three and 9 weeks of full-time experience
- Students earn three to 9 academic credits
- Academic requirements — weekly reports, evaluations, significant project
- Experiences may be broad or in-depth in one area
Independent study
- Any number of hours of experience; can be one day or three weeks long
- Students earn one to three academic credits
- Academic requirements vary by credit hour; independent study commonly includes some level of research, readings, final paper
- Typically developed/created as a contract between a student and a faculty advisor; most often completed during a semester while enrolled in other coursework but can be accomplished in any term
- Offers special focus on one area of academic interest to the student
- Experiences are focused on a particular area of study
**Please note that these are general descriptions, check with your academic advisor to find out more about your schools requirements.**
Hours and duration may vary slightly but generally follow:
- Program dates: June 15, 2026 – August 7, 2026
- Training week: Begins June 8, 2026
- Typical weekly schedule: 43-47 hours (Additional time before and after camp hours supports setup, meetings, and supervision needs)
- Camp day: 9:00am-3:00pm
Pre and post season hours include:
- Staff training (6 days)
- Camp set-up week (1 week)
- Admin preparation
- Post-season organization (2 weeks)
On-Site Supervision; All interns are assigned a qualified supervisor who:
- Has professional experience in youth development, recreation, program administration, or related fields
- Provides regular supervision and feedback
- Conducts evaluations
- Ensures that intern duties align with academic goals
- Supports professional growth and addresses challenges proactively
Locations & Program Overview
Main Site: Reservoir (Lafayette, CA)
Boating Area, fishing docks & shoreline, sports fields and nature exploration areas, outdoor classroom and reservoir program stations
Swim Site: Soda Aquatic Center (Moraga, CA)
Outdoor pool for swim instruction, aquatic activities, water polo, diving and lifeguard training.
Office & Staff Training Center (Lafayette, CA)
Summer office and indoor training center supports administrative work, media production, registration, customer service and communication systems, and staff operations.
Program Area Overview
- Outdoor Living Skills
- Nature & Environmental Education
- Sports & Field Games
- Boating (canoeing, kayaking, rowing)
- Swimming & Aquatics
- Fishing & Freshwater Ecology
- Leadership Programs
- Arts & Crafts
- Camp Administration
- Communications and Media
- Parent Relations and Customer Service
Roughing It serves:
- Youth ages 4-16
- Families across San Francisco and the East Bay region
- Community and schools during outreach
- Seasonal staff members (50-70 staff per season)
Capstone Projects
Capstone projects are created, led, developed, and evaluated by the student. This project can be programmatic, administrative, or facilities based and will directly benefit the camp. The project must be discussed with and approved by the camp director(s).
Skills Developed
Interns at Roughing It Day Camp gain a broad range of professional, interpersonal, and technical skills aligned with university learning outcomes for recreation, education, media, administration, and environmental fields. While each internship develops a unique combination of skills, all students will gain experience across the following core skill areas:
- Leadership and Team Collaboration
- Professional Communication Skills
- Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
- Program Planning and Instruction
- Admin and Operational Skills
- Customer Service
- Youth Development Knowledge
- Creativity and Innovation
- Time Management
- Adaptability and Initiative
Why Intern at Camp?
Make a difference while working in a fun, thriving community. Nearly all of our internships are leadership positions, supervising and mentoring children, staff, or both. You will develop your own program or department and make decisions concerning your program and the staff who work for you.
How Do I Start?
The first step for securing an internship is to learn the internship requirements and expectations of your academic department and university. To learn more about the internships we have available, please see below, or if you would like to tailor an internship to suit your needs, please send your requests to jobs@roughingit.com, and we would be happy to help you.
List of Majors Targeted (condensed)
We can customize internships for these and other majors:
- Business, Communications/Media, Recreation, Education, Child Development, Psychology, Environmental Studies, Biology/Ecology, Natural Resource Sciences, Fisheries/Aquatic Science.
What Internships are Available?
Media Assistant Internship
The Media Assistant assists in all areas of communication to camper families. This role includes: Creating and managing content for all forms of media; Editing and Creating content for Newsletters, Blogs, Camper Caboodle, and Social Media; Helping manage photography during camp by taking photos and videos during the camp day as well as organization and editing as needed; Assisting with general office duties
Recreation Management
This is a great internship for Parks and Recreation majors looking to gain insight and develop the business skills required “behind the scenes” to run a successful recreation and outdoor program. You will gain experience with camp database and registration software and will be well-trained in customer service and problem solving.
Camp Business Administration
Use various software and database programs to process new registrations, track enrollment, order supplies, and manage receipts and statements. You will supervise staff both in the office and “in the field” and will provide feedback and written evaluations to your employees.
Program Supervisor
Run your own program while supervising a team of high-energy staff to create and implement quality lesson plans designed to build campers’ skills and confidence over two 4-week sessions. Programs at Roughing It include Swimming, Boating (row, canoe, kayak), Fishing, and Reservoir Programming (sports, crafts, outdoor living, and nature exploration).
Youth Counseling and Leadership
Aspiring educators will gain “in-the-field” experience managing a group of diverse personalities, abilities, and interests. You will log over 300 hours of youth leadership and education, including developing and implementing curriculum for hands-on learning, leading age-appropriate activities for nature exploration, team building, and conflict resolution.
Environmental Education Leadership
Design your own Environmental Education curriculum for children ages 4-14, with an emphasis on hands-on learning. You will develop your skills as an environmental interpreter while educating today’s youth about environmental principles, native (and non-native) species, habitats, and choices for a sustainable impact. We are looking for someone who loves to explore and is passionate about teaching others how to make a difference.
Freshwater Fish Specialist and Educator
Educate today’s youth about freshwater fish found in the Bay Area while also teaching them proper fishing practices. Develop your own lesson plans to teach native and non-native species (including identification), habitats and habitat restoration, and the efforts of fisheries and other organizations to protect aquatic communities. You will also mentor children in developing their skills in sport fishing, sharing knowledge of bait, lures, knots, and other helpful tips & tricks for enjoying the sport.
Customize Your Internship
We may be able to tailor an internship to suit your needs. Please contact us if you have an idea for a new internship or if you’d like to modify an existing internship. Please be ready to provide us with your school and department’s requirements for internships. Contact us at jobs@roughingit.com to start customizing your internship today.