I have been truly blessed that my years working at Camp Bishopswood have provided me with coping and behavior management skills that have made my transition from student to educator much easier for me than some of my classmates.                                                         - Staff member & first year teacher

What's the Real Value of Working at a Resident Camp?

Through the years of talking to parents of staff members and former staff members, I have become more and more aware of the many, many advantages that young adults experience by working at a resident camp. I hope this will help as you consider applying to work at a resident children's camp.

Financially, it makes a lot of sense.

Though camp salary may be less than hourly wages at home, there are other considerations:

• Paychecks can be received all at the end of the season, rather than every two weeks, as issued, thus employees frequently "take home" more than they would have ended up with had they had greater access to their money throughout the summer.
• Very little money is spent during the summer as there is limited time to spend money and most needs are met at camp. At Camp Bishopswood, lots of effort is put into providing recreational opportunities for staff as well as appropriate snack food.
• Parents save money and may be willing to supplement camp salary by amount of savings. By not having their young adult at home families frequently save on expenses. I encourage parents to realistically look at the money saved. Items such as food, car expenses, (to say nothing of scheduling issues!) phone bills, video rentals, and other sundries add up to a considerable amount according to parents who have kept track systematically.
• Valuable educational experience through experiential learning. One camp director suggests "if counselors had to pay credit hour tuition for all that is learned at camp about child development, human relations, etc., this might be the best paying job they will ever have."

Other values of working at a resident camp

• Living away from home is good preparation for college, military service, Peace Corps, study abroad, etc.
• "Hands on" care of and work with children provides valuable insight for future parents, teachers, health care providers, child care workers, counselors, therapists, coaches, etc.
• Responsibility and accountability for oneself away from home builds self-esteem and confidence.
• Real life job experience in a community environment of supportive, caring, adult supervisors and peer co-workers.
• Healthful life style of hard work, healthy eating, lots of exercise, fresh air, and community support.
• Live and work with a diverse mix of people, each bringing her/his own life experience to share. Celebrating both difference and sameness with others.
• Intrinsic joy of service/ministry among children and adults. The gift of sharing one's own gifts /talents/story with others in the camp community setting is like few other experiences in life.