NAA e-News Leadership Lesson: Building a Staff Ladder

A "Staff Ladder" is defined as "a predictable pool, or the better analogy would be “stream” of trusted and trained individuals interested in joining your organization as a staff member." The following few paragraphs are more geared towards a mid-sized, multi-site, full service (school year and summer camp) organization. However, smaller organizations like the future TWZ can use the basic elements discussed and modify them to meet their specific needs.



Step One - Look inside first! Always begin by knowing your own staff member’s future plans and aspirations. A good student intern today may be a great part time group leader next year and a trusted full time Senior Group Leader in 5 years.

Step Two - Counselor in Training (CIT) Programs produce the skills you are looking for! Create a CIT Program and make entry into the program competitive. Formalize the training program, evaluate the participants, have the CIT’s “work” the last week of the program for their first paycheck and then hold a ceremony (in front of the whole camp or afterschool program). At the function give the students their certificate of completion (along with a check) to not only recognize the student’s successful completion of the program, but also to instill a sense of pride in them, in front of the many little faces they just worked so hard to keep safe and happy.

Step Three - Junior Counselor Programs start are step-up on the ladder. The prerequisite for being a Junior Counselor is successful completion of your CIT program, and more importantly, having excellent evaluations during the program. If your summer CIT program has 10 participants the first year, then the second year it may contain 10 new CIT’s and 4 Junior Counselors, all of who are returning CIT’s from last year. The Junior Counselors, upon successful completion of a designated period of time (for example a second summer camp) and positive evaluations would then be offered a part time Student Intern position in your subsequent school year afterschool program.

Step Four - Student Interns refine skills and are prepared for regular part time positions. Paid student internships are an integral part of afterschool programs and allow Site Supervisors the time to provide many hours of on-the-job training. This training and mentorship will in many cases lead to interns becoming regular part time employees, especially if the student intern goes to college in the vicinity of the afterschool program. After that the sky is the limit, one