Camp Counselors

Becoming an ICEP Counselor

Requirements for an ICEP Counselor

Most counselors recruited for the ICEP are graduate students, young teachers and social workers or theological seminary students. The most important requirement is an ability to work with children and a genuine interest in this type of program. Among the specific points considered are:

1. Training and experience in working with groups of children.

2. Ability to understand and speak the English language well, so as to be an effective leader among American children.

3. Special skills in music, arts and crafts, sports etc. which could be used in a camp programs.

4. Ability to arrive in New York or LA by June 15.

Orientation Coferences in June (After counselors arrive in the US)

Transportation to the United States must be arranged in such a way that all ICEP counselors can arrive in time for one of the orientation conferences in June, in New York before the camps start.

At this conference the counselors are given a background into American camping and American educational methods with children, suggestions for making special contributions as international counselors, and a full review of the summer program for participants in the ICEP. Time is provided for questions and discussion that will help to prepare every counselor for her or his leadership role with American children, who may be rather different from the children with whom the counselor is accustomed to working in his or her own country.

Besides, we have noticed that counselors who interact with us and other counselors for a couple of days before camp feel more relaxed and comfortable about looking forward to their summer experience. The sharing of ideas and emotions during the ICEP orientation conferences have been mutually enriching experiences for the counselors and the ICEP staff.

The work of a camp counselor

Every camp has a staff of counselors who take care of cabin groups and help to lead the daily activities of the children. This staff may vary in size between the different camps, ranging from 15 to more than a 100 counselors.

There is usually a head counselor who is responsible to the director of the camp, and who supervises the work of all the counseling staff.

A general counselor is responsible for a cabin or tent, usually with six to ten boys or girls. The counselor sleeps in the cabin with her or his group of children, takes them to meals and supervises them in some of their daily activities.

A specialty counselor is responsible for organizing and teaching a particular part of the camp program, such as handicrafts, tennis, sailing, gymnastics, swimming, track & field, music, evening programs, etc.

The International Counselor

Often there will be five or ten international counselors among a much larger group of American staff at the camp. International counselors, in addition to carrying out the ordinary responsibilities of a counselor, can make important contributions to camp life by teaching the children songs and dances from their

own country, giving talks and answering questions about life in other parts of the world, and just by speaking informally with the campers and even other counselors.

ICEP's entire focus on International camp counselors centers on their ability to lend a flavor to the life at camp that no other native counselor could. This makes you, the international counselor, a cultural ambassador from your country, and give you the opportunity to spread the richness of your heritage among American children here in the US.

Organizing your participation in the program: The Application Process and Beyond

1. September-October

Contact the International ICEP representative in your home country by October

2. November

Collect all the papers and the information you need to fill in your application. Start thinking about an autobiographical essay and photo-collage!

3. December-January

Complete your application forms, including all the leafs supplied, attach the essay and the photo-collage, and mail it to ICEP in New York City, USA.

4. February-March

ICEP will review your applications. You may get a call from ICEP; we like to chat with our prospective camp counselors, determine language skills, interests etc. You might also be interviewed by ICEP representatives. Once accepted, your applications will be circulated among interested camps here in the US. You might then get phone calls from the camps for similar reasons and to determine how you will fit into the summer camp structure.

ICEP will send you visa forms, the IAP-66, and other necessary materials as and when you are accepted into a camp for that summer. As soon as you receive the visa forms, please begin your visa application process at the US consulate that serves your area. Also think about arranging your transportation to the US (either New York or Los Angeles). You will need a passport.

5. April-May

By now, you should of-course know definitely either the specific camp that you will be working at, or if you have been accepted by ICEP (in which case a camp will be found for you after you arrive in the US.) So you should have secured your J-1 visa to the United States, and must now finalize your travel plans to the US. You are advised to purchase a return ticket to the US since you must leave the country before or upon expiry of your visa and IAP-66 form.

6. June

Arrive in the US for the orientation conferences in June. Each counselor need attend only one conference and these will be scheduled for batches of counselors arriving from all over the world. You stay at the student center will be free during this time and until you leave for your camp.

