March 8, 2016
If you’re a college student these days, no one has to tell you the importance of building up your resume. It seems the only hope you’ve got of getting a job once you go out into the “real world”. As you sort through internships, summer jobs, ministry opportunities, and trips abroad, it may be tempting to leave behind your days at camp for what may seem like the more “productive” use of your summer.
But what could be a better use of your summer than developing your leadership experience in an intentional and professional way? Oh by the way … did we mention that it’s fun?
At HoneyRock, our camp counselors work with children ages 7-14 in our Residential Camp and Advance Camp programs through Summer Leadership School (SLS). The SLS students receive course credit and training prior to starting their roles as cabin leaders.
SLS provides deep, intentional community during a summer of service in ministry to young people. Students are given roles of influence and leadership after training that allow them to lead well while testing what they’ve learned
Still wondering if camp counseling is the job for you? In a post on the American Camp Association’s website, Anne Archer Yetsko describes what makes being a camp counselor the best work experience you could ever gain:
Ten Reasons Why You Should Hire A Camp Counselor (Always!)
1. Camp counselors are good communicators because they’ve had to communicate with children, parents, coworkers, and superiors.
2. Camp counselors are life-long learners who learned at camp that they have a lot to learn about life and themselves.
3. Camp counselors are self-starters after months of being responsible for their cabin. Even though they have supervisors, they need to be able to handle themselves and their campers.
4. Camp counselors are resilient. They learn to deal with problem after problem without breaking down, simply because the problems need to be dealt with!
5. Camp counselors are problem solvers. Even though camp life is structured, plans can change in a moment and counselors have to come up with new solutions on the spot.
6. Camp counselors are creative thinkers who can come up with entertainment when it rains out the games that had been planned—or some fun idea whenever things don’t happen as planned.
7. Camp counselors are detail-oriented workers. Keeping track of the eating, sleeping, and hygiene needs of a group of children is no easy task, yet counselors have to know what each child needs.
8. Camp counselors are leaders because they’ve been made a role model by the campers in their care and have to step up to the position.
9. Camp counselors are team players. They’ve realized that they need the people around them to work effectively and know how to play to each person’s strengths to get the job done well.
10. Camp counselors have solid work ethic. After 3 months of work 24/7 at camp, counselors still manage to have smiles on their faces, despite all the difficulty of reasons 1-9.
HoneyRock offers you an amazing opportunity to learn, grow, and lead this summer.
Interested? Apply online at: wheaton.edu/sls
~written by Lydia H. Stucki
~source: 10 Reasons Why Businesses Should Hire Former Camp Counselors, November 27, 2013, guest post by Anne Archer Yetsko http://www.acacamps.org/news-publications/blogs/counselors-corner/10-reasons-why-businesses-should-hire-former-camp-counselors#sthash.ZlhhIIea.dpuf