The two summers that you spent in the Rocky Mountains were some of the best times of your life. When you went away to work at summer camp the summer after the first year in college, you never realized that you would not only be making friends that would last a life year and learning leadership skills that would help you in many future jobs. Summer camps across the country provide not only wonderful opportunities for the campers who attend, but for the staff members as well.
Elementary school, middle school, and high school students alike appreciate the opportunity to be away from home for weeks at a time and the opportunity to explore new adventures. From hiking in the mountains to learning how to try out archery skills, summer camps are a great way to spend part of the summer.
Day Camps Provide Opportunities for Campers and Counselors Alike
Many families extend a good deal of energy deciding where they will send their children to school, but do not consider how their children will spend their time in the summer. Parents who are dedicated, however, often make the decision to enroll their children in a camp that can teach them new skills. And while there are many parents and students who are looking at camping opportunities, there are a number of college students who are looking at these same camps as an opportunity to learn leadership skills and enjoy an outdoor work environment with other counselors of the same age.
Summer camps are a great work opportunity for college age students who are looking for a summer job opportunity that will provide them a number of unique work experiences. Just as high school extra curricular activities are an advantage to high school students, hands on leadership opportunities that are available when working at a camp can serve as a benefit as well.
As many as 95% of non-parochial private high school grads go on to four-year postsecondary institutions, and 49% of public school graduates do they same, but all of these young adults are looking for experiences that can help them build job skills and increase their exposure to working both with a team and independently. A job as a camp counselor provides all of that.
Leadership. Working at summer camps provides a number of ways to practice leadership skills. From teaching campers how to swim to demonstrating the safest way to use a zipline, camp counselors are presented with leadership opportunities not available at other jobs. After a week of staff training, for example, counselors are expected to use the new skills they have been taught to lead hikes, teach lessons, and many other skills.
Independence. After an academic year away from home at college, one of the most difficult transitions for college students to make is returning to home for the summer. A camp counseling experience, on the other hand, provides another opportunity to live away from home and enjoy the independence that you do not get back in your childhood bedroom in your parent’s home. Managing the hours that you have to work and learning how to get your laundry taken care of on days off, the camp counselor life provides another opportunity for college students to continue living independently.
Lifelong Friendships. An added benefit of working as a camp counselor is the opportunity to meet a new group of people. When, for instance, you get a chance to work with a group of young adults who are either starting or continuing their college education you can bond very quickly. Talks about being away from home, the challenge of deciding on a major and a career, and shared experience of dorm roommates and adjusting to the rigor of college courses provide a way to get to know someone quickly. Faster, even than the friends you may have made in college.
If you are looking for a way to continue your practicing your independence after being away at college, a camp counselor job may be the perfect solution. In addition to enjoying more independence than you would back at home with your parents, a camp counselor experience also teaches leadership and introduces you to lifelong friends.