Camp America

[Lbet]

Are there any parents whose kids have done camp America?

My daughter is currently taking a gap year before going off to uni next.
She is really interested in doing camp America next summer.
We have had a good chat with a student who has just been for his second summer in a row. We have had loads of useful tips and advice from him. He did say you don’t do camp America for the money because you actually end up being out of pocket and you do it for the experience.
That suits my daughter fine as she is definitely wants to do it for the great experience.

Just wanted to know if anyone’s child has been and if you can tell me about their experience.

Thanks in advance.

A friend of mine's DD went several years in a row, I think to camps in Maine (very well located and known for large, traditional camps). She loved it - big character, great at joining in and rounding up the kids. It takes energy and a sort of gung-ho temperament.

There are several organisations who organise placements at summer camps. Camp America is the best known but pays less than some of the others. Comparison - check this.

I went with BUNAC over 30 years ago and worked as a waitress in a camp. I was very lucky and ended up at a lovely relaxed Jewish camp where they were happy for us to go out drinking when we were off duty and we had a separate staff house with showers and were allowed to go on some of the big outings the camp organised for the kids, we had a really great time and got to see some of the local tourist spots etc.

From some of the other people I knew a lot of the other camps were run by strict Christians who had curfews for the staff and didn't let them drink. Other camps you were in tents all summer or the kitchen staff were treated like shit. From what I remember we didn't get much choice in where we were placed so you could have a great experience like I had or a really bad one.

DD did Camp America during her gap year, so pre-Covid.

You apply and are interviewed in the UK. The camps read your CV and invite you for a Zoom interview. She was able to offer a high level in a relatively niche activity, one that is popular in US camps, so got an early interview with a well established summer camp in the Catskills, one which Donald Trump went to as a child. Its catchment was largely Manhattan and equivalent.

Three of them lived in a cabin with their teenage charges. One day off a week, with use of the camp van so they went to a sports game and a concert in the nearby town. Lots of chances to try different sports being taught/run by her peers. (Horses, large lake etc.) A good chance to see America in a different way. (Camp fire songs, very American food etc.) After the eight weeks were up they started off travelling as a big group then people gradually peeled off until it was just her and a cabin mate heading off to California. It was the camp mate's third time at the same camp. They are still close friends.

The visa process was tedious but she got there in the end. Camp American instructions were very clear.

DD is very pleased she had a gap between school and University and a chance to do different things and to get to know different people. (She also did a ski season.) It meant she was ready to study when she finally got to University

I did Camp Counselors USA (similar to Camp America) more than 20 years ago, it was an absolutely amazing experience and one I would highly recommend for people. The camp was in Iowa during May to August. We worked in the week and then had the weekend off. Did a few trips locally, like Mall of America, Chicago (Wrigley Field) and the Mississippi river etc. Afterwards I travelled around the US mid-west, Kansas, Missouri.

I loved the experience, it really made me self-reliant, and confident in travelling alone, I spent a lot of time at the end travelling across the US on trains, planes and buses, and then getting from Kansas to Newark Airport.

You definitely don't do it for the money, it's a pittance, but its the experience of a lifetime!

Ds did it this summer between year 1 and 2 at uni. He ended up in a specialist autism camp which was way outside his experience but he loved it. He was in Vermont. As others have said the money isn't great and although he did travel he said when he got back that camp was enough really, he had loved it but was completely exhausted and enjoyed the travel less than he expected.

Ds1 went to New York 2 years ago and loved it so much he went back for year 2 this summer, as did 20 of his fellow campers. They loved it, massively. and enjoyed the travelling and were not out of pocket at all.

Well my daughter has now booked her place on at the recruitment fair which is very soon, then dhe will be signing up.
I am very excited for her as she has always been very adventurous. I just know i will be very nervous when the time comes for her to go. I am also wondering how it is all going to work out with her getting ready to go to uni no sooner than when she is back from America. I am sure it will all work out though. I just know i will miss her like mad😢

Good post thanks!

A question. My DD is hoping to do the same but is young in her year.

She's 17 now and not 18 until July '25.

I haven't done any research into this as yet other than seeing a thread saying that they have to be 18 at the time they fly out (usually May I believe?)

