Step behind the scenes.
With summer jobs in the office, security, maintenance, housekeeping and kitchen...
camp couldn’t function without these guys.
If you've always wanted to go to summer camp but see yourself more in admin than with children then you'll make a great addition to our support staff team.
They keep camp going full swing without being directly involved with the campers.
It’ll be up to you to keep everything running super smooth on a daily basis.
Camp minus campers
The main difference between a counselor and support staff, is the support staff role is camper free.
You'll live separately to the campers in a staff bunk and will spend most of your day with the same team.
So if you’ve always wanted to go to camp but don’t think you’d be suited to working with children, then this is the perfect compromise.
We send participants from 16 countries around the world, offering you the chance to make incredible friendships with people from far-flung places like Mexico, the Czech Republic and Venezuela. Support roles tend to be filled by a wide range of nationalities.
This is your chance to meet some new friends far from home.
Not your average day job
Being support staff at summer camp really allows you the best of both worlds - experience the world of summer camp, from food fights to lake swings and campfires - but also gain work experience in the industry of your choice abroad.
You’ll likely be sleeping in separate cabins than the counselors and the campers which means you’ll find more time off during the evenings to relax and, if you want to, to take the opportunity to join in the evening camp games.
Gain over 800 hours of working in an international setting.
Support roles at camp have a strong team mantra.
From working in the kitchen, to office or groundskeeping, you’ll be working closely together with similar working hours, which also means you’ll all have time off together.
Being part of the support staff team means that you’re given more free time to ensure you can get involved with the day-to-day fun of camp.
Why should I be support staff?
Working as support staff is a great way to experience summer camp without working directly with the kids. The days are long working in the kitchen but we had breaks throughout the day and evenings off.
There was plenty of time to get involved in activities such as performing in the staff talent show, or getting crafty for the water balloon fight. But you really can’t beat a swim in the lake after the lunchtime rush!
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You’ll spend your first week of camp getting trained on all other aspects of your support staff job role. This is often called orientation and will cover things like support staff protocol, shift rotas and team-building exercises, offering you the opportunity to make strong connections with other staff members before the campers arrive.
Orientation week will also give you a chance to get used to your area of responsibility, whether that’s setting up in the kitchen, organising the office files or safety checking the maintenance equipment. This is your time to get prepped for your summer adventure ahead.
Camps understand how hard you are working and will ensure you have time off to relax recover and enjoy.
On average support staff roles run to a 10 hour day with one day off a week. Many support roles start earlier in the morning - breakfast preparation can begin pretty early, sometimes just after 6am, but we promise you that everyone on camp is grateful for the most important meal of the day. Other roles, like the office staff, tend to begin after breakfast echoing your typical 9-5.
Summer camp in America is one of the most accessible ways to work and travel abroad. However, there are some criteria which you need to meet in order to fulfill the role of support staff. To be support staff at camp in America you must;
Be a full time student in on-going Higher Education Be over the age of 18 by the time you attend camp Have a clean criminal background Be available during the American summer, early May to September