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Summer may be a time for relaxing in the
sun, but many students cannot live solely
on student loans and ramen noodles. Students
are discovering that they can earn much
more than cash as a camp counselor.
According to American Camp Association
(ACA) CEO Peg Smith, there are approximately
1.2 million camp staff in the United States
today. A camp job or internship differs
from a traditional job or internship because
it provides students an opportunity to
gain resume-building skills or even academic
credit while working with children in the
great outdoors.
"Whether you want to work at a camp
that specializes in scuba diving on the
coast or one that offers mountain climbing
in Alaska, or if you want to work at a
camp for children with special needs, a
camp job offers real life experiences and
a hands-on education that simply cannot
be found in a classroom," Smith said.
At seventeen, Adam Hotchkiss bypassed
the typical summer job and instead worked
as a camp counselor at Tate's Day
Camp in Knoxville, Tennessee. Hotchkiss
continued working at the camp through college,
and gained not only many skills, but also
the opportunity to add the titles of administrative
assistant and program director to his resume.
"Responsibility is a huge one (benefit),
especially for someone in college who has
to take care of eight to ten kids by themselves," he
said. "That's a responsibility
that looks great on a resume."
Hotchkiss said that experience seems to
have paid off as he is currently a teacher
at the Episcopal School of Knoxville, and
he also is the director of summer camp
programs at the school.
"Summer camp is a special place
where children and adults come together
and form a unique community," explains
Smith. Young adults working as counselors
have the opportunity to:
- master real-life, problem-solving skills;
- have a significant and positive influence
in the lives of children;
- develop greater self-understanding;
- participate in experiences that enhance
personal growth; and
- develop/expand a network of peer relations.
To browse job postings or to post a resume,
visit the ACA Employment Center at www.ACAcamps.org/jobs.
This site also lists job fairs, which often
take place on college campuses or even
in conjunction with universities.
The ACA Find A Camp feature, a searchable
database of over 2,400 ACA-accredited camps,
is also available at www.CampParents.org.
Those interested in a camp job can browse
camps by location, specialty, special needs,
gender, age ranges, and other criteria.
Smith said that the Find A Camp search
is perfect for those looking for a specific
camp, such as a camp with a specialty or
in a certain geographical area.
Smith suggests students, "Ask about
the camp's mission statement and
ask if the camp is accredited by ACA." Additionally,
Smith recommends visiting www.ACAcamps.org/students/sutdents.php for
helpful information.
The American Camp Association is the only
national organization that accredits camps.
To become accredited, a camp must meet
up to 300 health and safety regulations.
To learn more about ACA, visit www.ACAcamps.org or
www.CampParents.org.
"If someone is considering a camp job,
I'd say 'go for it.' Even
if you only do it for the summer, you gain
the experience and you can learn so much
from the environment," Hotchkiss said. "You'll
pick up skills you'll use in the
future, and you will look back ten years
later and realize how much it has benefited
you."
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