SAYIT J1 and our Camp sponsor in the USA, Camp America, work with over 1000 summer camps around America. There are several types of summer camps you could be hired into on the Camp USA program, including:

• Traditional Summer Camps
• Religious Summer Camps
• Summer Camps for Adults or Children with Special Needs
• Summer Camps for Underprivileged Youth
• Girl Scout Summer Camps
• Single Gender Summer Camps

Private Summer Camps:

Private Camps are set up by families or companies to run as a business, so they make money by charging parents a fee for campers to attend. These camps usually have an extensive range of activities on offer including; Landsports, Watersports, Arts & Crafts, Outdoor Adventure, Performing Arts, Media and Music. They will also have the classic summer camp traditions such as; campfires, overnight camping, special events and off-camp trips. With so much going on, these camps are very busy - so be ready for a fun-filled summer!

Religious Summer Camps:

These camps emphasize the value of their respective faiths through traditional camp activities. The level of religious involvement varies from camp to camp, but staff and campers typically share similar ideologies. Religious Camps are typically smaller than traditional camps and are not nearly as common. Most are day camps in which campers do not live at camp. 

We work with a large number of Christian camps, some are more faith focused than others and require a higher level of christian practice, as opposed to others that encourage values. Most Christian camps welcome staff from all walks of life and as long as you have an open mind and are respectful of the camp values, then it’s well worth opening your application up to these camps!

Camp America also works with hundreds of Jewish camps in the USA. Almost all Jewish camps that work with Camp America follow a 'traditional' Jewish programme (not religious or orthodox - although these camps are available as well) that offer Kosher meals and a Shabbat programme on Friday nights and Saturdays.

Summer Camps for Adults/ Children with Special Needs:

These smaller camps serve both children and adults who suffer from physical and/ or mental disabilities. These camps offer traditional camp activities while promoting independence in daily living skills. The goal of these camps is to increase communication skills, improve self-confidence and teach appropriate social interaction. Working at special needs camps can be very challenging but it can also be tremendously rewarding. 

Summer Camps for Underprivileged or At-Risk Youth:

These summer camps serve children who come from inner-city, urban backgrounds and/ or low income families. The goal is to empower children to make positive life choices while offering access to a variety of activities in a fun, exciting, supportive environment. These summer camps may host campers with a history of behavioural problems or with economically challenged backgrounds and will inevitably have a lasting impact on the children they serve. 

Girl Scout Summer Camps:

Girl Scout Camps are all about outdoor living with lots of hiking, waterfront, outdoor camping, nature walks and teambuilding activities. The girls are generally from the local area and sessions usually run from Monday to Friday, so it's likely that you will have new campers each week. They will range in age from 5-17 and there's a real family feel to these camps with everyone getting involved in group activities.

Campers will learn how to cook in the outdoors, so there's lots of camp fires, toasted marshmallows, camp songs and stories under the stars. There is a fun tradition on most Girl Scout Camps, that the campers can't know your real name! So you'll be given a nickname when you arrive and you'll be known by this name for the entire summer!

Single Gender Summer Camps:

These are camps that cater for a Single Gender of campers - it's as simple as that! Single Gender Camps will also fall under another Camp Type, so for example you could work at a boys-only Underprivileged Camp or an all-girls Private Camp - so this category applies to lots of different camps in the USA! Girls-only camps are not the same as Girl Scout Camps though - so make sure you check out the Girl Scout section too.

Getting Placed and Camp Life

Getting a placement is much easier the earlier you book. As well as that, you will have more choice of what camp you'll be at for the summer if you book early. Life at summer camp varies depending on the camp you'll be working at, so there's no real way of describing what it'll be like.

This is why we're looking for applicants who have an open mind and are always ready for a new, exciting adventure. Camp is fun so get involved, take part in evening programs, let your guard down, be a team player and you will have the summer of your life.