Applications are open for 2025 Summer Staff! Apply here!
Our Mission: to empower survivors and their families to live with and beyond cancer through life-changing Montana experiences where they strengthen life skills, gain resilience, and develop lasting relationships.
Who is on Summer Staff? Each summer, we hire a team of 18 Summer Staff for the season. We welcome anyone with or without previous experience and knowledge of cancer and the effects of treatment. All staff must be at least 18 years of age when the season starts.
Our summer season runs from June 2nd through August 11th. Can’t work the whole summer? We can be flexible! Email lauren@campdream.org with questions.
Salaries range from $4,300 to $4,800 for the summer plus room and board.
Why work on Summer Staff? Besides an incredible, fun experience… camp is a great place to learn and practice a wide range of skills:
“My favorite part about working at Camp Mak-A-Dream was the opportunity to use my skills and interests to support a cause I am passionate about. I learned how working in a team-centric environment fosters the growth of not only the entire staff but also my individual skills as a leader. My biggest takeaway from the summer is how, when working as a team, you have the opportunity to greatly impact the lives of campers and create the best camp experience possible.” ~ Rissa, 2023 Summer Staff
Leadership: Camp staff lead, guide, and direct groups of campers (age 6 through young adult). Staff plan and implement group programs and activities as well as ensure the safety and wellbeing of all participants.
Collaboration and Communication: Camp staff receive on-the-ground, practical, real life training on how to work with a team, build the culture of the camp community, and communicate effectively with people at every level of the organization – campers, fellow staff, camp directors, and parents.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Camp staff must think on their feet – from resolving camper safety and risk management issues to facilitating a group of campers in creating a talent show performance… camp is a master class in creativity, adaptability, and innovation!
Personal growth and development: Whether you’re a camper, volunteer or staffer… camp is a place where you try new things and learn more about yourself. Throughout the season, camp staff are given personal development opportunities through trainings, staff meetings, and opportunities to practice new skills.
Community and connection: “I loved working at camp because my coworkers and I felt like one unit striving toward a common goal: making a positive impact on the lives of campers.” ~ Dakota, 2023 Summer Staff
From the outside looking in summer may seem like our busy season, but Camp Māk-A-Dream works its magic year-round. From special projects in preparation for our major fundraising events to hosting educational workshops at our Gold Creek campus, we stay busy regardless of the temperature outside. It just happens to be summertime that we especially look forward to.
Use this interactive map to explore Camp Māk-A-Dream's campus in Gold Creek, Montana. With 87 beautiful acres of ranchland surrounded by the Flint and Pintler mountains, Camp quickly becomes an unforgettable second home for the campers and program participants who travel here for a life-changing Montana experience.
What's a Montana experience without cabins? Our four cabins — named after a few of our state's mountain ranges — sleep up to 20 campers comfortably, each equipped with a kitchenette and a common area with a fireplace. These cabins quickly become home during camp programs and fireside chats happen both inside and out.
During our hot summer afternoons, everyone's thrilled by the idea of a dip in the pool. We have certified lifeguards on duty as various cabins rotate through using the pool as a recreational outlet. There's often a pool party, water aerobics, or cabin counselor cardboard boat races during theme night activities at Camp. The pool is wheelchair accessible.
Our 11,000-square-foot main lodge includes a window-lined dining room with a large stone fireplace and sitting area that combine to create an open area that serves as dining, meeting or breakout space. The lodge also features an activity room, a resource room for workshop sessions and the Camp Store. Not to mention an expansive terrace that overlooks the valley.
When campers want to get creative, they head here. We keep the studio well-stocked — since these kids have proven time and time again that their imaginations are seemingly limitless. From pottery and silk painting to tie-dye and friendship-bracelet weaving, the Art Studio is a hub of activity.
Our full-service, on-site health facility is a critical part of Camp. With isolation and treatment rooms, this facility helps us accommodate campers who require a high level of care, as well as those undergoing active treatment. In addition, the Health Center houses Camp's office, a conference room and accommodations for the experienced doctors and nurses who volunteer at Camp.
In search of rare Montana wildlife, such as the stegosaurus or jackalope, Campers head to the archery range. Whether campers are looking to blow off steam or tromp in the field, the archery course is a popular activity. And we always enjoy sharing activities with campers that many of them have never tried before.
The outdoor adventure courses are often the places where so many campers' firsts, victories and pivotal changes take place. This is especially true on the ropes course and climbing wall where campers test their limits. Adventure course activities are supervised and facilitated by trained Camp staff.
Many would argue that the best way to see Montana's stunning landscape is from atop a horse — and when we see how excited campers become when they spot the corral, we tend to agree. From simply being near the animals and helping brush them down to taking a turn riding and navigating some obstacles while in the saddle, our horses are an integral part of the Camp experience.
Our Wellness Center gives new meaning to living beyond cancer. This facility focuses on well-being, mind-body awareness and mindful practices. It includes a teaching kitchen for classes, coffee bar and lounge for small group discussions, and a large community room for activities like yoga, poetry sessions and workshops. This is also where a number of campus wide activities take place, like Camp's dance and talent show.
Adding some extra gravitational pull to the fun, our zip line is a popular entertainment choice at Camp. Campers get to take the leap and gleefully glide down the zip line. After all, they've already conquered so many fears, why not tackle another? Trained staff oversee and facilitate the zip line during all Camp sessions.
