Eligibility

Is summer camp right for you? Working on a camp can be a great experience. You should apply if you:

• Like children and have experience with them in a leadership role, eg, teacher, youth leader, through team sports, scouts or guides or playschemes
• Are aged 19 by 1st June 2008. If you are 18 years old and can offer some expertise in an in-demand activity area and have good experience of working with children, you are also encouraged to apply
• Are available for at least eight to nine weeks from May/mid-June. Most camp contracts start before 21st June and some start before 1st June so it is important you are aware of your commitments before applying
• Are cheerful, energetic, friendly, hard-working, tolerant, flexible, conscientious, caring, reasonably gregarious, uncomplaining and able to adapt to camp life including the long hours, rules and curfews
• Know of no reason why you cannot provide a guarantor or would not be granted a visa by the US Embassy
• Have a full, valid passport and are able to speak English fluently.

Is camp right for you?

This programme is not a free holiday in North America. It’s for you to spend a fun and worthwhile summer working with children. It can be hard work with long hours, but for most participants, it’s hugely rewarding and enjoyable if you’re prepared to throw yourself into the spirit of camp life.

You should however be prepared for: Isolated camps where your social life may be limited on evenings off, rules and regulations including curfew and restrictions on alcohol consumption, difficult children, the ‘rah rah’ atmosphere on camp, bugs, mosquitoes and possibly rustic conditions, doing a job other than the one you were assigned to or being asked to assist in another area.

It’s a tough job but if you’re the right sort of person, it could be the most challenging, skill-enhancing, fun and incredibly rewarding experiences you’ll ever have.