VOLUNTEER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Gain practical experience working with children and youth in a fun, safe and welcoming environment

• Develop valuable leadership skills, such as communication, mentorship, and problem solving

• Receive guidance and mentorship from instructors through guided reflections, goal setting, and professional development workshops

• Build foundation of skills to prepare for a instructor role

• Receive volunteer hours for future career and school applications

• Ability to request a reference from SFU Camps & Youth Programs

Volunteers must: 

1. Be 14 years of age by July 4, 2024
2. If accepted, submit a valid Criminal Record Check. 
3. Complete in person and online training

The minimum commitment is 2 weeks, which can be consecutive or separate. If accepted, volunteers receive a minimum of 80 hours* (2 weeks of volunteering) and may be eligible for additional weeks.

Volunteers must also commit one evening in June to do on-site training before Camps begin and approximately one hour to complete online training before Camps. 

This is the number one question we receive. The approximate timeline for 2022 is posted below. Dates are subject to change. 

Absolutely! Many volunteers in the past have used SFU camps for work experience and/or service hours. We are more than happy to fill out any necessary paperwork. Please make sure to check with your teacher to make sure they will allow you to use SFU Camps.

Please note that SFU Camps is not a registered non-profit.

We require all volunteers we hire to submit a completed CRC to us. If successfully hired, we will provide you with specific instructions on how to complete a CRC.

Instructions will be provided after we hire you and we recommend that you complete your CRC as soon as possible after receiving the instructions. 

If you are a returning volunteer and you submitted a CRC within the last 3 years, you will be asked to submit a signed affidavit instead. 

No, Volunteers are not required to obtain or submit a Standard First Aid and CPR-C Certficate and are not responsible for handling first-aid incidents during the camp day. 

SFU Camps offers a range of educational, sports, and recreational camps. We have a range of topics in these themes, such as Mountain Madness and Survival, Soccer, and Junior camp. To see the complete list of camps offered this summer, please view this page. 

Applications are currently Closed

The 2023 Application was a one-step process:

Step 1: Complete & submit the online application form accessed on our Volunteer Opportunities page. You will directed to a 'Thank You' page upon successfully submitting the form.

Each year, the application process becomes increasingly competitive and we receive between 300-500 applicants. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer a position to every person. 

For 2021 and 2022, we were able to hire approximately 150 and 250 volunteers, respectively. 

For 2023, we received over 500 applications, and we were able to accept 300 volunteers.

For 2024, we are hoping to accept 300-350 volunteers.

Due to the large volume of applications that we receive, we are unable to extend our application deadline.

Ensure you have read the Job Description and have a good understanding of a volunteer's role and responsibilities. This FAQ page is also a great resource to read through.

All applicants will be notified in the last week of April regarding if they were selected to move to the interview process. After interviews, our goal is to notify successfull applicants by May 13. 

Absolutely! We are more than happy to provide you with any form of reference that you need. Please read below for additional information on requesting a reference.

Please note: the reference will be completed by the current Head Programmer of Volunteers, based on the evaluations and notes in your file. 

Criteria for Receiving a Letter of Reference:

• The letter must be requested a minimum of 3 weeks in advance. 
• If volunteered in 2019 or before, volunteer must have completed a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer work with us. 
• If volunteered in 2020 or after, volunteer must have completed a minimum of two weeks of volunteer work with us. 
• Volunteer must be in good standing with SFU Camps. 

Please send an email to camps_volunteer@sfu.ca with the subject line "Volunteer Reference Letter - Your Name".

In the body of the email, please provide:

• Your full name

• Year(s) you volunteered and Total # of hours if known

• Purpose of the letter (e.g. scholarship, job application, university application)

• Name of scholarship, employer, university, etc.

• Copy of scholarship requirements, job posting, application or program requirements, etc.

