Where to Look
National Organizations: The following national organizations offer camping programs and provide listings of camp vacancies upon request. When you make contact with them, be specific about the employment information you are seeking and the geographic location in which you would like to work. Some of these organizations accept resumes and will forward them to local councils.
4-H Extension Service, Washington, DC 20250-0900
Boys and Girls Clubs of America, New York, NY 10017
Boy Scouts of America, Irving, TX 75015-2079
Camp Fire Boys and Girls, Inc., Kansas City, MO 64110
Christian Camping International, Wheaton.IL 60189
Girl Scouts of USA, New York, NY 10018-2702
Jewish Welfare Board, New York, NY 10016
Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), Chicago, IL 60606
State and Local Offices: Call local YMCAs, JCCs, district church offices and councils, other religious organizations, state tourism departments, and local chambers of commerce for names and addresses of camps. These contacts might sponsor their own summer camping programs or know of other sponsors.
Departments of Education: Contacting state departments of education can lead you to school-sponsored camps and related programs.
Colleges and Universities: Within the parks, recreation, leisure, and outdoor education departments of colleges and universities you might find sponsored camping programs with vacancies.
Publications: The American Camping Association compiles the Guide to Accredited Camps, which provides information on private, agency, and church-sponsored camps across the United States. The guide gives contact names and addresses and describes the types of programs and the populations they serve. To order this publication contact:
American Camping Association Bookstore, North Martinsville, IN 46151-7902
The American Camping Association also publishes Camping Magazine, a bimonthly that runs ads in the classified and professional placement sections for camp positions wanted and camp positions vacant. And every January/February it releases the Summer Camp Employment Opportunity Book. To obtain either of these employment information sources contact:
Advertising Manager
American Camping Association, North Martinsville, IN 46151 -7902
On-line Directories
For those of you with a computer and a modem, sources for camping jobs are just a few keystrokes away. The American Camping Association, Peterson's, and other organizations maintain web sites that list current vacancies, including detailed information about the camp and job openings, as well as contact addresses.
At some of the sites you can search databases for jobs broken down by skill areas or location and E-mail your information directly to the camp professional responsible for recruiting.
You can use your own search engine to find the large number of available sites, or try the web site addresses given here to get you started:
http://www.greatsummerjobs.com/search2.html
This site is called Great Summer Jobs and is geared toward helping college students find camp positions. Depending on the time of the year you visit it, you will find current job listings or a suggestion to come back in November when openings are first posted. The site offers a database you can search by camp location, skill, and job description. You also will be able to E-mail your information to the director of the summer program you want to apply to. There is also a link there to Peterson's Education and Career Center, where you'll find information about educational and cultural opportunities for students and adult learners.
http://careers.petersons.com/CJ$BldSrchForm.Summer_Jobs
This site leads you directly to the joint Peterson's and American Camping Association's database, where you can begin your job search by type of position and geographic location.
http://www.petersons.com/summerop/sumsum.html
This site gives you Peterson's Summer Opportunities Database for academic, travel, and camping programs. It lists "various path-ways to thousands of terrific camps, academic programs, sports clinics, arts workshops, internships, volunteer opportunities, and travel adventures throughout North America and other continents. Included for hundreds of camps are in-depth descriptions, photo-graphs, personal messages from directors and owners, applications, and on-line brochures."
Also at the site is a link to the American Camping Association's on-line Directory of Accredited Camps. It provides information on the ACA and general information about day and resident camps that have complied with the ACA's standards.
http://www.aca-camps.org/search.html
This site takes you to the American Camping Association's complete camp database, where you can search by state for type of camp (resident or day boys' camps, girls' camps, coed camps, and family camps), fees for campers, and any specialty clientele they service. Also there is a link to the summer job database.
Camping Employment Agencies: Employment agencies specializing in camp positions can be found both on- and off-line. On-line, use your favorite search engine; off-line check in your Yellow Pages under "employment."
Getting Ready to Go
Once you have landed that camp job of your choice, and if this is going to be your first camping experience, you might have a few more questions than your interviewer addressed.
For a day camp job, you might be wondering what to wear to work and what kind of gear to bring. For a resident camp job the same questions arise-what to pack and how to pack it all.
Day Camp Gear
Just as campers tote a bag with them each day, packed with their swimsuit and towel and a brown-bag lunch, so can you be properly outfitted. Although the morning might start out warm and sunny, it's a good idea to be prepared for a late afternoon shower or drop in temperature. A plastic, fold-up rain poncho will fit easily into your tote bag. Bring along a change of clothing and a second swimsuit for the afternoon swim session. No one feels comfortable sitting in a wet suit all day. Sweatshirts with hoods and pockets also are good to have on hand.
Resident Camp Gear
Many resident camps do not provide bedding. It's a good idea to check on that before you go, and if it is left to you, a duffel bag packed with two sets of sheets, a pillow, and two warm blankets or a comforter will see you through the summer. A group laundry service is generally provided once or twice a week-and that's why you should make sure all your clothes and linens have name tags sewn on or your name written on them with permanent markers, so you can easily claim any misplaced laundry-so pack accordingly.
Don't forget a good supply of towels. Two or three trips a day to the waterfront will take you through a lot of terry cloth. And though you might only wear socks in your sneakers when playing tennis, at camp with uneven ground and underbrush, you might find a supply of socks good ankle protection.
Here is a list of other items you might not want to do without:
Clothes should be comfortable and durable. Shorts, T-shirts, and jeans are the staples of any camper's or counselor's wardrobe. Have several pairs of shoes with you. Morning dew will go through a lot of canvas sneakers. A pair of sturdy shoes for hiking or horseback riding is a must. Some camps have dances, and you might want to bring a dressier outfit for those occasions or for days off.
Head covering to protect you from the sun and ticks.
Tick and bug repellent to discourage mosquitoes, the mainstay of most summer camp locations.
Sunscreen and lip cream are especially essential for waterfront staff.
Flashlight with fresh batteries.
Camera with film and flash for night-time activities.
Canteen or water bottle for hiking or high-activity sports.
Stationery and stamps for those important communications. It's a good idea to purchase the self-adhesive stamps. Humid, damp camp locations can render pre-glued postage stamps useless.
Medication and toiletries and any other personal items you will need. Make sure to get any prescriptions filled before you head out to camp.
The American Camping Association suggests that you do not bring radios, televisions, portable CD players, stereos, food, hunting knives, or expensive clothes.
