Top Tips to Help Teen Campers Become Camp Counselors

Like so many children, I attended summer camp for many years. Later, I took a Counselor in Training Course and eventually worked up to a full-time camp counselor position, in charge of a group of 9 and 10 year old campers. Having that summer job was thrilling and challenging, giving me a crash course in child care. When I had my own children, years later, I realized that being a camp counselor had helped me become a better parent. So when my own teen asked if he could move from a CIT (Counselor in Training) position to camp counselor, I was very open to the idea. But things had changed since I was a counselor. Camp days were longer and counselors were in charge of more children. Because I wanted to help my son transition smoothly from C.I.T to camp counselor, we did some research and made sure he was prepared to take charge of younger children. I talked to him about the challenge of dealing with some difficult children, including one angry camper whose parents were going through a turbulent divorce. We discussed possible situations that could come up and how to handle emergencies while keeping a group of children safe. In addition to discussing the realities and responsibilities of being a camp counselor, here are the top 10 steps we took:

Step one: we laid the foundation for a camp counselor position by making sure he went through an approved CIT program. If you research CIT programs, you may well discover that some are less detailed than others. Ideally, Counselor in Training classes help potential camp counselors learn how to solve problems, make important decisions, plan safe activities and understand the needs of various age groups of summer campers. C.I.T. classes are often offered through the YMCA or other youth or camping organizations throughout the country.

During C.I.T. classes, experienced camp directors and counselors can teach teens how to plan arts and crafts, organize field trips, gain first aid and CPR training and more. By going to the YMCA summer camp site here: http://www.ymca.net/find_ymca_camps/ you can find out how to enroll your son or daughter in a good C.I.T program. If you have any doubts about the class your teen took, investigate refresher courses that may be available - either online or off.

Step two: if your son or daughter has been away from camp for a year or two, consider having them shadow or volunteer to work free at the camp for a week or two. This can help your teen get up to speed as a camp counselor and offer a quick refresher course in camp routine, especially if new or varied activities have been added to the daily schedule.

Step three: a Safe Sitter or babysitting class can be useful for camp counselors and make them more desirable to camp directors or other employers. I have a soft spot for Safe Sitter, which was started in 1980 by an Indianapolis doctor, after learning of a toddler who'd choked to death while in the care of a sitter. Over 450,000 children and teens have completed Safe Sitter courses. The site can be found here: http://www.safesitter.org/ and is taught in all 50 states (as well as in England). Safe Sitter prepares adolescents to care about both the safety and emotional needs of children.

Step four: make sure your potential summer camp counselor remembers how to perform CPR. The Red Cross has an excellent online program which requires a final skills session to make sure students understand how to handle choking, breathing and other emergencies. I felt that a CPR refresher course was well worth the time and money.

The Red Cross CPR course is offered here: https://www.redcrossonlinetraining.org/Distance/Default.aspx?CID=56 , lasts for 14 days and costs $40. In order to earn CPR certification, students must pass the online test and then attend a skill session to perform and review skills.

Step five: don't pass up the chance to get free camp counselor information at the American Camp Association here: http://www.acacamps.org/ This is a major source of information for camp counselors and directors throughout the country. There are articles there to help potential camp counselors learn about what camp directors expect. While reading through the information at the site, my son learned that desirable counselors are strong role models for younger children, have plenty of energy and know how to take charge.

Step six: the move from C.I.T. to counselor will be smoother if a potential camp counselor works at the same camp he or she attended. The obvious advantage her is that a familiar camp routine makes the move from camper to employee that much easier. There is also a wonderful sense of tradition when a teen moves from young camper to teen counselor at a favorite camp, perhaps following in the footstep of a parent or grandparent.

Step seven: make sure your teen works with older counselors or adults who know him and can match him with the right group of campers. Again, if your adolescent is working at the same camp that he or she attended, this should be almost an automatic process.

Step eight: ease the adjustment from C.I.T. to full-time camp counselor by having your teen babysit, perhaps with your supervision or while you are in earshot. If your adolescent hates babysitting, a summer camp counselor position might not be a good idea. But if things go well, this could boost your teen's confidence. Many day care centers welcome teen volunteers, another option for helping a young adolescent move into a counselor position with ease.

Step nine: hook your teen up with online message boards for camp counselors. The American Camp Association has an active message board and community (link above). Seasoned counselors offer advice and support for those who may need some extra tips or suggestions.

Step ten: make sure your teen knows where to find resources, lists of job opportunities and free online publications about camping activities and the world of camp counselors. One excellent online publication is Camping Magazine, found at the American Camp Association. There is also a job site and even a resume service to help maximize summer job opportunities for camp counselors.