Fancy a Summer in the States? (BUNAC)

Member Name: nickyturnill

Product:	BUNAC
Date:	11/01/06 (1129 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A trip to the States, meeting people from around the World, great to put on the old CV.

Disadvantages: Hard work, tiring, little time off, can be stressful.

In the Summers of both 2002 and 2003 I worked at a Summer Camp for Special needs children in a place called Honesdale in the state of Penslyvannia (which borders New York State, about a three hour drive from New York City). The Camp was called Summit and it is a very very special place indeed...

I was employed as an Arts and Crafts teacher, what's known as a 'specialist' in camp language. Bascially I would run arts and crafts activities for different groups of children. During my time there I set up tie-dying t-shirts, glass painting, mosaic tiles, boat making, papier mache and many other activities. I was also involved in painting sets and making costumes for plays which take part in the evenings and I got to help out with the specialists in related activities including jewlerry making, wood shop and ceramics.

In the evenings I would also work with one bunk in particular, helping out with the evening activity and getting the kids to bed at night.

The children at Summit age from 7-18 and suffer from a variety of social and emotional problems, particularly ADHA (attention, deficit, hyperactivity disorder) and amongst others, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, aspbergers and autism. Summit's philosophy is acceptance. These are children who have not been socially accepted, they don't have friends outside camp. Thus they return year after year despite the extortionate fee's and their time at camp is often what they look forward to most the rest of the year round. The children LOVE camp and they are so happy during there time there. It makes all the hard work worthwhile!

This placement was organised for me by the comapny BUNAC. In order to apply you need to contact BUNAC around January or Febuary either online or my mail or phone to request theapplication forms. Once those are completed you will (hopefully!) be invited to attend an interview at a City nearby (e.g I was invited to Cardiff and at the time I was living in Swansea). The interview is really more of an 'informal chat' and isn't anything to worry about. Mine only lasted about 20 minutes and was only with one interviewer.

Once I was accepted onto the programme I was 'placed' at Summit given my previous experience with children with ADHD and the fact that I had specified on my application form that I wished to work with special needs children. There are all sorts of camps, camps for the average kid (varying ages), 'fat camps' (seriously), religious camps, single-sex camps, scout camps, girl guide camps etc. Each will run different activities and events. For example some camps will specialise in horse riding, others in music and drama.. If you don't have a specialist area in mind you can also apply as a general counsellor, which means you will work with, sleep with, eat with and spend all your time with one group or bunk. Counsellers take the kids around to all of the varying activities and out on day trips which is a definite plus of this role. Although sleeping in the bunks with the kids is a huge negative pointer!

You can also apply to work at a Summer Camp through the organisation Camp America. However, I would personally recommend BUNAC over Camp America. Firstly, because BUNAC do pay slightly more than Camp America which is an advantage. (Not that I mean to get you too excited about the pay that is, you do not go and work at a Summer Camp unless you want to go for the experience, the money is not a plus point of the programme). Additionally a friend applied through Camp America and she had a lot of problems contacting them while we were away in order to change the dates of her return flight.

Bunac also arrange programmes other than Summer camps. For example Work America and Work Canada and placements in more exotic locations such as Belieze and Costa Rica. For more information about these programmes check the website.

Expect to work 6 days a week, with some time off in the day and one additional evening off a week. Expect to get paid about £600 for your first year. BUNAC will pay you flights you for but you're also going to end up forking out more than you expect on membership fees, admin fees, a criminal record check, visa processing fees etc.

If the camp like you they will offer you a return contract and you stand to make quite a bit more money as you apply through BUNAC as a 'returner'. During your second year you have the option of arranging your own flight which is cheaper and you can also 'negotiate' pay with your boss!

Despite the poor pay and the long hours I definitely reccommend a Summer working at a camp in the States to anyone with a love of kids and a desire to get out of the UK and travel. I absolutely loved it and I keep in touch with many people I worked with from America the UK and from other countries! It is a valuable way to spend a Summer if you are a student and great thing to put on your CV. So... have you got a few spare months this Summer? Applications will be being taken now!!!
Check out the website at http://www.bunac.org/uk/ for more information and you can make a difference this Summer!

Summary: Hard work but rewarding, a great way to spend a Summer, to travel, make friends and add to your CV.