Types of Camp Jobs in America

Camp USA places participants in both counselor and support staff positions.

Counselors

Counselors care for a group of campers 24 hours a day for 8 to 15 weeks. While this job can be exhausting, it is also very rewarding. Counselors are role models for their campers and can profoundly impact their lives. A strong counselor speaks fluent English, is mature and flexible, and has a good sense of humor.

Camps hire three types of counselors:

General counselors live with, supervise, and organize activities for a specific group of campers. Camp USA does not accept applicants who are capable of working only as general counselors, unless they are willing to go to special needs camps.

Specialty counselors teach specific activities such as tennis, ceramics, or sailing. They may sleep in cabins with campers and perform general counselor duties. Specialty counselors may lead a variety of activities each day or teach one activity for the entire day.

Special needs counselors work with campers of various ages who have a wide variety of disabilities. They may bathe or lift campers, or assist with administering medication. Previous experience in this area is helpful, but not required. Camps look for patient, energetic candidates who demonstrate a respect for the campers.

 

Support Staff

Support staff work in utility positions, such as kitchen, housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, and office. These positions are vital to the smooth operation of camp. Participants can expect to work 12 to 14 hours a day in very strenuous jobs. Because these positions require physical labor, support staff receive slightly higher stipends than counselors. Good support staff are reliable, hard-working, flexible, and able to work well both independently and in a group. Applicants who are applying for support staff positions must be full-time students.