https://ivycampsusa.com

Ivy Camps USA

Program Lead

May 2022 • Colorado Springs, CO

What I liked

This job allowed me to lead gain some experience in education. I loved being able to encourage learning in students.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Program Lead

September 2020 • Dubai, Dubai

What I liked

I've had the chance to work both virtual and in-person camps and both have been incredible experiences. I love the opportunity that the role has provided me to work with kids from all over the world ranging in age from as young as 6 to as old as 18. All curriculum is provided which makes prep for the camps super easy, and there are a ton of different subjects available for you to teach. The core team is also wonderfully supportive, and communication via Slack makes supervisors accessible at all times. I truly felt like I could reach out to anyone at the company with questions or even for advice, and all were happy to help. VIRTUAL: I've honestly looked forward to a lot of my shifts/camps. By providing a fun environment for the campers to learn in, you also end up enjoying yourself and it offers a nice break from academics and studying. Scheduling is also way more flexible than any other position I've had, which works nicely as a college student, and the virtual environment helps with that. I was surprised at how well I was able to connect with campers over Zoom too. Definitely a position I'm glad I stumbled upon over quarantine! IN-PERSON: Incredible experience. Not much can be said besides this. I never would have had this opportunity to travel abroad, and Ivy Camps did an amazing job of also making sure that we all felt comfortable in the new city and had time to explore it when we weren't running camps. It's also a great opportunity to bond with other students from top universities and build a lasting network/relationships. Just as with the virtual camps, I felt fully supported at all times.

What I wish was different

Not much. The company is in the start-up stage, so any time that you find something not working smoothly or that could be improved, they tend to fix it quickly. They are also very open to feedback from Program Leads and there's a lot of opportunity to expand your role if interested, and to have your voice heard.

Advice

If you enjoy working with kids or teaching/tutoring, definitely apply!
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Program Lead

July 2021 • Philadelphia, PA

What I liked

I like the flexibility that Ivy Camps USA offers, as well as the opportunity to engage with young educated students to ensure their academic success. Furthermore, it is a healthy work environment where I feel supported and can voice my concerns to management.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Program Director -- Performing Arts Track

June 2018 • Shanghai, People's Republic of China

What I liked

I loved many, many things about this job; here are just a few: 1. STUDENT NETWORK: I was able to build a network with students from other top universities around the country. I now have connections and know people at almost every Ivy League and other top schools and these are connections that are hard to make all at one time otherwise. 2. CULTURAL EXCHANGE: This may have been my favorite part of the trip. Each of us were assigned three local staff in our classrooms and I learned so much about what it means to be a college student in China; the local staff also asked and learned a lot about what it means to study and live in the United States. Furthermore, my students were always asking me about what life was like at an elite college in the United States and if I thought that I could achieve it. This, for me, is the reason that I was there and the fact that these students had a chance to sit and have real-life interactions with students like us is special and for some, life altering. I was also constantly learning about what it means to go to school in a different part of the United States and at different institutions. I learned to be more appreciative of Georgetown and where I come from. The summer with Ivy Camps USA provided many opportunities for cultural exchange -- local staff/foreign staff, foreign staff/student, foreign staff/foreign staff. 3. LOCATION: I would have probably never had a chance to see -- much less live in -- China for as long as I did with Ivy Camps USA. Shanghai, China, the business capital of the world, was an absolute amazing city with even more magnificent people. As someone who appreciates culture as well as diversity, I was able to both travel to other parts of the country to experience Chinese culture and just take a stroll downtown to meet other people from around the world. There was never a free second because in the entire six weeks there, there was always something to do. I loved the location and am excited to see where Ivy Camps USA takes it in the future! Some great locations coming up include Singapore and Dubai. 4. PERFORMING ARTS TRACK: I had the honor of working under Darius Engelbrecht, one of the most hard-working and talented people I have ever met. From the very first time that my track members and I met Darius, he had a full and detailed curriculum ready to have us look at and analyze. In practice, the curriculum worked so well and fit together so nicely. We had the luxury of changing some of it if we saw fit, but we did not need to because it has already been perfected. There was a maximum of one hour of prep-work for us to do after work each day which left for plenty of time to get to exploring the city afterwards. This thought-out and perfected track lead to visible changes and improvements in the campers and I have never been more proud to say that I was a part of a positive change in someone else. The strength of this track has made me more passionate about the idea of bringing American-style summer camps to children all around the world. 5. ENVIRONMENT: The staff and student around me became my family in the six weeks that I was with them. I still keep up with many that I met to this day and plan to have them around for a while. I have already been a part of three reunions in the span of a semester, including students from Georgetown, Cornell, Princeton, Berkley, and others. Every day during camp, the executive staff had another student present to the rest of us during breakfast. This student could choose a story that affected them during their time at camp, an embarrassing moment, share a funny video they found, or really anything that they felt would be nice to share to the group of over 40 of us. We ended the camp with a large group activity that allowed staff members to share how affected they were by others around them (I do not want to share more details about the activity just in case you go and do it yourself!). I remember these comments and the strongest of them still helps shape the way that I view my day-to day life. Not to mention all the laughing, dancing, and cheering. What a time to be a child again!! I put myself out there and decided to take a gamble and give up another internship to do this over the summer and I cannot be more thankful for the opportunity and change that it has brought to my life. I will forever remember Ivy Camps USA Summer Camp 2018 as the summer that made me the person who I am today. If you are thinking about working this camp, DO IT! The possibilities are endless and you will not regret a single moment that you invested in applying (which a super simple process, too!).

