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What’s it like to work at Interlochen?
Get an inside look at Interlochen Center for the Arts’ dynamic workplace culture—from one-of-a-kind perks to a vibrant, tight-knit community.
A group of counselors prepare to welcome Arts Camp students during Opening Weekend.
For more than 95 years, Interlochen Center for the Arts has been a global destination for young artists. Over the past nine decades, thousands of emerging creatives in grades 3-12 have studied with acclaimed teachers, bonded with like-minded peers, and shared their art through performances, readings, exhibitions, and screenings, growing exponentially in the process.
Behind the scenes, more than a thousand full time, part time, and seasonal employees collaborate to make these transformational moments possible. Our faculty and staff enjoy a dynamic and welcoming workplace that offers a competitive benefits package, one-of-a-kind perks, a tight-knit community, and more.
“There’s no place quite like Interlochen—for both students and employees,” said Tifini McClyde-Blythe, Associate Vice President of Human Resources at Interlochen Center for the Arts. “Our faculty and staff enjoy abundant opportunities to invest in the young artists of tomorrow; share the joy of the arts by curating live performances, public radio, and continuing education programs; and be immersed in the creative energy of our community.”
But what’s it really like to work at Interlochen? Below, we share an inside look at the employee experience at Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Our competitive benefits
As an Interlochen employee, you’ll get more than a paycheck: Year-round full-time and qualifying part-time employees also receive a wide variety of life and wellness benefits.
“We are constantly working to provide our employees with a benefits package that is competitive and progressive within our industry,” McClyde-Blythe said. “Our benefits package is not only an important tool in recruiting and retaining world-class faculty and staff—it’s also one of the many ways we show our appreciation for everything our employees do to support the young artists of tomorrow.”
Our medical benefits package has your back—and your teeth and eyes. We offer medical coverage through Priority Health as well as dental insurance through Delta Dental and vision insurance through VSP. You can also elect a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to help offset the costs of medical expenses not covered by insurance.
We also provide a number of financial benefits to give you peace of mind about the future, including a pension plan from TIAA; a 403b retirement plan; a $50,000 life insurance policy; and short- and long-term disability coverage.
Need a break? Generous vacation, personal, and sick time means you can take a day off—or two, or seven—when you come down with the flu, have a family emergency, or finally book that trip to Paris. You can also unwind and celebrate with ten paid holidays, including Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and an extended holiday break.
Our one-of-a-kind perks
As an employee of a world-renowned arts organization, you’ll have access to many perks you won’t find anywhere else.
“We’re pleased to offer a variety of perks to our employees—from discounts at Verizon and AT&T to convenient, affordable housing and childcare,” McClyde-Blythe said. “Many of our perks enable our faculty and staff to benefit from our world-renowned programs and to engage with our community not just as employees, but as patrons, Camp and Academy parents, and lifelong learners.”
Our arts presentation division, Interlochen Presents, stages hundreds of student, faculty, and guest artist performances each year. Interlochen employees receive discounts on “featured events”—including summer Arts Festival performances and fall/spring Signature Series events—and can claim up to two free tickets to student events. Employees are also invited to join our campus community at open dress rehearsals for popular events such as Camp and Academy “Collage” productions, The Nutcracker, our spring musical, and other large-scale performances.
“By seeing and hearing our students perform and produce beautiful art, the purpose of our work becomes visibly and auditorily obvious and therefore, extraordinarily meaningful,” McClyde-Blythe said. “Working at Interlochen becomes a passion that you can fulfill on a daily basis rather than simply ‘work.’"
Interested in nurturing your child’s artistic talents—or your own? As an Interlochen employee, you’ll receive a tuition discount when you enroll your child at Interlochen Arts Camp or Interlochen Arts Academy. You can also hone your own skills or discover new passions with discounts on Interlochen College of Creative Arts programs.
Explore more discounts for Interlochen employees
Keeping your professional skills sharp is just as important as developing your artistic gifts. All Interlochen employees are encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities each year; many departments reserve a portion of their annual budget to allow employees to attend conferences or take classes in their field. We also offer complimentary virtual training through SafeSchools, as well as a competitive tuition reimbursement program. Eligible Academy faculty may apply for year- and semester-long sabbaticals.
One of Stone Cafeteria's salad bars.
Say “so long” to the brown bag: All Interlochen employees receive complimentary meals at our on-campus cafeterias during their shifts. You’ll enjoy a wide variety of options, including a varied menu of hot food items; a salad bar; a sandwich station; hot and cold beverages; and fresh, house-made soups. The Dining Services team works to accommodate a range of dietary restrictions by providing vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free options.
At Interlochen, we know that finding housing and childcare can be a challenge. Many of our seasonal employment opportunities include housing in one of our on-campus units as part of your compensation package. A limited number of units are available for year-round employees.
In 2022, we partnered with Pitter Patter Preschool and Childcare to open a childcare center at the Interlochen Community Center; children of Interlochen faculty and staff receive priority placement at the Interlochen Pitter Patter facility. We have also partnered with MI Tri-Share to reduce childcare costs for Interlochen employees by 66%.
The Dennison Center's fitness studio.
You’ll also have access to the Dennison Center, our state-of-the-art, 23,000 square-foot recreation and wellness facility. In addition to weight and fitness studios featuring top-of-the-line equipment, the Dennison Center also offers free fitness classes and hosts athletic events and wellness challenges.