I can look into this, but seeing as there are those with experience on here..

Does anyone know whether they all operate this way or has anyone got any experience of a 17 year old doing it please (doesn't have to be Camp America) thanks!

Need to be 18 by 15th June for visa and insurance it says.

My DD did it the summer just gone, for the best part of three months, at a Jewish camp in Pennsylvania. She absolutely loved it. She had a fantastic time, she made so many friends, she spent some time in New York at the end of her stay and is already talking about going back there next summer.

Which company was that with @DappledOliveGroves?

Dd applied, had a face to face interview and passed the interview. She then had to pay a fee of £200. She then had to find a specific Camp to take her on, they all turned her down (I suspect due to a long term health issue which she was upfront about) and she never got her (my) £200 back. Might even have been £300. I was rather annoyed.

She did it all through Camp America. She applied fairly last-minute, had the interview from the camp, got the offer and off she went. She was working at Camp Havaya.
She had to go to the US embassy for her visa but it was a fairly straightforward process.

My son was as at a Jewish camp in Pennsylvania too this summer - was it Cedar Lake by any chance? He also had a great time.

My DS did it twice to Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks in NY state. He went on his own but many kids do so lots in same situation. He then went travelling for a year after each camp - which was always his plan, but started his travels with friends he met there, He absolutely loved it. He was a camp counsellor both times. The experience was incredible - they get involved in all the outdoor and lake activities and he made some lifelong friends. They also got very well fed!
He had to pay for his flight but he did end up with just over $1k after each camp so it didn’t cost him anything.
Honestly I wish I’d had the chance to do it when I was younger so I’d say go for it!

I went with BUNAC 20+ years ago as their offering was better than Camp America. I had an amazing time!
Some things to note:
Yes I did get well fed, my Camp was one where the kids changed each week so I met lots and got to stay will local counsellors around PA/NY between weeks which was a great way to discover the US. I also went before uni, so put some of the cash I earned doing touristy things in the US afterwards before flying home (appreciate this is less of an option now with inflation etc)
You will get screened in the UK first, but then will get interviewed by US camps that are interested (I imagine they use Zoom these days rather than international phone calls 😉)
You do have to be 18 to get a J-1 visa IIRC. One of the counsellors actually arrived late when I was doing it due to this, so I'd check with other agencies to see how flexible they are about taking younger applicants. It will restrict your offers though as the Camp season runs Jun-mid Aug.
I was paid in cash as I didn't have a US bank account. Something to be aware of towards the end as I got a lump sum payment including 2 $100 bills that I then had to keep safe/spend!! (They are like our £50 notes, so it was an experience 😂)
If your DC has a health issue check the insurance carefully. I only realised AFTER I returned that I wasn't covered (thankfully I hadn't needed to claim). Most schemes allow you to supply your own insurance if you can't use theirs i believe.

USA summer camp expert here. Five summers spent working at two different camps (two spent in senior management), several years working for Camp America and my kids now go to camp in the USA each summer.

There’s a saying that working as a counselor is “the hardest job you’ll ever love”. You’ll be surprised at how it goes horribly wrong for some people though as their expectations are totally wrong. Here’s the key reasons.

1. Money. The J-1 visa is a cultural exchange visa, not a working visa. The first year you will be out of pocket. If you return then you might make a small profit. It’s not about the money at all.

2. Working hours. You will be working six days a week with one full 24 hour period off. You’ll have some time off during the working day and a few evenings off but most of the time you are on duty. You will invariably be sleeping in a bunk with the children. There’s very little privacy. It’s not “slave labour” (linked to the money point). It’s the reality of looking after children.

3. Not liking children. Each year there’s more than one counselor who declares they don’t actually like working with children. Mind boggles. There’s then a larger contingent who say they didn’t realise working with children would be so hard.

4. Job expectations. You are there for the children. You are not there for your social life or to travel - this happens in your time off or after camp. You can’t just leave the kids to make a phone call or take a nap. Camp management can’t change your day off so you can be with your friends. You won’t be learning how to waterski - you’ll be sitting supervising your campers in the boat or on the dock whilst they learn how to waterski. Two key rules a) it’s all about the children and they come first and b) someone HAS to be with the children.

