USA - American summer camp

Useful information

Each year more than 5.3 million children participate in the uniquely American tradition of camp. It is a structured community, where campers are provided with a safe and nurturing environment in which to play, work and learn under your supervision. Counsellors and support staff from all over the world serve as positive role models capable of enriching children’s understanding of the world around them.

Every Camp is Unique

There are more than 8.500 summer camps across the US, and each one has its own personality. Mainly, camps will differ in facilities, philosophies, programme offerings, clientele and length of sessions. Just as every camp is unique, so are the international counsellors and support staff. During our placement process Global Choices matches each applicant with a camp that is best suited to her/his personality, experiences and interests.

Different Types of Camp

• Traditional/private: usually owned and operated by individuals and families. The facilities are well maintained and campers usually come from high-income backgrounds;
• Family/adult: parents and children can participate in the activities together or separately. Facilities are usually excellent vacation-style settings. Some camps cater exclusively to senior citizens;
• Special needs: populations can include campers of various ages who face a variety of challenges including physical, mental, behavioural and learning disabilities;
• Specialty: focus on a theme such as sports, music, scouting or weight loss;
• Religious: can be either agency or privately run, Christian or Jewish. These camps emphasise the values of their respective faiths while running full programme activities;
• Day camps: usually run on weekdays from 7 AM to 6 PM, and the campers do not sleep at the camp. They are located in cities, on college campuses or at traditional campsites;
• Underprivileged: normally run by non-profit organisations to provide children from urban areas with safe, positive outdoor experience. The campers are primarily from diverse backgrounds of lower economic levels;
• All boys/girls: privately owned or operated by agency, single-sex camps provide a variety of camp activities to build character and skills.