Camp America, concerns

[Conkersinautumn]

I'm looking to chat to anyone with recent experience of Camp America. I had been really positive about my daughter volunteering as a Camp counsellor, but now we are in the Visa stage and I am deeply unnerved. The recent actions of ICE are showing that, politically, America is very unstable, then they're seemingly hostile/ inflammatory to other countries at the moment. My daughter is very focused on she'll be out of cities.etc, but. Well, frankly I am genuinely losing sleep.

Anyone recently had a child do this? Did they feel.safe, was there a weird feeling about being foreign?

I'm keeping a close eye on UK travel advice, but I can't help but feel a teen, brought up in a fairly standard up for others mentality might be a bit naive making her politics.known etc.

When is she going, it's only January and there is already an enormous amount of instability and chaos, personally I would not want my teen going anywhere near the U.S. at the moment!

June.

What will you lose if you just wait and see how it develops? Will there be money paid out that you can’t get back?
Have you discussed with her about she will need to be circumspect with her opinions and stay in safe places with people she knows.

I have a family member going this year. You can't stop living.

My son went last year and is going back this year. He did some travelling with people he met and also some travelling alone. He didn’t ever feel unsafe. We go to America on holiday most years so that might have helped. I did lose a few nights sleep over it though. More from the long time being away from him for the first time and less about how safe he would be. It is a lot of money to lose if she changes her mind though. My son had a great time though, it’s a fantastic experience for them.

My daughter is going this year too and I can’t say this hasn’t crossed my mind, but where does staying home ‘just in case’ end? We could say that about so many things. So that’s my go to train of thought if I start to worry.

What do you think is going to happen at a well established summer camp in some rural backwater with a load of American school kids?

My son did this and had such an amazing summer just after the Covid lockdowns finished. I was just so grateful that he was able to get out and have amazing experiences making lifelong friends after being stuck indoors for most of his sixth form years. I understand where you are coming from but there are no warnings about travelling there so I’d let her go for it.

Is it too late to switch to a Canadian programme?

This made me think of the Summer Camp where so many people drowned last year. ICE isn’t the only aspect to consider.

I was in Manchester at lunchtime today where they had an Open Day. The queue was really long, so plenty of people are clearly fine with it.

I would never encourage camp America, I went in 2019 and was forced to work 70 hour weeks with daily breaks being taken away as punishment for campers acting out. They also

I mean, Reform are polling 26% support in the polls (encouragingly falling) does the majority equate to 'good idea'?

Exactly.

Nope. Nope. Nope

After the flooding incident last year (I.e. gross negligence) I would be wary of safety standards.

However, disasters can happen anywhere. The US flooding. Switzerland bar fire. Spanish train crashes. Or simply a mile from home.

What part of America is she going to? That will make the vast vast difference to her experience. Honestly you can’t stop her living because of whatever is the latest in the news. As I’m sure you’ve been told, we are much more likely to be killed in a car crash and you wouldn’t think twice about jumping in a car

Majority ? The population of Manchester is almost 3 million. How long do you think the queue was ?

Literal aren't you. You referred to the long queue presumably to imply that it's popularity equates to a valid choice, otherwise why else mention the queue size?

I would be concerned yes. Can she switch to another programme OP?

Is there a similar programme in Canada? That would fab!

being blunt - is she a POC?

If my kids looked in any way not white, I would not want them anywhere near the US this year. The stories coming out are terrifying. And I have travelled loads, lived overseas in unsual places which are not touristy, but the US is scary at the moment.

So I would look at other places and other schemes for this year and see how it pans out.
While they will be in a rural backwater, they have to enter via a large airport and travel there.

I didn't say it was a valid choice, I said clearly a lot of people are interested.

I don’t know. People are still going on holiday there and she won’t be in a city. I’d say proceed and you can always reconsider if things escalate in the meantime. I won’t be going to the US anytime soon personally, not whilst Trump is president (or Vance!)

Yes

Im in the US. I wouldn’t risk it. For one thing the economy itself may have crashed by then with rural areas hollowed out by mass deportations.