“No matter where you are in your wellness journey, the Dennison Center has something for you,” said David Tanis, Director of Recreation and Wellness. “The Dennison Center is a cornerstone of activity on our campus, and although our focus will always be on the students, our team has worked hard to develop opportunities for staff and faculty. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing staff and faculty playing pick-up basketball, participating in the intramural volleyball leagues, or helping coach our school-sponsored sports teams.
“In addition to these opportunities, employees enjoy participating in monthly challenges such as “Squatober” and “Planksgiving” and longer opportunities such as the Blueberry Challenge. Not sure where to start? Feel free to contact us and we can help get you started.”
Our vibrant community
At Interlochen, you’re more than the number on your ID badge—you’re a valued member of our vibrant and welcoming community. You’ll wave to familiar faces as you walk across campus, eat lunch with colleagues from other departments and divisions, and have a go-to order at our on-campus cafe, the Melody Freeze.
Regular employee events, such as social gatherings, holiday parties, all-campus barbeques, Halloween decorating contests, and fitness challenges, offer abundant opportunities to connect with your colleagues. You can also engage with our community by signing up for one of our volunteer opportunities. Whether you’re setting up for MORP (Interlochen’s version of prom), cooking up stir fries at wok night, or greeting our campers, you’ll meet peers from across the institution and invest in the young artists of tomorrow—and have fun in the process.
Have a passion for the arts? Employees—both faculty and staff—enjoy rich opportunities to participate in Interlochen’s world-renowned artistic ecosystem. Faculty regularly showcase their work through on- and off-campus performances, readings, and exhibitions. Summer staff can perform solo or chamber works during Staff Recitals or audition for a place in the pit orchestra for our high school musical theatre production. All employees are invited to participate in large ensembles such as the Festival Choir and the Fourth of July Band.
An Interlochen employee reacts to being selected as one of the 2023 employee award recipients.
Every year, we celebrate our employees at the Recognition Assembly. Annual employee awards include the Golden Shovel Award, the Oil Can Award, the Barbara Sandys Spirit Award, and the Employee of the Year Award. Know a colleague who consistently goes above and beyond? You can honor their dedication by nominating them for one of these awards, or by sharing a commendation in Paylocity or the HR Newsletter.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is in our DNA: Since our founding, we have been “dedicated to the promotion of world friendship through the universal language of the arts.” Our DEI team holds regular programming to celebrate the diverse cultures on our campus and sponsors affinity groups and special events for members of the BIPOC, LGBTIQA+, and other communities.
Interlochen is also committed to protecting and preserving our natural resources. Our fast-growing sustainability efforts include an onsite composting facility, single-stream recycling, a lakeshore restoration project, water-saving appliances, water bottle refill stations, and more. Our hoop houses and community gardens produce nearly 2,000 pounds of fresh produce per year—much of which is served in our cafeterias or donated to those in need through a partnership with the Redeemer of Interlochen Food Pantry. Our sustainability team also partners with MI Farm Cooperative to make Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares available to Interlochen employees.
Learn more about our sustainability efforts
Our idyllic location
Interlochen is located just southwest of Traverse City in northwest lower Michigan—a beautiful, family-friendly place to call home.
A runner participates in the Run for the Arts 5K on Interlochen's campus.
Our 1,200-acre campus features two pristine glacial lakes, acres of mature hardwood forests, and miles of roads, sidewalks, and nature trails. Many employees enjoy our campus by eating outside or taking a walk during their lunch break. During the summer months, employees are also welcome to swim in Green Lake or check out a boat from the Boat Cave when lifeguards are on duty.
Beyond our campus, the greater Grand Traverse region offers an abundance of natural beauty, cultural vibrancy, and other amenities.
Northern Michigan is an outdoors person’s paradise. The area is home to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a scenic 71,000-acre park featuring towering sand dunes, freshwater beaches, a historic village, and unique flora. Many of the area’s lakes and rivers have public boat launches, offering easy access for boating, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. The region also boasts numerous hiking trails traversing diverse terrain such as woodlands, marshes, and dunes. Snow tubing, snowshoeing, ice skating, and cross-country and downhill skiing are popular in the winter months.
In 2020, Traverse City was named one of the nation’s top-ten arts-vibrant communities—and it’s easy to see why. The town’s thriving music scene includes the Traverse Symphony Orchestra; the Traverse City Opera; several community bands and orchestras; and numerous locally based jazz and popular music groups. Parallel 45 Theatre and the Old Town Playhouse provide rich opportunities to see and perform in theatrical productions. Other local arts organizations include the Dennos Museum Center, Crooked Tree Arts Center, and the National Writers Series. Popular local venues include the City Opera House and The Alluvion—both of which have partnered with Interlochen Center for the Arts to present the Interlochen in Town series.
Other amenities of the greater Grand Traverse area include award-winning restaurants; a number of popular breweries and distilleries; a burgeoning wine industry, and more. Educational options include the Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS); Northwestern Michigan College; several Montessori-based preschools; and a variety of secular and faith-based private schools. The Munson Healthcare system operates eight world-class hospitals, including Munson Medical Center, a level II trauma center with nearly 300 physicians practicing in 35 specialties.
Whether you work at Interlochen for a summer, a semester, or a lifetime, you’ll form lifelong friendships, find lasting inspiration, and be forever changed. Ready to start your own Interlochen journey? Visit our Careers page to learn more about the employee experience at Interlochen and to browse open positions.
