youth Leadership Programs
Designed for teens who are interested in being employed as Camp Counsellors at Fircom in the future, these programs provide teens with an opportunity to develop leadership and facilitation skills, outdoor adventure experience, as well as skills to help them successfully work with staff, volunteers and cabin groups of children!
IMPORTANT INFO:
Camp Fircom's CIT (Counsellor in Training) programs are designed to have campers participate first as Junior CITs, then Senior CITs the following year, and then are eligible to be hired as counsellors when they are 17. Because of this, we require Senior CITs to be 16 years old by the start of the summer, as this guarantees they meet the legal age requirements to be hired the following year. This, in turn, means that Junior CITs should be 15 at the start of the summer. These specific age requirements mean that some CITs may have completed different grades (9 or 10 and 10 or 11 for Junior and Senior respectively) but be the same age because of their birth date.
We ask that campers who are old enough to be Senior CITs apply for the Senior CIT program, regardless of whether they have completed the Junior CIT program, as it helps us maintain the cycle of campers mentioned above.
Junior & Senior C.I.T. Leadership Training
(Counsellors-In-Training)
Junior C.I.T. Dates: July 19-24 and August 2-7, 2026 (during Mom & Kids Camps).
Senior C.I.T. Dates: June 12-14, 2026 (TBC), Training June 26-30 (TBC), and all three weeks of our Kids camps: July 13-17, July 27-31 and August 10-14, 2026.
PARTICIPANTS:
Junior CIT’s - Teens who are 15 yrs old by July 11th, 2026
Fee: $550.00
Max: 6 participants (**see note below)
Senior CIT’s - Teens who are 16 yrs old by July 11th, 2026
Fee: $0
Max: 6 participants, by invitation (**see note below)
Junior C.I.T.’s
We will be on site during our two Mom & Kids Camps. During the morning kids programming, Junior C.I.T.s will have the opportunity to develop leadership and facilitation skills, as well as skills that will help them successfully work with staff, volunteers and groups of children. They will spend their afternoons and evenings enjoying Fircom programming designed especially for the Junior C.I.T.s to grow their camp skills and connect with their team. This program is designed for teens who are interested in being employed as Camp Counsellors at Fircom in the future, while also giving them a chance to enjoy teen activities (paddling, swimming, archery, hiking, campwide games, evening campfires, etc).
Senior C.I.Ts
We will spend 2 full days on site during Dad & Kids Camp, June 12-14, 2026 with the summer camp staff team, and then attend all three weeks of Kids Camp. Participants in this program will learn hard skills such as how to facilitate a variety of camp activities for children, including Guided Nature Walks, Archery, Outdoor Cook, Tie Dye and Arts ‘n Crafts, as well as how to facilitate a variety of games and lead campfire songs with children. They will also learn a variety of soft skills, including how to: build a culture of belonging within the camp setting; set expectations for children’s behaviour and effectively uphold those expectations; respond to children’s social, emotional and physical needs; and, set healthy boundaries with children and peers. During our Kids Camp sessions, each Senior C.I.T. will be assigned to a cabin group, where they will support Camp Counsellors. They will also have a chance to participate in some ‘C.I.T. Only’ workshops and activities, and will enjoy a special ceremony during their last week of camp to honour their successful completion of the C.I.T. program. By the end of their summer experience, Senior C.I.T.s will have a solid foundation to apply as a camp counsellor in the 2027 season and beyond!
** NOTE **
Both our Junior and Senior C.I.T. programs require an interview and evaluation process before applicants are accepted.
Junior C.I.T. registrants will be contacted in the winter. All interested Junior C.I.T. aged teens are welcome to register and/or waitlist beginning November 8, 2025.
Those interested in applying for the Senior C.I.T. program can send an email to Laura Powell, our Summer Camp Director: Laura@fircom.ca. Do not expect a response until December, 2026. Personal invitations will also be sent to selected teens that have been a part of Fircom and have also shown interest in being employed on the summer camp team.
More Teen Programs:
Polaris Adventure Camps:
week 1: July 19-24, 2026 (Ages 13-16)
Week 2: August 2-7, 2026 (Ages 13-16)
Week 3: August 16-21, 2026 (ages 15-16)
Upcoming Polaris Adventure Camp Dates:
What to Expect
Pick up & Drop-off
Checking In/Out
All CIT participants must either be signed in & out by their legal guardian, or send written permission in advance.
Boat Departures
Exact times will be sent via email to all Junior and Senior CIT participants.
Accommodation
Junior CIT’s will stay in a Bell Tent during their two weeks on site.
Senior CIT’s will stay in a cabin during their June 6 - 8 training weekend. During the three Kids Camp sessions, C.I.T. participants will stay in cabins or bell tents with Camp Counsellors and the kids in their cabin group. Accommodations are all-gendered during week 1 and 3, but gendered during Camp Cha7elkwnech, so Senior C.I.T.s can expect to share an accommodation with fellow C.I.T.s and campers of all genders, gender identities, and gender expressions. This change represents a shift towards making camp a more welcoming and inclusive environment. In order for C.I.T.s and campers to maintain privacy when dressing, we will continue to have covered changing stations in cabins and next to bell tents, as well as private stalls in all of our washroom facilities.
