We strive to provide the most impactful experience possible for everyone involved in Camp Swift, and we therefore uphold a merit-based application process to select our Camp Swift counselors.  We have worked hard to ensure that this process will be as objective as possible.  We will have a committee made up of Swift Youth Foundation staff, board members, and experienced volunteers who will all be involved in the application review process.  In order to be as transparent as possible, we are sharing with you the rubric the team will be using to score each application.  Each person on the committee will be reviewing each application, and scores from each reviewer will be averaged for a final score.  The applicants with the highest scores off of this rubric will be accepted to be counselors for Camp Swift 2019.  A few things to note:

• Because we split our cabins by gender and therefore need a specific number of female counselors and a specific number of male counselors, female and male applicants will be scored separately.
• Session preference will be given to those with the highest scores.  To better ensure that you will get a spot at camp this summer, we highly recommend that you remain open to the possibility of attending either session.  If you know that you absolutely cannot attend one of the sessions, please only mark the session that you are able to attend*.

​​*Team Swift members are the only counselors who are eligible to attend both sessions.

Payment
​We will be collecting payment only once an individual is accepted as a counselor.  Payment must be made within one week of acceptance unless prior arrangement has been made (in writing by email) with Kaylie Medansky, Executive Director.  If payment is not made by the deadline the spot will be forfeited and given to an applicant on the wait list.

• Please note that for the first time in over 15 years we are slightly increasing our counselor fee rates due to increased costs associated with putting on Camp Swift.  Please note that this rate is still actually significantly subsidized, as the true cost per counselor is closer to $600/counselor per session of camp due to housing, food, and training costs.  Thank you for your understanding.

Session 1
May 24 - Support Staff Orientation
May 25 - Counselor Orientation
May 26-May 30 - Camp Swift Session 1 2018

Session 2
July 30 - Support Staff Orientation
July 31 - Counselor Orientation
August 1-August 5 - Camp Swift Session 2 2018

Other Dates to Know
Pre-Camp Orientation - all counselors are required to attend one of the following dates:
May 6th: 1pm-4pm
May 12th: 9am-12pm
*Both pre-camp orientations are held at 17835 N 44th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85032

Don't forget to stay connected with Swift through the newsletter and be the first to fill out your volunteer application when they are released in February!

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Camp was full of fun and exciting activities today planned by our unit heads and special programming director! Oldest unit had an exciting game of capture the flag on the sports field after ‘Golden Broom’ cabin clean up. Two cabins were paired up and then played against the other two oldest cabins. One team wore red pennies and the other wore green pennies to help teams differentiate each other. It was a playful game of two hand touch and the winners made it all the way to the flag and back without getting touched.

Middle unit planned an afternoon of water Olympics! Cabins got in their bathing suits and met on the sports field for 2 hours of water related games! The cabins started out played Drip, Drip, Drop, a version of ‘Duck, duck, goose,’ where the players use a sponge to drip until they find who they want to tag and then they squeeze the sponge out on top of them. Then the campers played a couple water relay games and then ended with a water balloon toss which eventually turned into a water balloon fight.

​After dinner, campers headed down to the barn for the Swift Carnival! There were games from mini golf to bowling and a photo booth to a friendship booth. There were a couple performances through the night, one by support staff rapping about camp and another by campers who went to the dance class during camper’s choice and learned a choreographed dance by support staff members, Ellie and Allison.

Campers went back to their cabins and had flashlight pass, this is where campers pass a flashlight around and when the flashlight gets to them they have a chance to share a favorite moment or activity from their time up at camp.

​The next morning campers were served a healthy breakfast of yogurt and cereal and then packed up their bags to say goodbye to their cabins. Each camper enjoyed a packed lunch on the bus and were accompanied by a counselor and support staff member to help with their journey back home.

Leaving home can be hard for both the campers and their parents but the amount one gains from the experience of camp is worth more than one may ever know. Campers enjoyed a home cooked meal 3 times a day and slept in cabins with 11 to 14 other people. This week campers learned about Japanese culture while making dessert sushi, they worked on controlling their emotions with stress relieving activities like Play-Doh, they learned team building activities at the ropes course and the Rock Wall, and did science experiences with creating a parachute to keep an egg from breaking! Campers made new friends and became closer with old ones. The values that are taught at Camp Swift can be brought home and used during their everyday lives. Staff and counselors look forward to seeing campers at after school programs and other youth activities the organization puts on throughout the year. To learn more, follow our blog or read more on the about page!

Mark Kaplan is the proud recipient of the Outstanding Board Member for 2017! We interviewed Mark to find out more about what he loves so much about Swift!

Q: How long have you been involved with Swift?
Mark: 22 years

Q: What is your favorite Camp Swift activity?
Mark: Ropes/Cooking

Q: What is your favorite thing to eat at Camp Swift?
Mark: Whatever I make for snacks

Q: What is your greatest/most memorable experience with Swift?
Mark: Too many to count in my 22 years. Many years, many tears (of laughter and joy) But two are lasting memories :1) The road from near disbandment to where we are today. 2) Watching my kids grow up with Swift from coming up as pre-teens with me to volunteer, to being counselors and now support staff.

Q: What has Swift given you that makes giving back to the organization worth your while?
Mark: The pride of accomplishment and achievement in our goals and expanding programs - a dream being fulfilled.  And, of course, being able to be a part of the Happiest Place on Earth.  Peace, Love, Happiness!