Are camp jobs better than an internship

There are an estimated 1.2 million summer camp staff in the United States, and the numbers continue to grow steadily. Now, you might think, “Why should I pursue a camp job over an internship?” Well, working at a camp gives you the opportunity to earn more than just cash. Internships are all about gaining skills and that’s exactly what working at a camp provides. The question is, how is working at a camp better than an internship?
The biggest reason: Working at a camp helps you develop skills that will not only build your resume, but will last you a long time to come. You have an opportunity to lead from the front and solve problems, in addition to fulfilling your responsibilities with utmost sincerity. Working at camp offers real-life experiences that cannot be learned behind an office desk.

There are many benefits you can gain by working at camp:

• You develop a better self-understanding
• You enhance personal growth
• You master problem-solving skills
• You have a positive and significant influence on the lives of children
• You expand/develop a network of peer relations.

 

·          How is Working at Camp Better than an Internship?

·         It Builds Character along with Your Resume

·         If you do not have character, your resume is pretty much useless. If you make a comparison, you will notice that most interns count the minutes until they are finally done with work. On the other hand, camp counselors and camp staff dedicate their summers. Why do they do it? They enjoy what they do! When you work at a camp, you learn to dedicate your time for things besides yourself, as you have the opportunity to deal with adults, kids and other counselors.

·         It’s Not Only about the Money

·         When you work at a camp, you not only show up every morning because you are earning and saving good money, you show up because your job involves spreading smiles and happiness. You are not confined to an undersized desk, relentlessly waiting for payday. Instead, the beautiful scenery of Maine is your office and putting smiles on campers’ faces outweighs the thought of the next paycheck.

·         You Make Kids Smile Instead of Customers

·         It’s not uncommon to come across interns pretending to be extra nice so they can make a sale. A camp job, however, revolves around campers and making them happy. Getting an authentic laugh or smile out of a camper is much more enjoyable than selling a particular product to a random customer.

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 You Learn to Be Selfless Not Selfish

·         While interns spend most of their time pretending to be busy or surfing the web, every minute you spend at camp is devoted to the campers. Each minute of your time is spent for others, not just for yourself. After all, have you ever seen an intern worrying about the progress of their company they work for, as much as they do for themselves?

If you’ve been considering a job at camp, why not go for it? You will have the experience of a lifetime, meet staff and campers from around the world, and gain experience that will be beneficial for years to come.

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Why Boys NEED Recess and How to Become a Recess Advocate

Why Boys NEED Recess and How to Become a Recess Advocate
By Jennifer L. W. Fink

It seems like it should be obvious: kids — especially young ones — need opportunities to move around throughout the day.

I mean, have you ever watched a group of young kids? They’re like puppies. They scamper all over one another, playing and posturing. More often that not, you’ll find them in physical contact with one another. Physical tussles break out spontaneously, just because.

Contrast that to the typical school environment: Student movement is carefully controlled and circumscribed. Touch may actually be banned, wrestling is definitely not allowed and in many cases, the little opportunity students have for “free” play actually comes with stings and strict rules. Recess, for instance, may be withheld if a student misbehaves and rules designed to promote safety may actually limit creativity, problem-solving, risk-taking and fun.

In many places, recess is non-existent. In many others, it’s been reduced. When I went to school, we had recess daily through eighth grade. At my kid’s public school, kids in seventh grade and up get no recess at all. While I used to get three recesses a day in 4th grade, the fourth graders in our district today are lucky if they get one.

This lack of recess time is hurting our boys.

Increasingly, recess time is being eliminated or reduced due to an increased emphasis on academics; educators believe students needs more time for learning, and consider recess optional, at best; a waste of time, at worst. Other times, recess time is limited or severely restricted due to safety and liability concerns. Some educators also use bullying concerns as a reason to limit or eliminate recess.

Here’s the thing, though: research proves the recess is beneficial for all kids. If your son is struggling in school due to lack of recess time, or if you’re concerned about kids’ lack of time for free play at school, here are three research-based arguments for recess that you can take your school, principal or school board:

    Recess encourages active play. The fact that kids today are less fit and less active than previous generations surprises no one. However, research by the American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that many children are getting less than recommended amount of physical activity per day, often due to institutional restrictions on play that stem from injury concerns, liability concerns and an overemphasis on academics. So use your school’s concerns about the overall fitness of their students to your advantage. When the school discusses changes to school lunch program, designed to improve student nutrition and health, ask what actions the school is taking to encourage physical activity throughout the day. (The US Centers for Disease Control recommends 60 minutes or more of physical activity for all kids per day.)
    Recess is linked to academic success. Numerous studies have linked physical activity to improved academic performance. And free, unstructured play — the kind most kids engage in at recess — has been shown to be critical to the development of cognitive skills, including problem solving. So while many schools are cutting or eliminating recess in an effort to increase instructional time (and test scores), the research shows that student learning (and test scores) may actually improve if some of that instructional time is replaced with recess time.
    Recess promotes emotional, cognitive and social development. Increasing, educators are realizing the socio-emotional skills are important for kids’ success too; that’s why so many public schools have started character education and positive behavioral intervention programs. Free, unstructured play allows and enables kids to develop essential emotional, cognitive and social skills. It helps kids develop communication skills and patience — two skills closely linked to academic success.

Is it easy to convince your son’s school to re-institute, expand, or prioritize recess? No. I speak from experience: I’ve been expressing my recess-related concerns and requesting a review of recess policies and procedures at my son’s school for more than two years now. The biggest obstacle: schools and teachers are not judged on the amount of recess they provide to students; they’re judged, now more than ever, on student performance on standardized tests.

That’s why it’s so important to understand and express the many ways in which recess enhances academic performance and cognitive growth. Presenting research that directly addresses administrators’ and educators’ concerns — and uses the language they use — will generally be more effective than emotion-based pleas for recess.

Does you son’s school have recess? How much? (Or how little?) Have you ever approached your school or school district with recess-related concerns? How did it go? I’d love to hear your stories?