Summer Camp Professionals Discuss Industry Developments at Tri-State CAMP Conference
April 29, 2011
In March, summer camp professionals from all across the country gathered in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for one of the largest events in the industry – the Tri-State CAMP Conference.
This year, the conference hosted a number of events aimed at helping summer camp leaders best hone their staff management techniques as well as craft policy and devise activities that maximize the benefits each child draws from the summer camp experience.
Among the topics addressed by conference events was the challenge of supervising staff and motivating them in a way to enhance the camp experience for children. One of the popular ways that camp managers are fulfilling this need is by employing international staff. These staff members are generally young people who are motivated and hard-working. They’re excited by the prospect of working in the U.S., committed to their jobs and eager to learn.
International camp staff also exemplify the diversity that’s often present in the pool of kids who participate in the summer camp experience. International camp staffers can be hired with the help of an organization designated by the U.S. Department of State as a J-1 Visa sponsor. Through this organization, international camp staff are screened for English proficiency, and are often multi-lingual, which makes them an asset in communicating with children from various backgrounds. Camp directors also often find that international staff enhance the camp’s own programs, exposing American children to different cultures, languages, cuisines and music.
Camp directors are also keenly aware of the need to recruit the most reliable workers for their summer camp programs, and to ensure that these individuals are suited for work with children. International staff hired through a sponsor organization are carefully pre-screened for their qualifications and experience, availability to perform the job. Extensive background checks and interviews are a regular part of the screening process.
Camp staff hired from abroad are often chosen to supplement domestic staff for their scheduling flexibility as well. Since they come to the U.S. with the intent to spend the whole summer at camp, reducing the scheduling conflicts that may affect U.S. based employees. They’re usually available from late May through September – a longer period than many young American college students or workers, who have school or work obligations that prevent them from working during the late spring or late summer.
Because of their independence, work ethic and unique background, international staff are also valued by their American employers and coworkers. They often establish long-term working relationships with camps as well as lasting friendships with their American peers, giving the camp’s entire workforce a sense of diversity and improved morale.
