Careers & Internships

Garden State Equality lifts up the diverse voices of LGBTQ+ communities through education and advocacy to advance the movement for equality in New Jersey and nationally. We work tirelessly to ensure the communities we serve experience lived equality. Garden State Equality is the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in New Jersey, with over 150,000 members. Established in 2004, we are now one of the most successful statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations in the nation. Our services include advocacy, policy work, and training. We work to address safe environments for youth, improve health services that meet LGBTQ+ community needs, and ensure respectful treatment of seniors. Beyond that, Garden State Equality supports New Jersey’s activist community by bringing an LGBTQ+ lens to the shared struggle for justice. All our current work is informed by racial, economic, and disability justice concerns. We envision a vibrant and diverse Garden State with full equality in the law and LGBTQ+ residents of all backgrounds experiencing equality in their lives.

A Senior Summer Camp Counselor works under the supervision of the Camp Director,  Advisor, and the rest of the Senior Leadership team. The Senior Summer Camp Counselor will be directly responsible for a group of participants aged 14-17. A  Senior Camp Counselor is responsible for the ongoing support and supervision of their group throughout the day. In addition to continual supervision, this camp opportunity offers a unique experience for counselors to regularly be engaged in all aspects of the camp day, including but not limited to facilitating activities, leading debrief discussions, supporting participants through challenging situations, and being an overall support system for the duration of programming. Camp will run from August 17th, 2025 through August 27th, 2025. Staff will start on August 14th, 2025 through August 28th, 2025.

Our student delegates will be participating in a series of workshops focused on, but not limited to, racism, gender identity and sexual orientation, power and privilege, body positivity and self-love, religion/faith, acceptance, and inclusion. Through these workshops, students will create, facilitate, and experience collaborative, student-led activities that will be fun and foster deep connections for all of our participants from different parts of the state. In addition to participating in leadership work, students will have the chance to participate in a plethora of fun camp activities like rock climbing, canoeing, archery, swimming, talent show night, and so much more. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain a professional, supportive, compassionate, and inclusive demeanor throughout the program.
  • This will include supporting students through difficult conversations, uplifting individuals after emotionally heavy content, and encouraging and leading positive and affirming dialogue.
• Supervise and keep track of delegates throughout the program, ensuring that participants remain engaged, focused, secure, and safe every day.
• Supervise delegates during all meal times and outside of programming hours while in their cabins.
• Ability to work long days, sometimes outside in the heat, while maintaining a positive attitude.
• Remain actively engaged with all delegates and fellow counselors, advisors, and leadership team members to provide a quality experience for all involved in the program.
• Lead delegates in small group discussions, supporting daily programs and workshops, participating in camp activities, and creating activities for their groups.
• Help maintain cleanliness in all spaces, both inside and outside.
• Create a positive and nurturing environment that promotes social, emotional, and physical well-being.
• Respond to delegates’ needs, and actively communicate with camp leadership as necessary.
• Assist the camp director with any day-to-day operational needs as they arise.
• Attend all trainings, both virtually and in person, prior to the start of camp.
• Uphold, model, and amplify the mission of Garden State Equality.
• A formal evaluation will be conducted at the conclusion of the camp session.

SKILLS/ABILITIES/EXPERIENCE:

• Prior experience working with children/teenagers, preferably in a camp-like setting.
• Strong facilitation and group leadership skills are required as the counselor may be responsible for facilitating workshops and leading debriefing sessions.
• A familiarity with working with diverse populations, with an emphasis on community building, collaboration, and inclusive practices.
• Basic understanding of youth development.
• The ability to quickly familiarize yourself with programming materials and facilitate discussions with a group of up to 15.
• The ability to simultaneously be creative, flexible, to take initiative, and to problem solve on the fly.
• First Aid, CPR, and AED certification are a plus.
• Minimum of 18 years of age, preferably 20+.
• Must be able to lift, push, and pull up to 30 pounds, as well as be on your feet for extended periods of time, participating in activities ranging from hiking, swimming, canoeing, meditation, etc. 
• Must be able to pass a government background check and reference checks.

PAYMENT/ROOM & BOARD: 

• All camp staff will be paid a competitive flat rate for a 16 day commitment. This includes 11 days of camp and 5 additional days of training. Training days may not be full days.
• Staff will be provided lodging for the duration of the camp program.
• Staff will be provided with all meals and snacks for the duration of the program.
• Staff will receive daily breaks provided throughout the session. 
• Staff will receive payment after the duration of the summer camp program.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 25, 2025

TO APPLY: 

Send cover letter & resume by email to: 

Natalie Hernandez, Camp Director

Email: [email protected]

Be sure to specify “Senior Summer Camp Counselor” in your cover letter. No phone calls or visits, please. Qualified candidates will be contacted to set up a virtual interview with our leadership team.

