I was fortunate enough to spend two consecutive summers at Raquette Lake Summer Camp as a water-ski instructor and camp counsellor and these undoubtedly transpired into some of the best experiences I have had!
Whether you are looking for a summer job in-between summers at University or after college, being a camp counsellor is a great way to spend a summer, travelling, meeting new people, and also earning money too.
While it’s easy to see why people from all around the world choose to spend their summers at a summer camp in America, here are six reasons why a summer camp counsellor is a great job for everyone.
1. To Travel
A large number of the summer camps in the United States are located on the East Coast in the states of New York, Maine, or North Carolina. The camps are often located within remote areas of these states, surrounded by forests, located on a lake, or an area with a lot of space for activities.
Camps vary from weekend camps, whole summer camps (7 weeks), weekend camps, and everything in between. Parents send their kids to camp to learn new activities, perfect and train in activities which they are already successful in.
There are also specialised camps such as water skiing, circus camp, band camp, science camp if you can imagine an activity or sport the chances are high that there is a summer camp around it.
Working at a summer camp allows counsellors to travel to these beautiful remote locations, close to small towns, surrounded by nature, and so remote that light pollution is a glance up into the night sky will reveal a huge number of stars and even the milky way.
If you sign up to work as a summer camp counsellor the camp will help you apply for a get a J1 visa, which entitles students and young people to work at a summer camp, while also allowing for up to a month of travel post-camp. Which is a great way to see and travel around the USA (with your payment from camp), whether that is to meet other camp counsellors within their hometowns, travel to the beach, or explore the many national parks the United States has to offer.
2. Meeting New People And Making World Wide Friends
At summer camps they employ counsellors and speciality counsellors from all over America and from all around the world. People work at these camps for a whole variety of reasons, many Americans work at camps to enhance their CV or resumes. Whereas a large number of Europeans, Australians, and New Zealanders use it as an opportunity to travel and meet new people.
At the start of camp unless the counsellor is a returner everyone will be in the same position of meeting new people and not knowing anyone, luckily most camps have a week or two of orientation before the children arrive. This is a great time to get to know co-counsellors, your bunk counsellors, and other activity staff.
Friendships often get solidified quickly because you spend all day every day with the same or similar people, living and working with them all 24/7, and you are all living the same story.
3. Unique Summer Camp Experiences
Summer Camps offer unique and wonderful experiences, unlike visiting the United States on a holiday. When you visit somewhere for a week or two week holiday you visit the sites or relax wherever you have travelled you don’t often have much interaction with Americans or the underlining culture.
Camps often happen between the months of June and August, which covers unique and wonderful American holidays especially 4th July. This is a big American holiday and a truly unique experience for any no American. Often involving fireworks and a big celebration.
Often camps hold special and unique events such as campfires, parties, celebrations, weekly events, trips, a team week, plays, performances, and other unique and wonderful experiences.
4. Camp Traditions
All camps are different and have their own traditions and special events. Raquette Lake Camp had special songs, brother/sister activities, a team week, intercamp competitions, and much more. Some special events and traditions Raquette Lake had are the following:
- Halloween Trick or Treat
- A Hawaiian Party
- 4th July Celebrations
- The Mini Sing
- The Big Sing
- Carnival
- 6 Chairs
- Breakout
- Team Week
- Swims
- A Trip To Vermont
- A Montreal Trip
Team week was the biggest event of the whole 7-week camp, which is where the whole camp was split into two different teams and competed against each other in different activities throughout the week.
5. Benefits For Your Future
Spending a summer working as a camp counsellor will bring tremendous benefits to your CV or resume. At camp whether you realise it or not you develop skills such as working with a team, childcare experience, patience, commitment, adaptability, cultural changes, and much more.
A camp provides a great base for other jobs, especially if you are a camp speciality activity counsellor you will get a large amount of experience coaching and instructing in your specialist activity.
For example, if you are a water-ski instructor you will get over 8 hours a day or experience coaching and driving a ski boat 6 days a week, or if you are a sailing instructor you will get 8 hours a day experience teaching sailing. The same is relevant for gymnastic instructors, costume makers, childcare roles, cooking, and much more.
6. A Fulfilling Job
While it all sounds like a magical and great way to spend your summer, it is also draining and filled with hard work. As a counsellor, the working hours are long and whenever you are within the camp environment you are working.
A typical day would start with breakfast at 7:30 am, but before that, the children would have to be dressed and ready to go. Then activities throughout the day, lunchtime, and then back to activities. In the evening there would be a rest area before dinner and then dinner is followed by an evening activity.
Days off would typically come once a week with a number of nights off throughout the week. Due to the remote locations of many camps evening activities are often limited to time watching tv or relaxing. Other than visiting places or having a social life.
A job as a counsellor is definitely a job you do for love or fulfilment, to gain experience, and to have an adventure.
Overall, a summer camp is a great place to gain experience, have a summer adventure, and travel around the United States.
Have you ever worked at a summer camp? If you have any questions or want to share your experiences and tips, please leave a comment below with your story.
Related Articles
- Beginners Guide To Landing You Dream Summer Camp Job
- Why You Should Travel After Working At A Summer Camp
- Summer Camp Packing Guide
- Mixed Emotions Leading Up To Your Summer Camp Job
Pin For Later
[…] Why you should spend a summer as a Summer Camp Counsellor!ย […]