What I wish was different

At the beginning of camp, there were a few kinks to work through. Being only three years old, the executive staff at Ivy Camps USA knew that this would happen and prepared well for it. We had large group meetings every day for the first week to discuss anything that happened and ways that we could fix it. The executive staff did a great job carrying these improvements through and I am sure that in the coming years, the camp that is already so strong will continue to become stronger. You get out of this experience what you put in and am blessed to have been around people who were also good in changing environments and who continued to stay positive.

Advice

YOU GET OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT! I cannot say that enough. For those, like me, who love a great adventure, are positive and malleable in a start-up environment, have a go-with-the-flow mentality, and just like to have fun while working hard, this job is absolutely perfect. If you are not that type of person and do not do well under pressure (fun pressure!), then this is not the job for you. Be honest with yourself about who you are and what you are looking for in an opportunity. And if this is the type of job for you, DO IT! I cannot express my positive sentiments towards Ivy Camps USA enough.
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Program Lead

June - August 2018 • Shanghai, China

What I liked

I had an amazing experience with Ivy Camps USA. I met some amazing people both from the US and China, that I still keep in touch with. I got to learn a new language, experience a different culture, teach Chinese children, all while exploring China. The campers amazed me with all the knowledge they already had at such a young age. The local counselors (china natives) were so helpful with learning Chinese and giving advice on where to travel on the weekends. It was an experience like no other that I would recommend to anyone. Ivy Camps USA gave me an unforgettable summer and memories that I will cherish forever.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Program Lead

June - August 2018 • Tianjin, China

What I liked

Opportunities to travel, great coworkers, intimate environment of Tianjin campus, many new experiences

What I wish was different

There were some issues with the curriculum which forced the staff to get creative and come up with our own programming; lots of miscommunications between Chinese and American staff. A bit unorganized at times, but that’s to be expected at a start up in a foreign country.

Advice

It’s a lot of work- you’ll have some time on evenings and weekends to do your own thing but will have to put in the work first and will often be worn out. You’ll need a lot of energy and willingness to be very flexible at all times.
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stem team lead

June - August 2018 • Shanghai, China

What I liked

Being in China, with really great people and bosses

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

It's a lot of fun. Explore china
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Program Lead

June - August 2018 • Shanghai, China

What I liked

What I wish was different

This job was terrible. Ivy Camps USA provides insufficient training for employees, as well as incomplete curriculum. As someone who had never taught at a summer camp before, I was really depending on Ivy Camps to give me a good curriculum and outline of the expectations for my position---the curriculum I received was designed for kids far older than the 10-12 year olds in my classroom, did not have enough material to fill the three hour class I taught, and was clearly made in haste. On top of this, I never received half the materials required by my curriculum, and as a result of this disorganization, I had to write my own lesson plans around supply constraints. I am not an art teacher, and during the hiring process I made this clear---management assured me that they'd help me get on my feet. While the management at this company prides itself on being accessible, every time I asked for help I was ignored. I was told to figure it out, and that things would be fixed for the next session of camp---they never were. It was only when someone at the other branch of camp in Tianjin complained about the curriculum that the site directors paid attention to the arts track, telling me that they had no idea how bad the situation was when I'd told them repeatedly. Management clearly had favorite employees, and if you were having difficulties in your classroom, your problems were written off and ignored. The issues with curriculum being too advanced, or not advanced enough, for the children were widespread across subject areas, and never got addressed. The pay is nowhere near adequate for the costs of flying to China, getting a visa, and compensating for work. I put in roughly 60 hours of labor a week.

Advice

Do not work here unless you absolutely need a Chinese business visa.
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