Why Work At Camp?
Written by Matt Lockhart
Do I really want to work at a summer camp?
That’s a question I asked 10 years ago when I first applied to Forest Cliff as a student at University. Now that it’s 10 years later, I often find myself asking why didn’t I start earlier!
I want to share with you 5 reasons why I believe working at a summer camp is a valuable experience and could be the right decision for your summer.
- Friendships! Camp is all about making new friends. I can think of a few different people I became friends with while attending camps as a kid, but I also regularly spend time with people I became friends with when I first worked at camp. Camp is a great place for you to make life-long friendships and expand your circle.
- Fun! Camp is full of fun. Thinking back over the years I’ve spent at camp, I’ve had a lot of fun. There are lots of moments where that fun has been doing activities with campers, but some of the most fun moments have been doing ordinary tasks like dishes with friends. Whatever work you find yourself doing, camp has a way of bringing the fun into it.
- Experience! Camp is a great place to learn new skills. Even if you’re thinking about a career outside of child care, camp helps young people grow in many ways. I’ve seen staff grow in confidence, how they’re able to handle conflict and learn practical skills.
- Impact! Camp is a life-changing experience! One of my most meaningful moments as a camper was having the same cabin leader two years in a row and remembering who I was. Working at camp is a great way to impact the future generation and build meaningful relationships with them.
- Mentors! Camps have leaders who care! Not only are staff able to make an impact on their campers’ lives, but I’ve seen staff become mentors to younger leaders at camp every summer. At Forest Cliff, we have a mix of Post-Secondary and High School students working for us. Each year, I see older staff who are positive influences on the younger staff and are able to help them transition into Post-Secondary experiences.
I believe that camp is a valuable experience for anyone. There are so many opportunities when working at a camp, whether being upfront with the campers or keeping camp running behind the scenes, there is a role for your skills.
Don’t miss out on the opportunities of working at a summer camp!
Why work at Forest Cliff?
- Close to Home! Live in London? Well, we have 3 teams of Day Camps that work at different sites in and around the city. Our Overnight Camp is also only an hour away from the city. It’s the perfect way to get a summer camp experience, but still spend some time at home this summer.
- Pay! We’ve worked hard to make our Summer Camp wages competitive to other summer jobs. We know your summer is a great time to help you prepare for your future and we don’t want working at camp to hold you back!
- Options! There are loads of options to working at Forest Cliff. First one, Day or Overnight Camp? Within both we have a few different roles. If you love camps, but want to work behind the scenes to help us create fun environments, we have a space for everyone!
- Staff Journey! We have spent a lot of time developing the staff journey at Forest Cliff. Beginning with our LIT program to opportunities for Post-Secondary students, you can spend many summers working at Forest Cliff. You can read about Kate’s staff journey here to learn more!
- Impact! We get to make an impact on the lives on the campers that come to Forest Cliff. I’ve received countless emails and stories from parents about how our staff have made a positive impact on the lives of their campers. From helping them take the next step in their faith journey to helping them grow in confidence, you can make a big difference!
