Camp Director, Happy Trails for Kids – Partner Camp of Pali Institute

CAMP DIRECTOR – Happy Trails for Kids Acton, California | Full-Time, Year-Round | Live-In During Summer

Change The Lives of Children In Foster Care Through The Power of Camp & Community

Welcome to Happy Trails for Kids – a Los Angeles based nonprofit providing cost-free ACA accredited overnight camps and year-round supportive programs to children in foster care. This is a transformative moment – not just for Happy Trails for Kids, but for the thousands of children growing up in foster care in Southern California. After 17 years of renting camp facilities, we have acquired a 133-Acre property in Acton, CA. The property is currently being restored and reimagined to serve as our first permanent camp for children in foster care. We are looking for a Camp Director to lead the charge in running one of the most innovative, impactful and rewarding summer camps in America.

Happy Trails for Kids is undergoing a transformation and we are looking for someone who will build and expand our life-changing model that maximizes overnight camp opportunities for children in foster care and model for what rehabilitation, belonging and joy can look like for children in foster care.

ABOUT HAPPY TRAILS AT ACTON

Happy Trails for Kids in Acton is a 133-acre oasis nestled in Acton, CA Nestled in a beautiful valley, surrounded by mountains. With over 80 existing structures on site, we are reimagining the campus into a year-round hub for experiential learning, recreation, and youth development. The sky truly is the limit at this property – and for our kids.

ROLE : CAMP DIRECTOR

You'll start leading 200 campers per week and 75 staff enthusiastic staff during overnight camps, with plans to increase that number significantly.

You'll establish the foundation, policies and practices to ensure our campers are inspired and cared for every day, overseeing compliance with accreditation and any contract / grant requirements. You will provide steady and supportive leadership of someone who has learned lessons and honed their craft, but you will embrace your role as lead energizer, visionary programmer, and motivator for a camp experience that campers will look back on as the defining experiences of their childhood.

This is a dynamic and deeply rewarding position - and it can be challenging. Our campers bring diverse life experiences, and the Camp Director must be prepared to lead with empathy, navigate complex behaviors, and support a team through emotionally charged moments.

Finally, given the accessibility of our property, you will help oversee, with the support of our programming team, winter and spring camps / retreats, reunion events and curated programming opportunities, including day and overnight experiences on a year-round basis.

WHO YOU ARE

• You have 5+ years of camp leadership experience (overnight camp preferred).
• You're charismatic, decisive, and warm-a natural magnet for kids, staff, and families.
• You thrive living on-site during summer or year-round in the middle of the action (not behind a screen).
• You appreciate the opportunity to keep a year-round camp community strong with reunion events and curated programs and retreats.
• You can train, inspire, and lead a team of new and returning staff, the majority of whom have lived experience in foster care with excellence.
• You dream big but can also roll up your sleeves.

YOUR YEAR AT HAPPY TRAILS

Off-Season (Sept–May)

On-Season (June–August)

COMPENSATION & PERKS

THIS IS A CAREER DEFINING OPPORTUNITY TO SHAPE A PROGRAM AND A CAMP FROM THE GROUND UP THAT TRANSFORMS THE LIVES OF CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE

Apply now and seize the opportunity to build the camp of your dreams . Please send all resumes and inquires to

Happy Trails is an equal opportunity employer that values creativity, inclusion, and kindness.