7. July-August

Camp weeks! Enjoy your 8 or 9 weeks at camp, work hard, have fun, and contribute!

End-August, camps ends and counselors must plan to return to New York for their final evaluation conferences.

Evaluation conferences are important because they give counselors and ICEP staff the chance to regroup and discuss the past two months of summer. This is where ICEP and the other counselors get to hear about everybody's experiences, and it is a fun-filled and enriching opportunity that also makes for an educational culmination of your summer in the US. The evaluation conference is also where you receive your travel allowance as delineated in the "finances and regulations section" !

8. September

You are free to make your own travels plans anytime after the conclusion of camp. If you plan to travel before your evaluation conference, please make sure that you include New York in your itinerary so you can attend a conference during your travels. If you make travels plans for September after your conference please make sure that you take your return flight out before your visa and IAP form expires, or your chances of getting a US visa again another time will be greatly jeopardized.

Experiences and Quotes

Here are some quotes excerpted from ICEP evaluation reports that each counselor writes during the summer camp season.

General impressions

“Interesting initiative, mixing cultures and people. I’m very attracted to the non-profit aspect of ICEP. The personal touch and people’s involvement is better. Thanks for all advises and kindness.”

Silvain, 1996 (France)

“ICEP is a good organization because it is not really a big one, and I think it can take care of all the counselors it has got.”

Laura, 1998 (Romania)

“I think that ICEP is a great organization, which allows people coming from all around the world to work in the US as a counselor. Moreover the hostel that you own in New York City is very friendly, we can easily meet a lot of new people with different styles & languages.”

Mikael, 1998 (France)

“You care about counselors from non-English-speaking countries which is very important”

Simon, 1999 (Swiss)

“This program is really great and brings us an enriching experience. The first days at the student center are wonderful. I like the goals of the ICEP and the means used to reach them.”

Floriane, 1999 (France)

“Very careful of counselor’s needs during the year and most of all during the summer. ICEP staff seem to enjoy their work, don’t they ?”

Estelle, 1999 (France)

Positive/Negative experiences

“Hillcroft is like a family camp to me and I have been fortunate enough to share my summer with them !”

Kiran, 1999 (India)

“I like it very much, this camp. It is just sometimes hard to catch everything what is going on when you are here for the first time.”

Simon, 1999 (Swizterland)

“Negative aspects: in my camp there was no laundry and no e-mail, positive aspects: very good staff and a lot of different interests.”

Irina, 1999 (Russia)

“I met a lot of friends. I had a great time most of the time with the kids, but I didn’t have enough sleep. The camp is far away from every village and we don’t have any contact with other people than those from the camp.”

Luzia, 1999 (Swizerland)

“I am very pleased, I’m working at a good camp. I have felt that if some problems should occur ICEP would be right there to help me. I feel safe and secure in the hands of ICEP. To other counselors : make sure that you bring stuff from your own country, the kids love it. Bring a lot of your own games, they love new games.”

Nella, 1999 (Denmark)

“ The whole staff is generally nice to work with. A bench of different cultures brought out some positive aspects of society and life in general. However, the campers in my camp were sometimes uncontrollable. They have hardly respect for authority. Patience, calm and imagination are the most important things needed in dealing with the kids from that camp.”

Moses, 1999 (Ghana)

“negative aspects : in my camp there was no laundry and no email, positive aspects : very good staff and a lot of different interests.”

Irina, 1999 (Russia)

Suggestions from past counselors

“Expect to work hard sometimes but have fun”

Katja, 1999 (Slovenia)

“Love children, follow the camp rules and be yourself”

Tatyana, 1999 (Russia)

“Just go there !”

Robert, 1999 (Sweden)

“Bring material from your own country (flags, postcards, pictures, books...)”

Stefan, 1999 (Swizterland)

“ Make sure that your English is good enough to communicate”

Allix, 1998 (France)

“Bring optimism and more summer clothes”

Ovidiu, 1999 (Romania)

““Find and talk with former ICEP counselors in your home-country who really know what’s going on !”

Heike Pichler, 1999 (Austria)