Pre-Screening Prospective Applicants
(October 1 – December 20)
Pre-screening is a crucial first step for both you and the applicant. First, you can avoid investing large amounts of time and money in the application process if an applicant is inappropriate for the program. Second, the applicant can assess your agency’s professionalism and decide whether or not to trust your organization. You should explain the goals and requirements for the program to an interested candidate before sending out an application invitation to the person. You should also explain to them that InterExchange is their J-1 Visa sponsor and they will need to communicate with us frequently throughout the summer.
Be sure to determine the candidate’s:
- Age
- English level
- Experience with children
- Maturity
- Motivation for participating in the program
- Skill level
- Dates of availability
You should be able to get general answers to the above questions and determine if the person is a suitable candidate for the program. It is also a good idea to find out whether or not the applicant has ever participated in a cultural exchange program or lived away from home before. Listen carefully for certain warning signs. Ask questions such as: Is the applicant only looking for a cheap way to see America? Is he or she trying to get away from a certain situation at home? Has this applicant ever received a visa rejection?
Candidates who answer “yes” to these questions are often not a good fit for our program.
If you have a website where potential applicants can request information, you may want to consider adding a form where participants can (briefly) respond to the same questions you would ask during a phone conversation. Or, you can simply ask for the applicant’s telephone number and contact him or her before sending out information.
Eligibility for Camp Counselors
- Students, teachers, bona fide youth workers, or individuals with specialized skills
- At least 18 years of age by June 1st of the year of participation; preferably not older than 28
- Strong English speakers
- Highly dedicated individuals who are committed to participating in the program for at least 9 weeks
- Available to work starting from as early as May 15th and ending as late as September 15th. We can not accept participants who can not arrive by June 15th. Genuinely interested in working with children in an outdoor setting
- Genuinely interested in working with children in an outdoor setting
Why English Is Important
Applicant Who Are Over 28 Years Old
Cooperator Guidelines for Pre-Interview Skill Evaluation
InterExchange Camp USA accepts applicants with a wide variety of skills. When you are conducting preliminary interviews, it is important to keep in mind that there are some applicants whose skills make them very easy to place. Without necessary skills an applicant can be very hard to place, unless the person compensates with exemplary skills in a specialized field. When participants are indicating their skills, please try to stay away from general skills (e.g. Camping, group games…). The more specific their skill-set, the easier they will be to place.
We have provided some guidelines for pre-screening applicants. Skills and experience with children are very important. You should only accept applicants who:
A) Possess a strong ability to teach a skill to children and have significant training in teaching this skill.
OR
B) Possess a strong ability to assist with a skill, have a lot of childcare experience, and are willing to go to a special needs or religious camp.
OR
C) Possess outstanding ability in a secondary skill, have significant training and experience teaching children this skill, and speak English fluently.
In addition, ALL applicants should be available to fly to the U.S. on June 15th or earlier. Applicants must also be available to stay until August 15th or after. After June 15th, the number of camps that will accept applicants diminishes significantly. The same limitation applies to participants who need to leave before August 15th.
Some other guidelines to keep in mind:
- Camp directors really pay attention to the top three skills listed on the application.
- Screening for true skill levels will improve the quality of your applicants and, in turn, make placement much easier. If you are uncertain about an applicant’s true skill levels, you may ask them to give you portfolios, video, or other media showcasing their skills. While these are not necessary parts of the application, they can help you determine your applicants’ skills, abilities, and character. We trust and value your opinion. If an applicant provides a video clip or other samples showcasing their capabilities, please forward them to us.
- Introductory videos are not required to submit an application, but they are strongly encouraged. Most camps expect them and won’t look at applications without videos. This is an opportunity for the applicant to show their personality and English level.
Skill Levels
Requirements for skill levels in certain areas are indicated in details next to each description below. Please see the interview activities questionnaire for detailed language and questions regarding specific skills.
Counselor skills
- Archery (preferably certified to teach, but not required)
- Canoeing/kayaking
- Ceramics
- Gymnastics: This can be a primary skill if applicant has experience in all elements of gymnastics, not just floor work. Otherwise, it should be considered a secondary skill.
- Horse riding
- Lifeguarding
- Martial arts
- Metal work
- Motorboat Driving
- Mountain biking
- Pioneering/orienteering
- Riflery
- Rock climbing
- Ropes course
- Sailing
- Tennis
- Windsurfing
- Wakeboarding
- Woodworking
- Yoga (if certified to teach)
- Acting/directing/drama
- Animal care: Applicants should have experience working with farm animals. Care of household pets, such as dogs, cats, turtles, hamsters, etc., does not qualify.
- Aerobics: Aerobics is an extremely common skill and will not improve an applicant’s chances of placement. Applicants can mention this skill on the application but don’t need to emphasize it unless they are certified trainers and know special techniques.
- Baseball/softball
- Basketball
- Computers: Applicants should be knowledgeable about networking, programming, and graphic design.
- Dance: Applicants must have more than one year of training in jazz dance, ballet, hip-hop, or tap. Training in more than one form is preferable. Must be competent to choreograph. Applicant should know proper terminology in English. Should feel comfortable choreographing dances for musical theatre performances. Knowledge of or training in ballroom or ethnic dancing is unimportant to camps.
- Drawing/painting
- Guitar
- Hiking
- Jewelry
- Nature crafts
- Piano: Applicant must be able to read music expertly and be able to accompany singers with minimal practice time. Training in singing is helpful.
- Religious studies
- Scenery
- Soccer
- Special needs
- Swimming: Should be in conjunction with lifeguarding skills; should have experience teaching children to swim and be very confident to do so in English.
