We’ve been discussing why camp can be a great experience for elementary and middle school aged youngsters. If you’ve got older kids, you may be wondering what’s in it for them. The benefits of camp don’t have to stop when you’re too old to attend (and some camps do extend up through high school), but high schoolers really are of a different maturity level than their elementary and middle counterparts. In this case, camp can be a great opportunity for high schoolers to begin coaching and counseling.
Becoming a camp coach or counselor allows older kids to get a glimpse of what camp is like from the other side. Counselors can build real world skills that will transfer to college and life outside of school.
Camp coaches and counselors build leadership, team-building, and management skills. Cooperation is essential in college and beyond. Camp can be a great safe place to learn how to encourage a team to work together toward a common goal and resolve conflicts.
To be a camp coach or counselor, your high schooler must also be organized, punctual, and a good communicator. Certain responsibilities are given to coaches and counselors and the safety of younger kids may be in their hands, making it essential that they get every camper to the right place at the right time.
The camp your high schooler is applying to may require a resume. The art of resume writing and interviewing are skills that will definitely be of use once your child seeks his or her first job. Future employers may like to see previous coaching and counseling experience, recognizing it as a way that high schoolers build leadership and give back to their communities.