Service and Leadership Training (SALT) for ages 15-17
Grow. Serve. Lead.
Sandy Hill's Service and Leadership Training (SALT) program prepares high school students (ages 15-17) for college and career success through three progressive stages: Counselor-in-Training (CIT), Junior Counselor (JC), and Assistant Counselor (AC). Participants develop leadership skills while serving our camp community, earning documented service hours, attending Life 101 workshops, and gaining real work experience. Complete the program across multiple years or in a single intensive summer based on your age, availability and interests.
SALT program graduates receive:
Letter of Recommendation and Certificate of Completion
40 to 160 Documented Service Hours for college applications
Paid work experience as an Assistant Counselor
Leadership training and personalized mentoring
Life 101 workshop series including personal finance, life skills, and college preparation
Priority Hiring at Age 18
SALT Alumni Benefits - option to work at camp during college years without committing to entire summers
Opportunity to live at and stay connected to camp while giving back to the Sandy Hill community
Future leaders grow here!
Counselor-In-Training (CIT) Program
The CIT program is open to campers who have completed 9th, 10th or 11th grade and have attended at least one week of camp at Sandy Hill. CITs attend daily workshops including leadership skills development, effective communication strategies, and behavior management. They also assist counselors with a cabin of campers and various activities. They "shadow" senior counselors and get an insider’s view of the details that go into the operation of Sandy Hill Camp. CITs typically live together in a cabin with other CITs and a Senior Counselor supervisor.
The CIT program is a prerequisite to volunteering as a Junior Counselor. CITs who are also planning to attend sessions as a camper this summer should do so before their week as a CIT.
Eligibility Summary:
Be interested in working with children and developing their leadership and interpersonal skills
Be able to put the needs of their campers above their own and be a positive role model for children
When: summer after 9th, 10th or 11th grade
Have completed or be registered for at least one traditional camp session at Sandy Hill before your CIT session (can be this summer or a prior summer).
Must not have previously been a CIT at Sandy Hill since the CIT program is designed to be a one-time experience and prerequisite for the JC program.
To sign up for a CIT session, use the online camper registration system, just like you register for camp. See the Jr Staff FAQs section below for answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
Fast Facts for CITs:
Eligibility: Past camper and finished 9th, 10th or 11th grade
Selective: No
Costs: $950 (reduced from standard camper tuition)
Service Hours: approximately 40 hours earned
Length: One-week (5 nights)
Sessions Offered: all 8 camper weeks
Next Step: Junior Counselor
How to apply: Online camper registration
Junior Counselor (JC) Program
UPDATED for 2026!
The two-week, volunteer, selective JC program is the second step in the SALT progression. JCs live in lodges with middle-school aged two-week campers and take on more responsibility. JCs shadow full-time counselors, assist with activities around camp, assist with some meals in the camp kitchen, work in the camp store, participate in cabin life, and attend SALT's Life 101 workshops. Traditional JC participants get to enjoy a free amusement park trip with their cabin too!
Eligibility Summary
Summer after10th or 11th grade
Have completed a CIT session
Be selected for the JC program based on evaluations as a CIT and on your JC application, interview and references
Must not have previously been a JC at Sandy Hill
To apply to be a JC, read through the "Join our Staff" section of the website, and then click here to apply online. See the Jr Staff FAQs section below for answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
Fast Facts for JCs:
Eligibility: Past CITs who have finished 10th or 11th grade
Selective: Yes - based on CIT evaluations and JC application
Costs/Pay: $0 - Volunteer; ~120 documented volunteer service hours
Length: Two-week session (12 nights)
Sessions Offered: 1&2, 3&4, 5&6 or 7&8
Next Step: Two or more weeks as an AC to complete the SALT program
How to apply: Online staff application
Assistant Counselor (AC) Program
UPDATED for 2026!
Assistant Counselors spend part of their day supporting the camp program (assisting in activity areas, helping in the camp store, etc); around 6-7 hours each day in food service including food preparation, serving, and cleanup.
ACs sleep in camper cabins or lodges as a third staff member some weeks and in the Under 18 Staff Cabin other weeks. During the weeks they are in camper cabins, ACs assist the counselors and participate in camp activities with the campers in their cabin. In the male or female U18 cabins, they live with and are mentored by a Senior Counselor. ACs are eligible to join in to the specialty training week for lifeguard, ropes and other specialized training provided that they have relevant background in one of these areas.
Over the course of the summer, ACs participate in SALT workshops on personal finance, college and career prep, adulting & life skills such as changing a tire; cooking meals; making basic home repairs; understanding a paystub; and more.
ACs are paid $500+ per week* (training weeks are not paid)
ACs are eligible to stay at camp on weekends between sessions and attend staff day trips to NYC, Philadephia, DC, the beach, etc.
Eligibility & Program Length:
Note that AC weeks do not need to be consecutive
Option A - “Traditional Path” (CIT → JC → AC)
Have successfully completed a CIT and a JC session
Summer after11th grade (sometimes possible after 10th grade) and be at least 15 years old
Length: minimum 2 and maximum 8 camper weeks in a summer.
Best for: those who have finished 11th grade and have already completed JC in a previous summer
Option B - “Alternate Path” (Compressed JC + more AC)
Have successfully completed a CIT session
Summer after 11th grade and at least 16 years old
Length: minimum 5 and maximum 8 camper weeks in the summer. *Note that 1 of these weeks is an unpaid training week
Best for: age 17 past CITs ready to complete both JC and AC in one intensive summer who cannot attend June 14-19 training
Option C - “Direct Path” (New to SALT and older with strong leadership potential)
New to Sandy Hill or campers who have not completed a CIT session. Interested in working with children, being a positive adult role model and serving others
Summer after 11th grade and at least 16 years old
Length: All-staff Training Week (June 14-19) plus a minimum of 5 and maximum of 8 camper weeks in the summer. *Note that 2 of these weeks are unpaid training weeks
Best for: New to Sandy Hill and strong prior leadership experience (other camps, youth programs, coaching) ready for full immersion. Ideally able to attend June 14-19 All-Staff Training week
To apply to be an AC, read through the "Join our Staff" section of the website, and then click here to apply online. See the Jr Staff FAQs section below for answers to Frequently Asked Questions as well.