Garden State Equality lifts up the diverse voices of LGBTQ+ communities through education and advocacy to advance the movement for equality in New Jersey and nationally. We work tirelessly to ensure the communities we serve experience lived equality. Garden State Equality is the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in New Jersey, with over 150,000 members. Established in 2004, we are now one of the most successful statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations in the nation. Our services include advocacy, policy work, and training. We work to address safe environments for youth, improve health services that meet LGBTQ+ community needs, and ensure respectful treatment of seniors. Beyond that, Garden State Equality supports New Jersey’s activist community by bringing an LGBTQ+ lens to the shared struggle for justice. All our current work is informed by racial, economic, and disability justice concerns. We envision a vibrant and diverse Garden State with full equality in the law and LGBTQ+ residents of all backgrounds experiencing equality in their lives.

A Junior Summer Camp Counselor works under the supervision of the Camp Director,  Advisor, and Senior Camp Counselor and will be directly responsible for a group of participants aged 14-17. A  Junior Camp Counselor is responsible for the ongoing support and supervision of their group throughout the day. In addition to continual supervision, this camp opportunity offers a unique experience for counselors to regularly be engaged in all aspects of the camp day, including but limited to facilitating activities, leading debrief discussions, supporting participants through challenging situations, and being an overall support system for the duration of programming. Camp will run from August 17th, 2025 through August 27rd, 2025. Staff will start August 15th, 2025 through August 27th, 2025.

Our student delegates will be participating in a series of workshops focused on, but not limited to, racism, gender identity and sexual orientation, power and privilege, body positivity and self love, religion/faith, acceptance, and inclusion. Through these workshops, students will create, facilitate, and experience collaborative, student-led activities that will not only be fun, but will foster deep connections for all of our participants from different parts of the state. In addition to participating in leadership work, students will have the chance to participate in a plethora of fun camp activities like rock climbing, canoeing, archery, swimming, talent show night and so much more. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain a professional, supportive, compassionate, and inclusive demeanor throughout the program.
  • This will include supporting students through difficult conversations, uplifting individuals after emotionally heavy content, and encouraging and leading positive and affirming dialogue.
• Keep track of delegates throughout the program, ensuring that participants remain engaged, focused, secure, and safe every day.
• Support in supervising delegates during all meal times and outside of programming hours while in their cabins.
• Ability to work long days, sometimes outside in the heat, while maintaining a positive attitude.
• Remain actively engaged with all delegates and fellow counselors, advisors, and leadership team members to provide a quality experience for all involved in the program.
• Support senior counselors and delegates  in small group discussions, supporting daily programs and workshops, participate in camp activities, and create activities for their groups.
• Help maintain cleanliness in all spaces, both inside and outside.
• Create a positive and nurturing environment that promotes social, emotional, and physical well-being.
• Respond to delegates’ needs, and actively communicate with camp leadership as necessary.
• Assist camp director with any day to day operational needs as they arise.
• Attend all trainings, both virtually and in person, prior to the start of camp.
• Uphold, model, and amplify the mission of Garden State Equality.
• A formal evaluation will be conducted at the conclusion of the camp session.

PAYMENT/ROOM & BOARD: 

• All camp staff will be paid a competitive flat rate for a 15 day commitment. This includes 11 days of camp and 5 additional days of training. Training days may not be full days.
• Staff will be provided lodging for the duration of the camp program.
• Staff will be provided with all meals and snacks for the duration of the program.
• Staff will receive daily breaks provided throughout the session. 
• Staff will receive payment after the duration of the summer camp program.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 25, 2025

TO APPLY: 

Send cover letter & resume by email to: 

Natalie Hernandez, Camp Director

Email: [email protected]

Be sure to specify “Junior Summer Camp Counselor” in your cover letter. No phone calls or visits, please. Qualified candidates will be contacted to set up a virtual interview with our leadership team.

Welcome to Garden State Equality’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Youth Leadership Initiative: The Changemakers CIT Program! Thank you for your interest in our CIT program! This is the second summer we have the program and just the third summer of Changemakers as a whole! Despite Changemakers being a one-time-only program to allow other students across New Jersey to experience the magic of camp, we are so grateful that students like you want to come back, learn more skills, and give back to the program. This program will take your leadership skills to the next level and will challenge you to evolve as a social justice advocate!

Your experience as campers in Gen 1/Gen 2 of Changemakers will have such a positive impact on Generation 3, and you are setting the standard for all of the future CIT’s to come! As much as we would love to have everyone back  

A Counselor-in-Training works under the supervision of the Senior Counselors and Senior Leadership Team. CITs will be shadowing Counselors and learning leadership skills related to facilitating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming. As experienced Changemakers, CITs have the unique opportunity to continue evolving as social justice advocates while paying it forward to the new summer cohort and beyond. Camp will run from August 17th, 2025 through August 27th, 2025. CITs will start on August 16th, 2025 through August 27th, 2025.

