Alex Harrison-White (Year 3, BSc (Hons) Physical Education and Sport) spent last summer at Camp America. This was a fantastic opportunity for Alex to combine travel with developing his teaching and broader skill set.

Q: How did you get your position at Camp America?

A: It involved creating my own personal profile on the Camp America Website which included information about my prior experience. Once that was complete, my Camp America account went ‘live’ so all camps in America could view my profile and contact me for an interview if they had a suitable position. Interviews are usually conducted over Facetime or Skype.

After being interviewed I accepted a position at a boys camp located a few hours north of New York in the Adirondack National Park.

Q: What were you doing during your time at camp?

A: I was an Activities Counsellor, working on the waterfront. I was a lifeguard and swimming instructor for my time on camp. The waterfront was on the lake itself and many activities took place there including water skiing, canoeing, sailing and swimming. In addition, I was a General Counsellor which involved looking after the children. This included making sure the bunks were tidy, the children were ready for meals, they had the correct kit and equipment for their next activities and many more tasks!

Q:What skills have you been able to develop as part of this experience?

A: Without a doubt my confidence and ability to lead and manage groups of children. This was especially important when leading water-based activities as I had to be vigilant due to the danger surrounding open water, especially on a lake where you couldn’t see the bottom! However, on the flip side, the children are there to enjoy themselves so learning how to balance safety and enjoyment was a really good skill to develop. I think another skill learned was my ability to develop professional relationships with the children, which aided me in being able to connect and bond with children who were in my care whilst being mindful of professional boundaries.

 Q: What challenges did you face?

A: I’ll be honest, there was a number of challenges but these reduced over my time at camp. Some challenges were the simple things like adapting to the time difference, meeting new people from all over the world or differences in the way you work. Even the language barrier (yes, American people speak English, but they call certain items or objects different names…like scones are called biscuits to them!!).

I think something every staff member felt was some form of homesickness. There were tougher challenges. I think getting to know the children and how they respond to you was one of the major challenges. I had to remember that these children had never met you before and some thought they could get away with anything! Then dealing with differences between the children, like arguing and fighting, was another challenge. Before the children arrived, we had training which included behavioural management which was really valuable.

However, despite all of these challenges, would I go again? In a heartbeat, I would return.  For all the challenges there were a million positives. It’s just an opportunity you will never ever get to encounter or try once you are working full time, so take the chance while you can. I would urge anyone to go and do it – you won’t regret it!

Q: What would you say were some of your key achievements whilst at camp?

A:It might not sound like an achievement but the children asking me to return for another year was really special. I would also say overcoming some of the challenges I faced – such as managing behaviour and showing leadership when needed – was another achievement. Getting the children into football and the World Cup spirit was also another achievement.

Q: Sum up your experience in three words for us.

A: Three words could never be enough to sum up my experience but if I had to then they would be:

Never forget RLBC2018!