Project Real Job

Summer may be a time for relaxing in the sun, but many students cannot live solely on student loans and ramen noodles. Students are discovering that they can earn much more than cash as a camp counselor.

There are approximately 1.2 million camp staff in the United States today. A camp job or internship differs from a traditional job or internship because it provides students an opportunity to gain resume-building skills or even academic credit while working with children in the great outdoors. 

“Responsibility is a huge benefit, especially for someone in college who has to take care of eight to ten kids by themselves,” he said. “That’s a responsibility that looks great on a resume.”

Young adults working as counselors have the opportunity to:

• master real-life, problem-solving skills
• have a significant and positive influence in the lives of children
• develop greater self-understanding
• participate in experiences that enhance personal growth
• develop/expand a network of peer relations

“If someone is considering a camp job, I’d say ‘go for it.’ Even if you only do it for the summer, you gain the experience and you can learn so much from the environment,” Hotchkiss said. “You’ll pick up skills you’ll use in the future, and you will look back ten years later and realize how much it has benefited you.”