Steps to Take to Get to Summer Camp

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Volunteering for summer camp can be quite scary. So I’m here this week to go over the steps to take to get your butt over there. Don’t be quitting on me now! 🙂

The Eight Steps to Volunteer With Camp America

1. Volunteer/get creds – The first step perhaps requires the most work of all the steps. It’s here you need to show that you have some background in the field you want to work within. Summer camps are going to be looking for people who best fit the description of the role they are looking for. And the more experienced you are? The better your chances of getting that job. So go out there, get work under your belt to show that you are able to stick it out for the months in America. Charity shops, schools and scouts are a great place to start.
2. Log in to Camp America – The next stage is to simply sign up for Camp America (though other great agencies also exist!). Just sign up online, but you still haven’t committed yet…
3. Fill in all the details it asks, my profile asks about your details, passport choices, flight choices, language, education, work, background checks… – Keep filling in those details! It’s a long process because of the nature of the job. But very much treat it like one, there are going to be interview style questions and all sorts. It’s to help weed out those who are serious and who are going to pull out last minute.
4. Payment, kicking off with application fee, police check and assessment fee – There’s a ton of costs to break down so to help, I’ve broken them down too. More info can be found here on Camp America’s website for the latest rough costs of what it takes to go work at summer camp.
   1. After the 1-1 interview is done, you pay confirmation fee to show commitment to placement
   2. Insurance
   3. Medical check (go doctors and ask for a slip, there’s a charge even on NHS)
   4. Visa
   5. Orientation day (its free)
   6. Outbound flight is free
   7. You pay tax for flight, only £100
   8. Return flight is also free
5. Total cost will be £778 – Which when you think about it, it’s the bargain of the century. You’re getting a whole summer camp experience, plus a month worth of travel in the USA for £700. All of your food and accommodation is paid for and you’re going to have such a blast. Heck, I bet you’ll be back for a second summer. Make the most of this while you are young.
6. Throughout this, you fill in preferences on which camps you want to work for, where in the US and what specialties you have, linking back to point 1 – There are so many details you have to fill in when signing up to volunteer and Camp America make it so easy to stay on top of things. Once again, I’m not sponsored by Camp America, there are a ton of other companies that have the same premise, I’m just basing it off experience. There’s a simple ‘Things to do’ list that auto populates as and when you have to do things with regard your application. Stay on top of this? And you’ll be at camp in no time.
7.  Load of interview style questions in profile, which all camps get to see. Work on this and work on uploading a video too! – As I’ve already said, treat every step of this application like an interview. I jknow how much you want it, so take it seriously. Camps will get sent your application much like an ebay auction site. They’ll be able to pick out any details they want from an individual and then get their pick of the lot from the profiles that come up.
8. After all these are done, wait on the edge of your seat for an offer! With all these stages done, it’s edge of your seat time. For a camp is about to hire you.

I hope you enjoyed this overview of what steps you need to take to apply at summer camp. It’s such a blast to be a volunteer over there so please do enjoy ytourselves and take this application seriously. It’ll make or break some of the best memories you’ll ever have.

Anyway, in the next week we are taking the leap into the summer camp bubble. For all the blog posts prior are about preparing for summer camp. Now we are balls-deep. So sit back with a brew and enjoy my musings on the subject of ‘The biggest mistakes you can make while at camp’.

 

If you enjoyed this, please check out the podcast! It’s available on iTunes – There’s No Place Like Summer Camp and it’s also available on YouTube here too.

I’ll see you then,

A.