Beacon School

Camp Counselor

June - July 2021 • Athens, OH

What I liked

Working at Beacon summer camp taught me a lot of information relative to my major. This camp allowed me to demonstrate more authority, as each group of campers was supervised by a group of 4-5 college-aged students. The group of students I had the opportunity to work with were diverse in their needs and personalities, so every day I learned something new about a kid's interests or behaviors.

What I wish was different

I wish that the camp was less separated. Due to COVID protocols, students were split into age groups and kept in classrooms for the duration of the time they were at camp. If interested in working for this camp in the future, if COVID is relieved, I am sure you would not run into this issue.

Advice

If I could share one piece of advice, it would be to think about having a "getting to know you" activity on the first day or two of the camp. Making connections with the students will be extremely helpful in handling situations that may need conflict management. It also can be helpful to be aware of student interests because there is a lot of flexibility with activities you can coordinate for the kids.

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Camp Counselor

June - July 2019 • Athens, OH

What I liked

Working with children with disabilities was a first time experience me. I worked with young teens aged 13-16. I enjoyed the swimming pool that we utilized everyday. The other music therapy sessions. I enjoyed the cultures climate among the counselors as we all helped each another out.

What I wish was different

I wish age was groups were something that was more flexible in that some group had more campers to take care of with the same amount of counselors. It would have been nice, say for instance if a 13 year old could have went to the group that has 12 year olds to balance things out more evenly.

Advice

I would encourage everyone to have an experience/ job where you put someone else first. You learn so many adult and life skills and oftentimes will reflect and have more self -appreciation.

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Camp Counselor

June - July 2019 • Athens, OH

What I liked

The kids I worked with, the staff I worked with. Everything about this job was amazing!

What I wish was different

I wish there had been more planning done. This was a camp for children with developmental disabilities so structure is everything!

Advice

This is one of the most rewarding jobs ever. You will leave this job with so much more knowledge, and appreciation for your life. You will also learn how to understand someone in many different ways besides verbally.

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