<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=742189152657625&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Posted by Jack Shitama ● Tue, Apr 21, 2015 @ 14:04 PM

5 Things A Camp Counselor Wants You to Know

5 things a counselorSending your child to overnight camp for the first time can create anxiety in a parent. In most cases, there will be little or no opportunity to check in to see how s/he is doing. You can end up worrying about countless things. Are they having fun? What if they don’t like the food? Did they brush their teeth? Not to mention whether they’re safe and sound.

The camp experience depends almost entirely on one thing. The counselor. Sure, there are other influences. The food, activities, cabin mates, etc., can all influence whether your child has a good experience. But even if those things were not the best, a great counselor will make for a great week. If those things are top notch but you get a lousy counselor, it can ruin the experience. So I thought you’d like to know a little more about your child’s counselor.
 
1.    Camp Wasn’t Her Only Option

Being a camp counselor was one of many options. There are internships that some might think look a lot better on a resume. There are restaurant server and construction jobs that pay a lot more money. In this NYTimes blog post, The Camp Counselor vs. The Intern, Dan Fleshler worries that his daughter will hurt her career by returning to her camp counselor job instead of taking that high-powered internship. He realizes that, like great teachers, great camp counselors are tremendously undervalued. Your child’s counselor could have done other things this summer, but s/he chose to be there for your child.

2.    He Wants to Be a Role Model

Somewhere along the line, your child’s counselor had an adult role model who made a huge difference in his life. It was likely a camp counselor or a youth leader who, as a young adult, seemed cool, yet mature. Hip, yet wise. Like most kids, he wasn’t looking to his parents for role models. In fact, he was probably looking everywhere but to his parents. And this cool youth leader or awesome camp counselor actually took an interest in who he was. In what he cared about. So now he’s decided he wants to give back. To make a difference for children as a positive role model.

3.    She’ll Likely End up in a Helping Profession

After nearly 20 years in camping as a volunteer and professional, I’m no longer surprised at the number of summer staff who end up in helping professions. What attracts them to work at camp and be a role model is the same thing that attracts them to their vocation. There’s a call to make a difference in the world.

A quick survey of last year’s staff shows what I mean. We hired a total of 63 staff, which included 38 counselors/program coordinators, as well as managers, lifeguards, maintenance and instructors. Fully half of the 38 are studying to be or are already in helping professions. Others are studying international relations, government or law and will likely end up in public service. Here’s a quick breakdown: Teaching/Education-14, Ministry/Youth Ministry-7, Nursing-2, Social Work-1.

Bottom line: Your child’s counselor wants to make a difference in the world, starting with your child.

4.    He Has a Diverse Background

Camp counselors come with a variety of interests and passions. And they literally come from all over the world. It’s as likely that your child’s counselor came from Dover, England as Dover, Delaware. Camp counselors come from the city, the country and small towns. They are artists, musicians, readers, writers, scientists, engineers and history majors. They bring a perspective that helps your child understand the gift of diversity and richness of other cultures.

5.    She’s Been Thoroughly Trained

Most camps, especially camps accredited by the American Camp Association, take staff training very seriously. They don’t just bring counselors in and cut them loose. In our case, we require new staff to do online training in basic areas such as camper management, mental health and behavior, and youth development, prior to arriving at camp. The entire staff comes to camp a week early for staff training week. They spend morning, noon and night learning behavior management, spontaneous games, bullying prevention, safety, group cohesion, homesickness and emergency action plans, just to name a few of the topics. Oh, and every counselor submits to the same fingerprint background check required of Maryland public school teachers.

Working as a camp counselor is a calling that is as rewarding as it is demanding. The average young adult doesn’t choose to work 80 hour weeks for about $3.25/hour. Camp staff do. It’s a camp thing. And the children who come to camp benefit as much as the counselor herself.

Want to learn more about Camp Pecometh? Click the photo to download our Summer Camp Brochure. 

Get the Brochure

Topics: Camp

Comments