Professional Development Grows At Summer Camp

Brit In The Six

Sep 13

6 min read

We have seen in films and TV how fun and mischievous working at summer camp can be. Yes, some of these are highly elaborated, but what these portrayals do not show is the life skills that you can develop whilst working at summer camp. I am going to break it down and explain how these life skills can and will truly blossom at summer camp. Plus, the added benefit of how these skills will shine on your resume for that next step in your life.

Adaptable

As summer camp is a fast-paced place, things are changing every single day. This could be anything from where an activity is being held, to who is running the activity. Camp is definitely a place where you have to dive into things with both feet, because if you do not, who will?

Adaptability is key at summer camp. You may need to change things up on the fly, which could be because of safety issues or because the campers are not into a program. It is not a problem, but you adapt it to suit them. Perhaps it could be something bigger, like where you sleep in a cabin because of your camper’s needs. A single occurrence does not seem like a big deal, but all of these things build up and help you become more adaptable in the long run.

My mindset about camp is that nothing is set in stone. This is true, day in and day out. Anything can come up throughout the day, and sometimes you have to think on your feet and carry on regardless. You have to be up for anything. This mindset I have transferred into life outside of camp. Like camp, life is fast-paced, and things are changing constantly. It is up to you how you deal with the changing environment around you, be it at home, your social plans, or at your workplace. Being adaptable is such a useful skill to have.

Leader

Whenever someone says leader, people automatically think of a loud and strong person showing others the way. Whereas at summer camp, you can develop into a leader without even realizing it. You could be just doing your job. You can do it without being vocally loud or physically strong, but ultimately you care about your campers.

No matter if you are a counsellor or a specialist staff member, you are in charge of children. You have to lead them in an activity or in day-to-day things like resolving a squabble. It could even be something more long-term like setting a night-time routine. Every single day you are a leader. Campers will look up to you and follow your lead. You are helping them navigate through their summer and their experience, and you are giving them space to grow. All of this is leadership.

Qualities like responding to an issue and wanting to resolve it, rather than ignoring it or wanting to help people grow, are what employers crave. Being a leader is valuable to any workplace; it shows maturity and the willingness to succeed. Because if you are wanting to help others grow and succeed, you are more than likely to want that for yourself too.

Leadership is probably the one skill that I valued the most out of my summer camp experiences. Being at summer camp puts you in situations that can never be staged or coached and makes you realise that you have to step up to the plate. You always want to try your best because campers are looking up to you and your actions are what influence theirs. At the end of the day, you want to be that role model for them.

Time management

Summer camps are logistical nightmares, and usually, every camp has that genius that figures out where everyone will be and makes sure no one misses out on an activity. Yet this is just one side of the puzzle. The other side is the staff that needs to make sure they are abiding by this schedule and making sure their campers are on time to optimize their time at this activity. This is where you come in.

You have to be forward-thinking and manage not only your time but all your campers' time too. You have to make sure you are all following the schedule and getting the most out of every activity. This scheduling will help you organise yourself in what you have to do that day. Simple tasks such as when to shower or when to line up for a computer to message home to say ‘hi, I’m okay.’ The simplicity of these tasks you never thought you would have to plan; however, at summer camp things are different.

Before you know it, you are training yourself to manage your time efficiently, and yet summer camp indirectly helped you tune this skill that is hugely transferable in the ‘real world.’ Life is busy, and finding the time to do what you need to do and what you want to do can be hard. Yet, if you can do it at summer camp, you have the tools in your locker to do it successfully in the city too.

Personal Growth and Development

Whenever we have an experience, we go through some form of personal growth or development, be it small or it could be life-changing. The elements that create a summer camp experience will definitely build personal growth. It could be your first time away from home or your first time travelling solo. It could also be just being outside or not having Wi-Fi; all of these factors can contribute to your personal growth.

Summer camp is a place where you can succeed and where you can make mistakes, but the mistakes will not define you. You can be yourself and have fun, where you can be creative and shine. It can be a place where your voice can be heard and where your ideas can evolve into a camp-wide event. Personal development is learning to overcome and, in this environment, you will definitely do that.

Realizing that you have grown is a large step in itself. It shows that you are self-aware and you can see or realise the development you have taken. Having this skill and sharing your examples of this can help you grow in all walks of life; personally, mentally, emotionally and professionally. It shows that you have the motivation, desire and willingness – all positive attributes to have.

Patience

Summer camp is a bubble of high-energy, fast-paced activities fueled by fun, laughter and excitement. But when you dig deeper into the job, amidst all the fun, your primary role is living with and caring for campers aged between 7 and 16. That is a huge responsibility for anyone. Anyone who has ever worked with children before will say the one thing I learnt while working with children is: patience.

As you are living and working alongside children every day of the summer, emotions run high and many staff members forget this one skill of patience. I have seen firsthand how something so small can build up so quickly because the staff member was not patient with a camper. You have to remind yourself that you are tired, your camper is tired, emotions are high and you may need to step back, take a breath and look at the situation as a whole. Camp teaches you to do that.

Camp teaches you to have patience, to step back and assess the whole situation before entering it. It can also teach you to have patience with a camper’s actions or outbursts. Camp weirdly teaches you to have patience with your day. Yes, the days at camp are all fun-packed and filled with activities, but maybe that one thing you have to do does not have to be done this second. Be patient and take the time to enjoy where you are. This can be reflected in your city life also.

Having patience is something we take for granted. In a world where we get everything instantly, we can become impatient and restless. We need to step back, take a breath and look at the situation as a whole. Self-reflect and have patience with yourself, with others and with your goals no matter what they are. Things are not going to come instantly; patience is something we all should have.

Some pictures from Camp Walden Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/CampWaldenCanada/

The rest of the media is personal property.