Any one who has worked as a summer camp counselor will tell you-there’s no better environment to develop some of the important skills you’ll need someday in life.
REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE: Here are some of the qualities you can’t help but develop as a counselor.
Creativity
You have 10 eight-year-olds who avoid soap and shampoo as if they were liver & onions. You’ve seen the same shirt on one of your campers for 5 days in a row (he claims it’s the shirt that helps him not miss home). And it’s YOUR job to get them excited about good hygiene…
Effective Communication
This morning you had a discussion with two of your 12-year old campers on why they feel the need to fight, this afternoon at the rock wall you had to facilitate an eight-year old who was scared to come down and this evening you had to comfort a parent who was worried about a letter she had received from her child. Not to mention you need to have a talk with your co-counselor about their hygiene.
Leadership
everything you say, everything you do, the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, and your attitude during a blistering afternoon; will be imitated by 11 campers. Are you ready for this kind of responsibility?
Multi-tasking
Susie just threw up, Jessie and Amber are pulling each others hair, Brooke’s at your side crying because she misses her mom, and it’s time to lead your cabin to evening Torchlight. Oh, by the way, your co-counselor has the night off…
Organization
you teach basketball and swimming this morning, your cabin has skits tonight at Torchlight, you’ve got to finish parent phone calls by this afternoon AND turn in your cabin’s Sports Challenge Day roster by lunch. It’s all gotta get done…
Patience
did you read any of the above?
Value of a Paycheck
Now it’s certainly not the best reason to work as a summer camp counselor, but salary IS important. Here’s the counselor pay scale. We aren’t talking about huge amounts of money, but you WILL take home most of what you earn since we also provide your room and board—no reason to spend any money at camp! It’s really not a bad deal!
| 1 Term | 2 Terms | 3 Terms | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $160/week | $165/week | $175/week |
| 2nd year | $175/week | $190/week | $200/week |
| 3rd year | $190/week | $200/week | $210/week |
| 4th year | $200/week | $210/week | $220/week |
| 5th year | $210/week | $220/week | $230/week |
