Summer camp staff onboarding checklist

Hiring is only half the job. Between the offer letter and the first day of staff training, every counselor needs paperwork signed, checks cleared, certifications current and a hundred small questions answered. Here is the list we use, in the order it usually happens.

Updated October 1, 2026 · 7 minute read · From The Staff Lodge team

Right after they say yes

Signed offer or staff agreement. Dates, role, pay or stipend, time off, and the policies they agree to (phones, social media, alcohol, child protection).
Contact details that will still work in June. A personal email and mobile number, not a school address that stops working after graduation.
Emergency contact. Name, relationship and phone. Ask again before arrival; it changes more than you'd think.
Start the background check. Use the checks your state and your accrediting body require (in Massachusetts, for example, CORI and SORI checks). Start early: some take weeks.
References. Call at least one for every first-year staff member, and note who you spoke to and when.

Winter and spring: paperwork and certifications

Health form and immunization records. Whatever your camp nurse and state rules require, with a clear due date.
Certifications. Lifeguarding, first aid and CPR, wilderness first aid, and any activity certifications (climbing, archery, boating). Record each expiry date: a certification that lapses in July is a problem in July.
Staff handbook acknowledgment. They read it and say so in writing. Shorter handbooks get read.
Tax and payroll forms. Collected by your payroll process, not by email. Never ask for Social Security numbers in a group email or a shared spreadsheet.
Photo and a few fun facts. For the staff directory, so returning staff and new staff recognize each other on day one.
T-shirt sizes. Ask once, early, and give totals to whoever orders.

Six weeks out: travel and the practical stuff

Travel details. How they're getting to camp, arrival date and time, flight or bus numbers, and whether they need a pickup. See our arrival day plan.
Packing list. Specific to your camp: weather, rain gear, closed-toe shoes, what not to bring.
Key dates. Staff training, camper arrival, sessions, days off, last day. Make them easy to add to a phone calendar.
Mailing address and camp glossary. The words your camp uses (cabin names, activity periods, "rest hour") explained once.
Pre-camp training. Short videos or readings they finish before arrival, so training week can be hands-on.

The week before: last checks

Chase what's missing. One list of who hasn't finished what, so you message only those people.
Confirm travel again. Flights change. A two-line "still arriving Tuesday at 2:40?" message saves an empty airport run.
Welcome message. From the director: what the first day looks like, what to wear, who meets them.
Safety basics. Where to find the emergency procedures, and how they'll hear about an emergency once they're at camp.

What makes onboarding work

One place, not twenty emails. Staff lose emails. A single checklist they can open on their phone, with each item ticking off as it's done, gets finished faster than reminders ever do.

The office sees who's stuck. The time-consuming part isn't collecting forms; it's knowing which 12 of your 80 staff still haven't sent their health form. A live list beats a spreadsheet you update by hand.

Be clear about due dates. "Before staff training" is vague. "By May 15" gets done.

Keep sensitive information out of email. Health details, ID numbers and bank details belong in the systems built for them, not in inboxes or shared drives.