Fast Facts for ACs:
Eligibility:
see AC Eligibility & Program Length sectionSelective: Yes
Salary: $500+ per camper-week
Length:
see AC Eligibility & Program Length sectionSessions Offered: all 8 camper weeks
Next Step: Apply for counselor roles at 18 (priority consideration for SALT graduates)
How to apply: Online staff application
CIT/JC/AC SALT Program FAQs
What makes SALT different from other youth summer leadership options?
It’s a progressive and flexible pathway with real responsibility, documented service hours (40–160), paid AC experience, mentoring, life skills and priority hiring at 18.
How do I know where to start—CIT, JC, or AC?
Most start with CIT (1 week), then JC (2 weeks), then AC (paid). Option C “Direct Path” allows direct entry to AC for qualified 11th-graders.
What's the difference between the three AC paths?
The difference is what you have completed in your summers prior to the summer after 11th grade.
Traditional Path (Option A) - already completed CIT + 2-week JC. For those with limited summer availability, as few as 2 AC weeks to complete the SALT program.
Alternative Path (Option B) - already completed CIT but not JC; then 1-week compressed JC and then at least 4 AC weeks (skips June 14-19 training).
Direct Entry (Option C) - no prior CIT/JC, but must attend June staff training + compressed CIT/JC combo week, then minimum of 4 AC weeks. Total time commitment is similar (5-6 weeks), but structured differently.
Can I do more than the minimum AC weeks?
Absolutely! Minimums are just that—minimums. We encourage additional AC weeks for more pay, workshops, and skill development. AC weeks don't need to be consecutive.
If I complete JC, am I guaranteed an AC position?
AC positions are selective based on JC performance. JCs who demonstrate strong leadership and responsibility are typically invited back as ACs. Similarly, CIT performance determines JC selection.
Can I complete SALT in one summer?
Yes, if you're 16 or 17 and have completed 11th grade. You could do: CIT (week 1) → JC (weeks 2-3) → AC (weeks 4-5+) = 5+ weeks total. Or you could do Option C “Direct Path.” Younger participants typically spread SALT across 2-3 summers.
Can I be with my friend in a cabin?
For CITs, typically yes. For most weeks, CITs of the same sex live in a cabin together with a Senior Counselor.
For JCs, no. There is only one JC per cabin.
For ACs, sometimes. During the weeks that ACs are in camper cabins, there is only one AC per cabin. During the weeks when ACs are in the Under 18 Staff Cabin, yes when the friend is also AC and in the Under 18 Staff Cabin.
Do CITs get to do instructional activities, cabin activities, or free time?
No, yes, and sometimes. CITs assist senior staff to teach an instructional activity for one period each day. CITs typically go with their campers to their cabin activities. CITs do get some "free time" on some days with their own age group and spend other days playing with the younger campers in their cabin.
Can I do CIT and JC or JC and AC in the same summer?
Yes as long as you meet the eligibility requirements above.
Can I be a camper and a CIT or a camper and a JC in the same summer?
Yes. CIT weeks count toward the maximum of three camper-weeks per summer. JC weeks do NOT count toward the three camper-week maximum. So a person can be a camper for 3 weeks and also a JC for two additional weeks in a single summer. If you are considering being both a camper and a CIT and/or JC in the same summer, we strongly encourage you to do the camper part first and the SALT part second.
Can I sign up for a CIT session more than once?
Not in the same summer. The CIT program is typically done only once. However, if a CIT is not selected as a JC, they can repeat the CIT program a year later and potentially be more successful with an additional year of growth and maturity.
Can the CIT/JC program count towards community service?
Sandy Hill can provide documentation of service hours for CIT and JC sessions. Whether or not they count toward a school requirement is a question for your school. Note that Sandy Hill is not a non-profit organization. Typically, a week of CIT contains 40 volunteer hours. A two-week JC session contains about 120 hours.
I'm currently in 9th or 10th grade, but I've never been a camper at Sandy Hill. Can I be in the CIT program?
Our CIT program is geared toward previous campers. We recommend that you attend at least one week of Sandy Hill’s traditional camp before your CIT session later in the summer. Former campers get priorty for CIT spaces. You may contact the office to see if exceptions are possible.
Can JCs and ACs stay at camp on the weekend between their weeks of camp?
JCs - yes as part of their two-week session. ACs - with parental consent. ACs are also eligible to attend staff weekend trips to NYC, DC, Rehoboth Beach, etc.
Are CITs and JCs allowed to drive themselves to camp?
Sandy Hill permits campers, CITs, JCs and ACs to drive themselves to camp as long as they are fully licensed to do so. Like campers, CITs must drop their keys off at the office once they have arrived. They can pick them up at the end of their session. JCs and ACs may use their vehicles during the course of the week during their time off if they so choose. If driving themselves to camp, campers, CITs must have written permission from their parents/guardians before their arrival.
If I want to be on staff at Sandy Hill someday, do I have to go through the CIT/JC/AC program?
No, but priority is given to SALT program graduates. Also typically only SALT program graduates can be cabin counselors and specialty staff at age 18 since most counselors are 19+.