5. The rules. They are there for the safety of everyone. Some camps breathalyse staff when they come back to camp after time off. You will have a curfew. You will not be allowed to hang out if you’re not scheduled to be off. You won’t be allowed your mobile phone on duty (not that you can probably get any signal anyway).

All of this points a slightly negative view but I REALLY wish social media didn’t present camp life in the way they do. Yes all that fun stuff happens and it really is like you see in the movies. It’s the most amazing experience in every way. Just go into it with eyes wide open!!

That sounds about right. It was very work-hard, play-hard.

A summer outdoors with lots of activities and some like minded friends suited DD. Her observation was that the strongest members of staff tended to be Scots, Kiwis and Aussies who were used to being active and getting on with things. Americans were the weakest, but then perhaps Americans probably had a wider choice of camps.

DD was lucky in that as well as her niche activity, she was a good swimmer (they put her through life guarding training), had sailing qualifications and could play tennis, so got to rotate. And they did sneak into other activities (horse riding etc) when they had a bit of time spare, though perhaps they were not supposed to.

The rule book was huge and sent to her in advance. Bear patrols and more. Mobile phones were locked in the office, which was a pain when trying to sort out some University stuff.

Camps are businesses and there were some interesting tensions within the family that owned her camp. Camp staff were transitory and expected to do as they were told. Some children were effectively dumped for the summer (children did either two weeks, a month or two months), and DD's heart broke a little when a particularly needy child was prevented from saying goodbye to them because the dad demanded they were on their way because "he had a schedule". She was reprimanded by the owners for consoling a very homesick eight year old French boy in French. He was there for English immersion, and it needed to be total. The food was awful, but typical of what you find elsewhere in middle America. (We went to Cedar Point this summer and ended up driving to a supermarket as fruit and vegetables did not feature on menus of any of the food outlets.)

That said, she had a great time. She was in a cabin with older teenagers so became a bit of a big sister. She made good friends, and spent the summer busy, active and outdoors with lots of new experiences.

.

Thank you for all your replies.

I have just got my daughter two read the two post of this morning and she said it is exactly how it all matches up with the research she has done and on chatting with others who have done Camp America. Your post have confirmed just how much she is ready to sign up for it which she will be doing this Weds😱

@Lbet Then it sounds like she’ll make a great counselor! Best of luck.

My niece-in-law did it or something similar - not sure of the details.

She'd never really tried at school and didn't have great qualifications - if you'd met her right after school you probably wouldn't have predicted a great future for her.

After returning from America she worked for the qualifications to get into nursing, is now a Band 6 Senior Nurse, holds her entire family together by sheer willpower and has just become a Mum herself.

It can be transformational.

I did it 25 years ago- went as a lifeguard and counsellor. The camp was run by a charity for inner city children from a big mid Western city. It was a huge eye opener for me - the lives that some of the children and other counsellors had were so different from mine. The effects of abuse, neglect and violence were obvious but that made it amazing when the children got to relax and enjoy the outdoors. The camp manager was inspirational. And now I teach at an inner city comp!

Hi all,
I completely forgot I had started this post and all are great replies with lots of info.

It wasn’t easy for my daughter to get a camp place being her first time but she got there in the end.
She ended up getting a place at a recruitment event in London. She is off to New Jersey to be a councillor in June.
She has her place at Liverpool uni and her accommodation sorted as well as her maintenance loan. So all sorted really and she is very excited.
The only problem we are having is booking her flight to Newark as she will be picked up at 12 noon but we can’t seem to find any flights which will get her there before that time so it looks like she will have to go the day before and stop over at a hotel close to the airport.
Any tips on that would be much appreciated.

Thank you so much for all your replies.

Ds1 went to CA twice, returning to the same camp just outside New York, because he loved it and had such a good time. He actually enjoyed the camp bit, not just the travelling afterwards.

Morning,
Thanks for your reply.
My daughter is very excited and I obviously am a tad worried.
There is so much to sort out and worry something will be missed. My daughter seems to have it all under control though. She is just struggling to get the flights sorted and makes it more difficult that she doesn’t know what date she will be travelling back after staying on to travel. Also having to get a flight that will get her there on time to b picked up.,