As a camp counsellor, you will likely have two main responsibilities at camp: as a cabin, or general counsellor and as an assistant, instructor or leader in a specific activity. The activities and sports which BUNAC participants are hired to teach at camps vary greatly. Applicants who have relevant qualifications or experience teaching in any of the following activities, especially the high demand activities, stand a good chance of placement for the summer.

Hot activities

Horse riding	Swimming & lifeguarding	Ropes & climbing activities	Outdoor pursuits (camping, hiking etc)
Canoe & kayaking	Sailing	Tennis	Gymnastics

We aim to give you all the information you’ll need before deciding to embark on the summer of a lifetime, but the facilities, aims and traditions of camp vary greatly so the information on these pages should be taken as a guide only.

BUNAC have been sending participants to summer camps to teach sports for many years and camps have come to expect a great standard from BUNACers. Your predecessors may have been students, professional coaches or people wanting to do something different for a few months!

Other activities

As a camp counsellor, you will likely have two main responsibilities at camp: as a cabin, or general counsellor and as an assistant, instructor or leader in a specific activity. The activities and sports which BUNAC participants are hired to teach at camps vary greatly. Applicants who have relevant qualifications or experience teaching in any of the following activities, especially the high demand activities, stand a good chance of placement for the summer.

Sports	Waterfront	Entertainment	Arts & crafts	Media
Archery Tennis Horse riding Gymnastics Golf Soccer Baseball basketball Fencing Hockey Martial arts Riflery (.22) Volleyball Lacrosse Fitness/weights Roller hockey	Boat driving Windsurfing Waterskiing Lifeguarding Sailing Canoeing Kayaking Swim teaching	Circus arts Costuming Directing Magic Technical Dance: Hip hop, modern, jazz, ballet	Ceramics Handicrafts Weaving Woodwork Painting Drawing Batik/printing Candle making Macrame Model making Sewing Silversmithing	Photography Website Film/Video Yearbook Broadcast radio Newspaper Production
Pioneering	Science	Music	Miscellaneous
Campcraft Hiking Rock climbing Ropes course Mountain biking Overnight trips	Computers Ecology Electronics Nature Astronomy	Piano (accompany) Bugle Drums Guitar	Religious service Skatepark Animal farm Fishing Go-karting Minibikes Yoga

Applicants with teaching experience or qualifications in activities in blue have a better chance of placement.

Experience with children

To apply to Summer Camp USA, it is important that you have some previous experience of working or interacting with children in a supervisory role.

The level of experience needed for camp varies and could be anything, from helping out at a club, to teaching your own sports lessons, all depending on the individual needs of the camps.

If you are unsure of whether your skills or experience meet the requirements for Summer Camp USA, please get in contact with the Summer Camps department at BUNAC for further information or clarification.

You may be able to gain more experience and thereby improve your chances, simply by asking in your local community, at schools and weekend clubs if they need any help. Local organisations are often very happy for volunteers to get involved and be a part of their team. You can also improve your chances of placement by working to get a qualification in a sport or other activity at which you are already proficient.

Camp directors start hiring in the Autumn so apply early to ensure your application is one of the first to be considered by camps for the summer of 2010!

Wild Packs

When applying to Summer Camp USA, holding current coaching qualifications in a sport can increase your chances of gaining a successful camp placement.

If you are considering obtaining new or further qualifications, check out Wild Packs for more information on courses available at one of their regional activity centres.

Qualifications will not guarantee you a job, but often can enhance your application. You are welcome to call BUNAC for advice and to discuss the possibilities of qualifications in the context of your overall application.

If you have any questions please email us camps@bunac.org.uk or call the team on 020 7251 3448.