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The Definitive Guide: How Get An USA Summer Camp Placement

Published on: 23 Oct 2018
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How to get a USA Summer Camp Placement?

Are you adventurous, love meeting new people and want to try something new? You could earn money whilst having the time of your life and creating unforgettable memories, not to mention boosting your CV. A summer Camp Placement in the USA could be what you’ve been looking for. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about how to get your summer adventure.

What does a Summer Camp Placement involve?

  • Job Description

    There are many different organisations that you could embark on your summer camp placement with, but each of them has similar job roles to choose from, and similar experiences to be had. You will be working with groups of children who are attending the summer camps, helping them to have the best time possible.

  • Main Responsibilities

    There are a range of different roles you can take on when working at a summer camp, such as camp counselor, kitchen staff, maintenance crew, and a variety of sports instructor roles such as rock climbing, archery, tennis, horse riding, gymnastics and watersports to name a few. Whatever you are interested in, there’s bound to be a role to suit you.

    There are different types of camps that you could work in such as private camps, scouts, special needs and religious camps.
     

Key Summer Camp Placement Qualifications

Do I need qualifications to do a summer camp placement?

You won’t need any formal qualifications, but during the recruitment process, camps will look for candidates who have experience with children. If you’ve never worked with children you can increase your chances by volunteering at a local school or youth club. You will also need to be physically fit and healthy enough to spend the whole summer working on a camp. It might be required for you to provide a medical form signed by your doctor to prove that your health is top notch.

You must be 18 years or older by the time you apply for the placement.

You will need to have a police check before you work with children. If you don’t already have one, you might need to do so during the application process.

Once you are on the program, you can be matched to a job role based on your skills, preferences and experience.

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Vital Summer Camp Placement Skills

To make sure you can get the most out of your experience, you’ll need to have the following skills:

  • Good with children
  • Energetic
  • Patient
  • Caring
  • Ability to work well in a team
  • Adventurous
  • Confident
  • Friendly
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What is a Summer Camp Placement's Salary?

Depending on which organisation you decide to work for, you may need to pay an initial fee, which will secure your flights, visa, and insurance.

Once you have arrived in the USA and begin work, you will earn between $650 and $1200 pocket money depending on your age and the role. The placement is designed to give you an unforgettable experience, so the money that you earn will be minimal but should be enough to explore and enjoy yourself.

You will get all of your accommodation and food paid for during you placement, which means the money you earn, really is pocket money!

summer camp salary

How to get the placement

First thing’s first you will need to register and apply online. You will have an online interview and if you are successful you will need to complete the police check. You will then need to verify your references, which is the final stage before confirming your place and sorting out the important things such as your visa, insurance, medical forms and flights. Don’t worry though, you won’t be expected to sort this out by yourself – you will have help from your organisation

Where do you go from here?

The good news is, this placement is around 8-10 weeks long over the summer period. So, if you are currently studying, this won’t affect your attendance or your timetable – you’ll be able to resume (or start) as normal.

If you loved it, why not come back next year! You could go to a different location or could meet up with the friends that you made before. If you are returning, you may be able to get a discount depending on the company. You might even be able to earn more next time! So it’s worth looking into if you enjoyed your first time there.

Placement Opportunities

  • You can find some of the best USA summer camp placements with organisations such as Camp America and Bunac.