My Real Summer Camp Experience: From West Yorkshire To Upstate New York

Jess, used CIEE as a sponsor for her American Camp experience – and what an experience it turned out to be! Jess’s advice is to ‘just say yes’ to the experience if you’re thinking about it, but why not read about her time in upstate New York, before deciding for yourself…

Deciding to go…

It wasn’t part of my plan, going to an American Summer Camp. I’d already done the travelling thing, and I’d just come back from an internship in Connecticut. I wasn’t sure what my next move was, but I knew I wanted to spend more time in America.

I was staying with a friend who’d recently finished a camp placement, the previous summer. Listening to him talk about the kids, the routines, the people he’d lived and worked with; I went to bed that night with the picture of it all rolling about in my head. I fell into the predictable rabbit hole; reading about experiences, looking at pictures, the stories that bring camp to life in a way that no brochure could. After hours of reading – I was surprisingly reassured. But I wasn’t sure where to start.

That same friend pointed me in the direction of CIEE, an organisation I didn’t know much about at the time. When I reached out to them their team simplified absolutely everything. They helped with matching, paperwork, the visa process; all the things that might have made the decision to go, more stressful.

Arriving at camp

Because I’d already lived on the east coast for six months, I chose a camp in upstate New York. I liked the idea of returning to somewhere I understood, but through a completely different lens.

Travelling there felt different to when I’d gone for my internship. It didn’t feel like I was stepping into the unknown. It felt like I’d chosen something that had the potential to stretch me in ways I couldn’t yet define – and I was excited for it! The camp I joined was a long-running one with a real history behind it, generations of families had been going there for years. As well as me, other counsellors were arriving from all over the world. Amongst the existing staff, it was clear that this was a close-knit community, and everyone was happy to be there.

Camp life

Camps have their own rhythm and you adapt to it surprisingly quickly. You live, eat, and work with the same people every day. There’s no hiding behind your phone - our camp had a strict no-phone policy - and whilst I’d expected that to feel inconvenient and almost unnatural, it ended up being the opposite. You reconnect with all the small things you’ve half-forgotten you enjoy. Books, conversations that aren’t rushed, card games, mindless doodling, sitting outside because the evening air smells like the towering pine trees that surround your cabin. Even the cabins themselves which were simple wooden buildings, became a warm and comfortable home.

Each day had a structure and routine that was jam packed with activities...

Wake the kids up, get everyone ready, head to breakfast, which was served family-style. Then activities, cabin time, lunch, more activities, an afternoon snack, swim time, dinner, then evening events. The details shifted, but the flow stayed the same. And within that routine you build relationships that feel far deeper than you’d imagine, in such a short period of time.

Our camp was big on creating shared experiences, not just for the kids but for the staff too. We took the kids on trips (including a memorable afternoon at a water park) and on evenings off the counsellors would sometimes organise a night away together. It could be an Air BnB, somewhere three to four hours away that gave us some freedom and time to relax together. Dinner somewhere new, followed by an overnight, nearby, was just as common. It sounds trivial, but those short breaks were important. They helped you reset, connect and reminded you that you were living in a part of the world worth exploring.

Realities of the job

Of course, camp isn’t a continuous stream of sentimental moments. It’s demanding. You’re responsible for real children with real emotions, and you have to meet them where they are. I worked mainly with seven- and eight-year-olds, the youngest campers there, and for many of them it was their first time being away from home. Homesickness can arrive without warning. One minute they’re laughing at breakfast, the next minute they’ve remembered their parents and everything wobbles. You become the person who helps them find their feet again and that requires patience, empathy and, sometimes, an energy reserve you didn’t know you had.

One moment that has stayed with me happened at that water park. Two of our youngest campers were determined to go down one of the biggest flumes. They climbed all the stairs, reached the top, looked down, and completely froze. They didn’t want to back out entirely, but they also weren’t convinced they could do it. My co-counsellor and I crouched down beside them, talked them through their nerves, and gave them space to decide. After a bit of hesitation and a lot of deep breathing, they went. The pride on their faces at the bottom was unforgettable. We followed right after them, screaming nearly as loudly as they had.

A lasting impression

When people say camp teaches you things, they usually mean patience or teamwork. And those are definitely true. But it also teaches you subtler things you only notice afterwards. You learn resilience because the days are long and there's no option to disengage. You learn to think on your feet because plans change constantly. You learn empathy because you are supporting small humans who experience their world intensely. And you learn to lean on other people, not because it’s convenient, but because you genuinely need each other.

Looking back, camp didn’t feel like one contained summer. It felt like one of those experiences that rearranges your perspective quietly, without asking for attention. I came home with new friends, a clearer sense of what I’m capable of, a developed perspective of the wider world, and an understanding of myself I didn’t entirely expect.

Advice for anyone considering camp

If someone is hesitating about whether to go, I genuinely think the only advice I can give – is just say yes.

While you’re there, use your time off well. Explore. Take the small trips. See the region around you. Share those moments with the people you’re working alongside. That’s how you’ll make the most of the experience.

I went for a single summer. I left with a different sense of who I am, and whilst it might be a bit of a cliché, with memories I wouldn’t trade for anything.