When students return to campus after three months of vacation, it may be unusual to hear about all of the fun someone had at summer camp. Yet, thousands of students will ditch a higher paid desk job or internship this summer to work as a camp counselor, playing sports outside, canoeing and hiking with kids.
\Since camps are in the summer, students are an available base for the job,"" said Cathy Scheder, manager of learning resources for the American Camp Association. ""The average age of a counselor is 20 to 21 years old.""
Across the nation, there are more than 8,000 camps for students to choose from and, depending on the duration of the camp and the organization running it, counselors can expect to earn around $1,000 to $3,000, according to www.campjobs.com. Despite the wages, the resounding attitude among counselors is that the experience gained is more important than the salary earned.
""It isn't really about the money,"" UW-La Crosse sophomore Nickie Scher said. ""Sometimes I even forget I'm working and forget that I'm getting paid to play scatterball or make bracelets and play with kids. It's better than other jobs because, although it can be hard work sometimes, it's rewarding to spend the day outside and to work with the kids.""
Over the years, camps have evolved into more than just the typical vision of kids sleeping in tents, telling ghost stories around a bonfire and making s'mores. While there are an abundance of these traditional camps, specialty camps-such as academic, sports or theater camps-have become increasingly popular.
There is also the choice of day camps or overnight camps. Having worked at both types of camps, Lisa Newman, UW-Madison sophomore, says the two different types are almost too different to compare.
""They are both completely different and good in their own ways,"" she said. ""Working at the day camp was so much fun ... the kids were younger and I worked on swim staff and taught swimming lessons. But it was nice to be able to go home at the end of the day and see my friends. Working at the overnight camp was different because being on trail was pretty much home and the girls were a bit older and easier to connect with.""
Counselors at day camps are responsible for the children as they go to and from the camp each day and are expected to participate in and lead activities such as team sports, meals, games and crafts. Overnight camp counselors share similar duties but are also responsible for living with children and keeping them from being homesick.
""I think the hardest part is the long days,"" Scher said. ""We have a lot of the same kids for the whole summer and the days get long for them, too. Keeping things new and interesting for them is challenging.""
There is more to working at a camp than just playing games and doing crafts with the children. Counselors often find a strong social aspect to their jobs as they interact with the other counselors on staff.
""Some of my best friends are counselors from the last five years I've been working at the camp,"" said Jeff Fishbach, UW-Madison senior. ""Since sophomore year of college, I've lived with at least one other counselor.""
No matter what the camp is, how old the kids are, or what duties are involved, counselors often have to act as the campers' guardians, making sure they are safe and accounted for, but at the same time, they must act as their friends and companions.
""I don't like to look at it like parenting-you are watching after them and you also have to be their friend,"" said Don Karsh, UW-Madison sophomore. ""You need to find a way to earn their respect. First you have to respect them and in turn they will respect you.""
When summer is over, those students who spent it under the sun and stars in the company of campers may think their summer job was, although enjoyable, not worth anything in the job market. However, this is not the case.
""Working as a counselor, you learn skills that can be transferred over to a variety of professions and environments,"" said Scheder, ""You learn about group dynamics, group settings, managing skills and skills in planning and scheduling.""
