Over a typical summer, more than 300 Newton teenagers and college students work for the Parks and Recreation Department as staff in camps and at swimming locations across the city. They provide valuable services to the public, especially Newton’s children, in the months when school is out.

For many of the teens, it’s their first job, during which they learn valuable skills that can last a lifetime. At the end of the summer, many leave with a sense of accomplishment, the feeling of being part of a community, and pride in earning their own money.  

Getting the job

Many of the teenagers working in the city’s summer camps were originally campers themselves and wanted to continue the experience as counselors. Others learned about the job through their siblings, parents or friends. 

Application materials are found on the city website and teenagers can start to work when they turn 14 years old. 

For the camps, applicants list the ages of children they want to work with and preferred types of programs, such as tennis or outdoor adventure camp, to determine a good match of staff with specific programs. For example, teenagers who work at Kids Korner in Burr Park have expressed interest in working with nursery school-age children and the camp’s science and math focus.

Lifeguard watches over Gath Pool. Photo by Richard Primack

Teenagers who are on swim teams or involved in other swimming programs are already familiar with the summer work opportunities at Crystal Lake and Gath Pool. 

Sean Nickerson, director of aquatics, says, “We are looking for three qualities in new hires: availability for the whole summer; professionalism, meaning that they can act independently and interact with the public; and, having strong swimming skills.”

Candidates for summer jobs are interviewed in person to make sure they really want the job, show sincere enthusiasm, and have good interpersonal skills. 

Nickerson emphasizes, “The biggest asset we have is lots of high-quality staff, and we give them a lot of responsibility. We make this a place where they want to come to work.”

Training

According to Stephanie Lapham, a city Recreation Manager and on-site manager at Kids Korner, summer employees receive several hours of initial training. It includes work policies, allergies, dealing with difficult children, being respectful to other staff and the public, handling emergencies such as fires, and taking care of injuries. The need for coming to work on time and calling in when sick is also emphasized. 

Three teens at Kid’s Korner. Photo by Richard Primack.

Gunnar Gagnon, a 16-year-old at Newton North who is working as a camp counselor, says, “We were told that this would be a fun job, but also an important job with responsibility.” 

At the swimming programs, there is additional water safety training. When kids are 14 years old, they start as cashiers and entrance staff, and transition to swim instructors and lifeguards when they get older. For all swim staff, there is ongoing training on preventing drowning and dealing with heat exhaustion and injuries. 

Taking personal responsibility is an essential skill. Aidan Furlong, 18 years old and heading off to Boston University this fall, says, “You have to be aware of how much time you have and don’t show up late for your rotation.”

Learning over the summer 

Many of the teenagers had summer experiences they had not expected. Staff at Gath Pool were surprised by how frequently they had to tell adults to watch their small children and not get distracted by their cell phones or talking with friends. Rescuing small children in distress is becoming a more common occurrence.  

Summer scene at Gath Pool. Photo by Richard Primack

Mathew Spalding, an 18-year-old from Framingham, adds “Lots of kids like to roughhouse in the water, and we have to stop this.” 

Some of the staff remarked on how much work was involved in keeping the place clean.

Staff working as counselors with young children at Kids Korner had special challenges. Mady Daley, a 19-year-old from Auburndale and now a Providence College student, says, “The kids seem so young, but they pay attention to everything we say and do, so it is important to be a good role model.” 

Amber Ou, a 17-year-old at Newton North, adds “I learned how important it was to explain things to kids in a clear and simple way.” 

The rewards

Teenagers had many positive, rewarding experiences during their local summer jobs. According to Jillian Schneider, an 18-year-old Newton North graduate about to head off to Wesleyan University, “The best experience is seeing kids progress over the summer; one kid was so nervous about water, and now he’s in the water all of the time.”

Daley points out, “I am a psychology major. This job has given me hands-on experience with children that I can use in my studies. It is more than just classroom learning.” 

Ou adds, “I did not realize how much we needed to communicate with each other, and that we would have a community together.” 

Spending the money

Getting paid is an important part of a summer job. The high school students say they will be using the money for hanging out with friends. The students heading off to college are taking a longer view of saving for the future. For example, Schneider just opened a new investment account.  

And while the money is important, there were clearly many other non-monetary rewards for these Newton teenagers working for the city. 

Richard B. Primack is a lifelong resident of Newton and plant ecology professor at Boston University. He can be reached at: primack@bu.edu.