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Has anyone ever worked at Camp America?

30 replies

lilibet · 12/11/2009 19:40

Dd is thinking of signing up for next summer. She has jsut been to her first meeting and it's all wonderful

Someone give me an opposite/ more realistic view?

OP posts:
HoraceCope · 13/03/2015 07:24

i did it in 1989.
great time.
brilliant experience.
travelled round america on a greyhound -

my dm was telling my dd about how it did and and how travelling round on a greyhound is now dangerous Hmm - anyone know if this is the case?

cartoonsaveme · 13/03/2015 07:35

I spent 2 summers working in the US and never heard a bad thing about it. I also worked for Pgl on a camp. It's long hours but amazing fun at that age. As you live in such close quarters you learn lots of life skills such as tolerance and negotiation and make great friends.
The greyhound was deemed as iffy 20 years ago but we went loads of places on it - so I'm not sure it's not just urban myth. It's cheap so most customers are not affluent travellers. Cars are very cheap as is petrol so was seen as the transport option for the poor - those cant afford a car or plane.

scrappydappydoo · 13/03/2015 07:42

I did it years ago - was fab. I don't know what the situation is now but bunacamp seemed better than camp America at the time. Provided a bit more support if things went wrong as per post up thread (at which point poster will probably return and say it was bunacamp). Anyway there are several options - look into the different companies and what they offer.
It is a job but its more of an experience than a money spinner - don't expect to earn lots and its not a great way of saving for next year at uni.

PurpleDancingTurtle · 13/03/2015 07:47

I went in 2005 when I was 21. I even missed my own graduation to go and it was hands down the best thing I'd ever done (up to that point!) I grew up, gained confidence, made loads of new friends and had the best time! I only wish I knew about it earlier as I would have gone back year after year, but as it happens I could only do one as I started my pgce when I got home.

It's long days but I was a horseback instructor so it wasn't really 'work' for me. Such happy memories and you fall into a real camp bubble when you are there. Id definitely encourage my dc to go if they wanted. Ahhhh those were the days..... Grin

RattieofCatan · 13/03/2015 07:52

I did a British version in 2008 and through that know lots of people who did Camp America. They loved it, one person went back year after year, others then went on to travel around America a bit before coming back.

I was a seasonal worker for 3 years, it's a fun lifestyle but tiring. Obviously doing a "short" stint is different though but:
Never believe the sales pitch. It might be an awesome experience, but they tell you what they can to get you there.
Once there the higher ups don't really care too much. A few times I've known people in activity work get injured or ill (beyond a couple of days off type thing) and they're sent home because they're taking up a bed that a worker could use, which makes sense but when you're not expecting it, it's not nice! Check what happens in those situations, especially if they're going to be abroad! It's rare for it to happen but two badly broken bones happened to staff on one of my seasons, two of the Brits thankfully so they did have homes to go to that weren't too far away!
The hours are long and the work can be difficult, it doesn't suit everybody.
You are going to be around children, whilst you don't need to love them, you need to be able to curb swearing/bad language around them ;)

I'd totally do another season at a kids camp though, it was a big party outside of work, lots of craziness, lots of dressing up (both whilst working and not!) and odd drinking games! I got to meet so many interesting people and am still in touch with a few of them, mostly Aussies but there are a couple of Brits who I see occasionally too which is nice :)

There are one or two American-based camps who used to make its workers sleep in a room with kids, if that's an issue do double check sleeping arrangements. A friend of mine ended up over there and only found out once they started working, it was something that made him very uncomfortable.

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