Below is a list of some essential functions of a CIT during our program:

1. Implement camp activities as per the program design.
2. Remain with the assigned group of campers, if you are assigned to be with one for an activity, and keep a visual track of all individuals. 

3. Report any concerning behavior, problems, and safety issues to Natalie/Hime/Justine-whoever you see first. 
4. Practice effective communication between peers, staff, and campers.
   1. Remember, you are no longer a camper, and while we all are here to have fun, we are also in a position to serve as leaders, and role models. Think about how you were impacted by one of your counselors last year. How could you become one of those people for our campers this year? 
5. Maintain work rules and regulations as put forward by both Garden State Equality and Fairview Lake. 
6. Participate with campers during workshops, discussions, and activities.
7. Implements ongoing safety checks to assure a healthy and safe camp environment. Implements emergency procedures when necessary.
8. Set up, organize, and cleans up the camp area at the beginning and end of each activity/program.
9. Complete additional duties as assigned.

PAYMENT/ROOM & BOARD: 

• All CITs will receive a stipend for a 13-day commitment. This includes 11 days of camp and 2 additional days of training. Training days may not be full days.
• CITs will be provided lodging for the duration of the camp program.
• CITs will be provided with all meals and snacks for the duration of the program.
• CITs will receive daily breaks provided throughout the session.
• CITs will receive payment after the duration of the summer camp program.

Important note:

• CITs are not considered staff members. CITs are Counselors-in-Training who will be participating in regular camp activities with additional leadership opportunities than the rest of the campers.
• CITs will not have access to their cellphones for the majority of the time. 
• CITs are role models for campers and must conduct themselves as leaders.
• All CIT applicants may be asked to participate in group interviews. Due to the high amount of interest for this program, we unfortunately cannot accept all applicants.

We’re looking for interns who care deeply about LGBTQ+ justice and want to be part of something meaningful. As an intern with us, you’ll get to work alongside our team on real projects that support queer and trans communities—especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color. You don’t need to have nonprofit experience—just a willingness to learn, show up, and grow. Whether you’re into organizing, social media, creative work, admin, or just figuring out what you love, there’s room for you here. This is a great opportunity to build skills, make connections, and be part of a community rooted in care, equity, and liberation.

• Open to students and non-students
• Stipend or school credit may be available
• LGBTQ+ folks strongly encouraged to apply

Garden State Equality is a host of CUNY’s Mixner LGBTQ+ Equal Rights Fellowship.

The Mixner LGBTQ+ Equal Rights Fellowship, in partnership with the CCNY LGBTQ+ Student Center and the CUNY LGBTQI+ Advisory Council, is a yearlong program for students from across CUNY leading the movement for LGBTQ+ rights and freedom. The fellowship is named for David Mixner, a lifelong political activist involved in the movements to end the Vietnam War, pass civil rights legislation, achieve nuclear disarmament, and create a humane, stigma-free, education-based and treatment-focused approach to the AIDS epidemic.

If you identify as LGBTQ+ or an ally AND want to work on LGBTQ+ rights, this is the program for you! Our workshops will introduce you to leaders in the equality movement who will share the experiences and strategies that have shaped their careers and achieved gains for us all. The fellowship enables you to intern at advocacy organizations such as Equality NY, GMHC, and SAGE. Alternatively, you might increase representation by joining an LGBTQ+ affinity group while interning at a corporation. The program is open to students from all CUNY four-year institutions, not just those who attend CCNY.

The fellowship starts in the Fall semester each year.

Babs Siperstein was a trailblazer for equality, and our movement wouldn’t be where we are today without her courage and commitment. In 2019, Babs Siperstein passed away at 76 years old–keeping her legacy alive Garden State Equality established the Babs Siperstein Fellowship with seed funding from Babs’ own Gender Rights Advocacy of New Jersey organization.

Babs came out in 2000 and immediately became an activist for LGBTQ equality in New Jersey, serving as an original board member for Garden State Equality. Most notably, over the course of her advocacy in New Jersey, Babs helped advocate for marriage equality, transgender inclusive nondiscrinimation protections, and the Babs Siperstein Law.

Babs was the first openly transgender member of the Democratic National Committee, where she was appointed by then-chairman Tim Kaine. She was appointed to the Democratic National Committee’s Executive Committee in 2011, where she served until October 2017. 

This fellowship opportunity is for young trans adults, looking to continue Babs’ legacy through advocacy, and advancing policy both at the local, state, and national level. Fellows will work alongside Garden State Equality for a fall, spring, or summer term. They will be compensated with a stipend and are eligible to receive credit with permission from the school.