Function

• As a summer camp counselor, you will be expected to participate in a wide variety of camp activities in addition to teaching English. Many camps have an outdoor component and include activities like hiking, rafting, horseback riding and games. Most will provide a curriculum for you to use in teaching English, but some will require you to prepare your own lessons. You should go prepared not just to teach English but also to play games, sing songs and participate in camp life for the time while you are there. Plan on bringing American camp songs and games to share with campers.
  
  

Time Frame

• Summer camp commitments are short, between a few weeks and three months. Usually you will not be paid until the end of camp, although some longer camps pay in the middle of the summer as well as at the end. If you are working at a day camp, you will have free time in the evenings and weekends; if you are at a full-time overnight camp, your time off will be much more limited (usually an hour or two a day and several weekends throughout the summer).
  
  

Geography

• Summer camps are particularly popular in Canada and eastern Europe, but they are growing in popularity. You can find a camp almost anywhere that you want to travel, including South America and Asia. Since learning English is a priority in every country in the world, there are many opportunities to teach English anywhere overseas.
  
  

Benefits

• Most opportunities to teach English overseas are longer term, requiring a commitment of a year; teaching at a summer camp enables you to go on a short trip, sometimes only a few weeks long. Being at a camp also offers opportunities for outdoor activities, games, and friendships that are not possible in a school or business setting. Also, your food and board is almost always included as a benefit of working at the camp.
  
  

Considerations

• Most overseas camps will not pay for airfare, and many do not include health benefits, so you should plan to pay for both of these expenses when overseas. Make sure that you fulfill all the visa requirements for working abroad in the country where you decide to go. In addition, keep in mind that throughout your time at the camp, you are expected to be a representative of the camp. Be sure to adhere to any guidelines regarding your free time while you are working at the camp.