Want to Work for SSP?

Sierra Service Project employs more than 40 young people each summer. Applications are due Feb. 15 if you are interested.

Working for SSP is about a 10-week commitment, beginning early in June and ending late in August. Each traditional staff (read: those on reservations and in Los Angeles) is made up of seven individuals.

Jobs include a site director, spiritual life coordinator, two cooks, and three construction workers.

Construction jobs vary based on your experience… they include supply coordinator, construction coordinator or home repair coordinator.

All SSP staff positions are paid. Trust me though, no one works for SSP for the money.

A summer at SSP also includes food and lodging. Living situations aren’t traditional… be prepared to sleep on the floor, likely without air conditioning.

Most sites house campers and staff in churches or schools, but sometimes they sleep outside or in other non-traditional locations like gymnasiums or abandoned grocery stores.

Working for SSP isn’t easy; you really have to be passionate about the cause. Staff(ers) should exhibit the following attributes:

• Willingness and ability to minister to youth (middle and high school)
• Mature and sound judgment
• Desire to make a positive, life-long impact on another person.
• Flexibility and a great sense of humor

Campers love coming to SSP because every staff is made up of passionate and fun individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. Though SSP is a lot of work, it’s also a lot of play.

For staffers, the summer starts in Sacramento at a church near SSP headquarters (you provide your own transportation from wherever you live to/from Sacramento). During this first week, all staff members go through an intensive training period. Cooks cook, spiritual life coordinators spiritual-ize, construction workers construct and site directors lead.

Site Directors Hannah and Sean compete together in a fancy dive contest during a training week pool party in Sacramento. June 2008.

After training is finished, each staff drives to their site together in four rented vehicles they will have at their location all summer.

When staffs arrive on site they make it into a home. Grocery shop (usually far away as Native American reservations are often isolated), decorate, find homes to repair, connect with the community and plan fun programs and other activities.

A staff (celebrating Tie-dye Tuesday) practices an "energizer," silly dance moves put to fun songs (this one is Star Trekkin'.)

After this “prep” week, campers arrive… for six weeks straight! They show up early Sunday afternoon and stay until Saturday morning. Each weekend is 24 hours of time to prep for the next group to arrive!

At the end of the summer staffs have a few days to finish up projects, clean up and drive back to Sacramento for a few days of “de-brief” with all the other staffs. After that, it’s back to your home town just in time for colleges/universities to go back for the fall.

It’s a whirlwind summer, but about the most fun anyone could ever have if you ask me. If you’re up for it, check out the Web site and application and think about spending a wild and crazy, meaningful summer making a difference in a low-income community and in the lives of youth.

I promise you won’t regret it.