Camp in USA: work at children's camps in the USA
Camp in the USA
Spend the summer in the USA working at summer camps. Help create fun days for kids, improve your English, and enjoy the outdoors. Choose a role: counselor or support staff!
Summer at an American camp is a unique experience!
Working at children’s summer camps is IEC’s oldest program — the first participants went to the USA back in 1989! In fact, this program is how the International Exchange Center got started. There are about 10,000 summer camps in the U.S., with more than 7 million children attending every year, so the United States is a clear leader in the global camp movement. Most camps are located outside towns in picturesque settings — forests, riversides, lakeshores, or even by the ocean. Participants work in American children’s summer camps as counselors or as support staff. Counselors look after the kids, teach them various sports, and make sure every day is fun and full of activities. Support staff take care of the camp’s everyday operations — kitchen roles (dishwashing, kitchen help, serving breakfasts, lunches, and dinners), light maintenance, groundskeeping, and more.
Why join this program?
+ SEVIS fee — $35
- Search for 1 job placement (camp);
- Providing the DS-2019 form;
- Room and board at the camp;
- Medical insurance for the duration of your work at the camp;
- Sponsor support upon arrival in the USA.
- Visa application fee ($185);
- SEVIS fee ($35 );
- Flight (~$400, depending on arrival/departure city and date);
- Transfer to/from the airport;
- Costs for courier services and reissuing the DS-2019 form (~ $100-200);
- Getting to your employer.
Program materials
- Program brochure
- Sample participation agreement
- Country & placements guide (manual)
- Program cost calculator
Requirements
- Ages 18 to 25 (Support Staff) and 18 to 28 (Camp Counselors);
- For Support Staff, you must be a student with an Intermediate level of English;
- For the Camp Counselor option, being a student isn’t required, but you must have experience working with children and an Upper-Intermediate level of English;
- No criminal record;
- No harmful habits (e.g., smoking);
- A bonus for Camp Counselors is teaching experience, a degree in education, and creative or athletic skills;
- Willingness to commit to at least a 9-week period;
- At least $900 in available funds upon arrival in the country.
Programs have fixed start dates. Confirm the start date of your chosen program with your IEC coordinator. Program duration ranges from 1 week to 3 years, depending on the program you choose. Submit your documents 4–6 months before the program start date.
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Got questions?
We’ll be happy to answer them!
Feel free to drop by our office — we’ve taken part in exchange programs ourselves many times, so we can share our personal experiences and impressions and help you choose a program and find temporary summer work in the USA and other countries around the world.
