Founded in 1985, Circle Square Ranch Grand River (formally Brantford) has been operating as a life-changing summer camp for children and youth. We are committed to seeing young people transformed by the love of God actively at work in their lives.

We run day camp & overnight programs throughout the summer for ages 5-16. These programs include leadership camps, horse specialty camps, discovery camps, junior camps, boys camps, & more.

Activities vary depending on the camp, but they include: horseback riding, swimming, high ropes, initiative course, wall climbing, archery, crafts, sling shots, trampolines, variety of recreational activities, large camp games, canteen, devotions, campfires, theme meals, and more.

We have a mixture of cabins, lodge & occasionally wagons with bunk beds. Your accommodations will change from week to week depending on how many kids we have at camp & your job assignment.

Yes! All bathrooms have electricity, regular flushing toilets and showers. All cabins & covered wagons have electricity.

The process to become a volunteer depends on your age and the type of involvement you would like to have. Click here to find specific details on hiring requirements.

Camp happens with the help of an amazing volunteer team made up of teens, young adults, parent volunteers, and community members. If you are 13+, please click here to find an overview of how we can get you on our Summer Volunteer team!

You do not need to come for the whole summer. Some volunteers do serve a majority of their summer. However, we know that people need rest in between weeks of camp. Weeks working at camp will be discussed with you. You can check off what weeks you wish to volunteer and are available on the application.

No problem. There is a spot on the application to indicate that you are unsure of your availability. It is better to under commit than over commit as we plan our numbers based on staff availability. You are always welcome to add more weeks later!

Every volunteer will receive an honorarium based on age and number of weeks worked. Volunteers that work 2 weeks or less, will receive an honorarium of $60/week. Volunteers working 3 or more weeks will receive honorarium based on the following ages:

16yrs – $100/week

17yrs – $150/week

18+ – $200/week

There are also a few ways to make additional funds such as:

• Inviting friends
• Summer Missions program to fundraise support for your work

Yes! We know that staff training may conflict with your exams and other events. It is best to attend staff training, or as much of it as you can, because it is a great way to begin developing friendships, but we have other training opportunities available. We will have sessions available online and we will also catch you up on additional information when you arrive at camp to work.

Yes, we will provide all your meals from Sunday at dinner until Friday at dinner. You are welcome to bring along any extra nut-free snacks & beverages that you would like. We have a rotating summer menu. While we are still determining the exact menus, they typically include a good variety of kid-friendly foods, such as tacos, pizza, pasta dishes, hamburgers, perogies, chicken Caesar wraps, etc. along with a variety of fruit & veggies.

We hold a staff meeting at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon to discuss job roles, expectations for the week, provide extra information, and to pray before the week begins. We are typically done around 8:00pm on Friday to be picked up.

In between camp sessions there are 2 days off. Therefore, we ask that volunteers go home Friday night to rest, do laundry and spend time with your family. This provides a good opportunity to recharge before the next week begins, if you are volunteering the next week. Only under extenuating circumstances will volunteers be allowed to stay over the weekend.

Job roles include: overnight camp counselling, day camp counselling, group leading, program staff, adventure staff (extra training provided), barn staff (extra training provided), maintenance, kitchen help, etc.

Your job role may change from week to week over the course of the summer depending on the camps we are running, the number of volunteers we have, and to give everyone the opportunity to try out new things.

Typically, we will discuss job assignments with you before they are given.

Our general expectation of you is that you will help to create a positive & caring camp environment centred on serving God in whatever way you can. More specific expectations will be taught to you throughout the training process and within our weekly staff meetings.

We enjoy being able to place volunteers in areas they are gifted in & passionate about. In order to be considered for a barn or adventure role, you will need to attend our specific training for those departments. Job assignments may change each week, so there may be some weeks you are in the requested area and other weeks where you are placed in other roles. The reason for this is to give others the opportunity to try out new positions & also dependent on what our needs are for the week based on camper numbers. We will talk with you about potential positions to ensure you feel equipped and comfortable filling your role.

We will give you a list of what to bring a bit closer to summer but it would be a good idea to pack:

• Enough clothes for the week for a variety of weather conditions
• Bathroom/ hygiene items including towels
• Swim suit
• Variety of foot wear including close-toed shoes
• Bug spray
• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Water bottle
• Fan
• Pillow/ bedding
• Flashlight
• Bible
• Theme meal costumes (we have some fun evening themed meals. Our calendar for these will be ready closer to summer)

You will be given a minimum of a 1 hour break each day from Monday-Friday. Staff also have the opportunity to attend staff-specific devotions during the week.