• Date of when you need the letter / reference

• Where to send or submit the letter (e.g. email address, mailing address) or how we may be contacted to provide the reference (e.g. email, phone, online)

• You may also submit your resume, and/or CV to aid us in developing a thoughtful reference

Absolutely! If you wish to have your participation verified, please send an email to camps_volunteer@sfu.ca with the subject line "Volunteer Activity Verifier - Your Name".

In the body of the email, please provide:

• Your full name

• Year(s) you volunteered

• Purpose of verification (e.g. scholarship, university application, etc.)

• Name of scholarship, university, etc.

• How to provide the verification (e.g. online, paper form)

Please note the following:

• To have your activity verified, you must be in good standing with SFU Camps

• You must have satisfactorily completed your full SFU Camps placement

Yes there is. If selected, there will be a mandatory in person training session in June. It is typically a 3 hour evening session, with more details communicated closer to the date. Applicants may be asked to complete a brief online training session prior to the in person one. 

Expected date: Late June, 2024 (there will be two dates available to attend)

We schedule you for a training session based on the availabilty you submit ahead of time. Due to the large number of attendees, we are not able to hold any make-up training sessions. 

In case of emergency or extenuating circumstances, please leave a voicemail at 778-782-4307 and email us at camps_volunteer@sfu.ca. We will move forward on a case-by-case basis. 

At volunteer training, we will provide you with the skills and tools that you will need to be successful as a volunteer with SFU Camps. Throughout the night you will move around to different stations that will go over different topics. Some topics include:

• Camps rules and regulations

• SMART goal setting

• How to run a rec time

• Meet & greet with camp staff

• Campus tour

• Question & answer session

At the start of training we will also collect any outstanding paperwork and provide you with your volunteer shirt and nametag. 

Yes. All new and returning volunteers are required to attend volunteer training.

Your schedule is based upon the availability you provide us in May. You will be asked to indicate which weeks you are available for and which weeks you are not available for. You must be available for the complete week (Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm) if marking you are availabe that week. From there, we place everyone in a minimum two weeks of camps, corresponding with your availability. 

For example, if you indicate you are available for the whole month of July and the first week of August, you could be placed in a camp the first week and the third week of July. 

You will be emailed a copy of your placement schedule prior to attending training. 

The factors that impact which camps you are scheduled for include:

• Which weeks you are available
• What your camp preferences are
• Which camps are running during the weeks that you are available

Only returning volunteers are eligible to apply to be a lead volunteer. Returning means that you volunteered with SFU Camps & Youth Programs in the past.

To become a lead volunteer you will be required to take part in a phone interview. 

Each week Lead Volunteers will be assigned to one or more camps of which they will be responsible for supporting with the help of the Administrative Team. These volunteers will have the opportunity to coach and support volunteers, facilitate lessons and activites, and provide general support to a variety of staff throughout the summer. Lead Volunteers will report directly to the Camps Programmers. This role is best suited for someone who is looking to build on their leadership abilities, mentor a diverse group of individuals as well as taking on additional professional development responsibilities. This position is ideal for a returning volunteer who wants to continue their development with SFU Camps. 

Yes! Lead Volunteers are required to attend Lead Volunteer training in late June 2024. Lead Volunteers may also be asked to attend general Volunteer training to help facilitate stations and/or groups. 

If it is an unplanned lateness (e.g. missed the bus, traffic, etc.), please contact the Programmers office as soon as possible via email (camps_volunteer@sfu.ca) or phone 778-782-4307. Please include your full name, camp placement, and expected arrival time in your message. Check in at the Programmers office upon arrival on campus. 

We strongly recommend volunteers pack food to eat for lunch and snacks. You will have a 30 minute break and food options on campus are not consistently available or accessible in that time frame. A consistent late return from lunch break can result in a meeting with Head Programmer of Volunteers. 

We are unable to offer an indoors communal eating area, however you will be shown several locations during training where you will be able to gather with a small group for break. 

A typical day will vary greatly depending on what camp you are with for the week. For example, if you are with an educational camp, you may spend up to half of the day indoors. In comparison, if you are with a recreational camp, you may only spend about a quarter of the day indoors. Below is an example day from a recreational camp.