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So, You Want to Be a Camp Counsellor: Benefits of Working at Summer Camp

As we find ourselves immersed in the second half of the school year after a busy holiday season, many students – both secondary and post-secondary – find themselves pondering what they will do to fill their time this summer. Some may choose to take classes to get ahead of their education, others will travel or spend time with friends and family. For many, the summer season is an opportunity to get work experience and make some money. But what if that summer job could be one where you make friends, spend time outdoors, and participate in fun and exciting activities and programs?
Summer camp provides all these opportunities and more. Working as a counsellor is seen as a rite of passage for so many young adults, particularly those who attended camp themselves as children. For previous campers, working at camp is often viewed as a fun way to spend a summer in a place they love. While this is true, working at camp offers many more benefits to emerging adults – both from the camp world and beyond – who are looking to expand their work experience and professional skills.

 

Ongoing Skill Development
Working at camp gives staff members the opportunity to develop professional skills each day. These are practiced within a camp setting, but they are transferrable to any number of different workplaces or sectors. Camp allows staff members to build a foundation of leadership skills that will support them throughout their professional development, in a safe space where they are encouraged to try new things and are allowed to make mistakes.

  • Teamwork
    Camp staff are asked to commit to working as a team, with a diverse group of staff members from various backgrounds and experiences. Over the course of a camp day, staff members work together with co-counsellors, instructors, and head staff to ensure that programs run smoothly and campers are safe and well-cared for. Staff work together to achieve a common goal, all while navigating working relationships and learning which roles they are best suited for.
  • Communication
    Effective communication is a necessity of a successful camp program. In order for a team to work well together, they must be able to communicate effectively. Camp also gives staff members the opportunity to practice communicating in different scenarios – large groups, small groups, or one-on-one – with different audiences, including campers, colleagues, and parents. The ability to communicate well with others is strengthened with practice, and camp is a space that allows staff members to learn what works for them, and what doesn’t.
  • Problem Solving
    As camp professionals, we thrive in spontaneity! Each day at camp presents new experiences and challenges, and camp staff must be flexible and adaptable in order to solve any issues they may be presented with. On rainy days, camp staff need to move quickly to adjust schedules and locations. Misplaced equipment requires quick thinking for counsellors to deliver a minimal set-up program. Conflicts between campers are challenges that may require the creative intervention of a counsellor. There is no shortage of problems that are solved each day by camp staff members.
  • Professional Skills
    While the leadership skills listed above can be developed in several ways and in a variety of positions at camp, there are also opportunities to explore specific professional skills in a camp setting. For example, a staff member interested in marketing and social media can support the directors in photography, videography, or graphic design. Camps also employ health care staff, which is an opportunity for nursing students to work at camp while still gaining valuable experience in their field. The bottom line is, most camp directors want to see their staff succeed, and will do anything they can to provide opportunities for growth and development.

 

Emerging Work Values
Young adults working in a camp setting may not know it, but they are developing their own values and beliefs about what they desire in a job or career. These can include qualities such as social interactions, tasks, the work environment, or the outcomes of work. Camp is often a first job experience for many young adults, and therefore plays a fundamental role in creating personal values surrounding work.

Working at camp, and the tasks required as a staff member, help young adults to understand their desire for a supportive social environment. Research indicates that camp allows staff to recognize how well they thrive in a workplace where they are supported. Camp also encourages staff to realize that they value meaningful relationships with coworkers, and opportunities for work that is varied and active. Emerging adults acknowledge that camp work teaches self-awareness and has a positive impact on their professional development.

Participating in Meaningful Work
The term meaningful work can be described as a belief that one’s employment has value and adds to their sense of purpose and meaning in life. Researchers have interviewed many camp staff, who tend to say the same thing – camp work is impactful. Young adults who work at camp feel that there is meaning in the relationships they build with others and can see how the work they do contributes to the growth of the campers in their care. They often feel like their work allows them to “give back” and contribute to something bigger than themselves.
Camp staff work with children who are often impressionable and might be going through key stages of their development. Often, over the course of a summer, or multiple summers, camp staff can see the value and impact of their efforts on the youth they work with. Camp creates a supportive culture where staff and campers alike feel a sense of belonging. These feelings contribute to the meaning and value that a staff member attributes to the work they do at camp.

Developing professional skills and getting to swim or play dodgeball are all great reasons to work at summer camp. But there is something special to be said about the meaningful work of being a role model for a child. A hero – someone they look up to and feel safe with. And camp is one of the best places to capture that feeling.

Resources
https://www.acacamps.org/sites/default/files/resource_library/2020-Camp-Research-Forum-Book-Abstracts.pdf
https://www.acacamps.org/sites/default/files/resource_library/2021-Camp-Research-Forum-Book-Abstracts.pdf
https://www.acacamps.org/news-publications/blogs/camp-connection/working-summer-camp-can-be-more-fun-skill-development
https://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/articles/because-i-worked-camp
https://www.acacamps.org/resource-library/articles/summer-camp-jobs-why-work-camp
https://www.truenorthcamps.com/blog/benefits-of-working-at-a-summer-camp
https://www.teenlife.com/blog/being-camp-counselor-good-summer-job-your-teen/


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