How YMCA Day Camp Helped Noah Find His Calling

On a summer morning by the water, Noah Bertin, a YMCA Day Camp Supervisor, says he’s exactly where he is meant to be.

“This is my fifth summer working with the Y,” he shares. “I’m a teacher now…and day camp was definitely a stepping stone toward reaching that goal.”

What began as a summer job has grown into something more, a place where Noah discovered purpose, built confidence, and began to see his potential take shape.

Noah didn’t grow up in YMCA camps, but the moment he stepped into this environment, something shifted.

“I do love being outside…canoeing, kayaking, hiking,” he says. “Being able to work in a day camp environment outside, that’s something I really enjoy.”

Starting as a counsellor, Noah built strong, day-to-day connections with campers. Each season, he stepped into new leadership roles, learning from those around him and shaping his own approach along the way.

“Having that experience really built me up and really shaped my management style,” he explains. 

Even now, in a leadership role, he stays grounded in what matters most.

“It’s really important to go play a game, get in a canoe…ultimately, sharing those experiences with our campers, that’s what’s important.”

“We talk about caring, honesty, inclusion, respect, responsibility,” Noah says. “These are non-negotiables.” 

Those YMCA values shape every interaction, creating safe spaces where young people feel supported to try new things, build confidence, and be themselves.

For Noah, those same values have guided his own growth.

“I’m coming to work with my friends [in a place where I feel like I belong]. I really love showing up every day,” he says. 

It’s a community where staff lift each other up—just as they do for campers—creating a cycle of growth that continues year after year.

Ask Noah what stays with him, and he’ll point to the moments that matter most.

He recalls a camper who had just arrived in Canada from Ukraine, separated from her family during the outbreak of war. Throughout the week, Noah focused on making camp a place where she could feel safe, included and happy.

At week’s end, her family returned with a simple message of thanks.

“You have no idea what this means…that she had such an awesome experience here,” he remembers. 

“That one shiny moment really stuck out for me. The impact you can really have on campers and families…really resonates with me,” he says.

For many children, YMCA day camp is a place to try something new for the first time—whether it’s paddling a canoe or building the confidence to say, I can do this.

“If they can go to camp and learn something new…that’s something they can talk about at the dinner table,” Noah says. “It’s definitely a place where they can…just be a kid.”

For Noah, the YMCA has been more than a workplace—it’s been a catalyst.

“Working here has really inspired me to be a teacher,” he says.

Now, he’s helping spark that same potential in others, creating experiences rooted in belonging, guided by values and filled with moments that shine.

Because at YMCA day camps, growth goes both ways, and every summer has the power to ignite potential and change a life.