Counselor Files: Chloe Dooley.

This weeks edition of Counselor Files comes from Chloe, who spent summer 2018 working at an underprivileged camp in upstate New York. Unfortunately, not all children are lucky enough to have parents who can afford to send them to camp ever year, however underprivileged camps give children from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to go to summer camp. Working at this type of camp is hugely rewarding, and you can really help change children’s lives! Read on to find out how Chloe’s summer went…

1. What is your name and what camp did you work at? Where is it located?
Hi, I’m Chloe Dooley and I worked at Camp ABC, which is one of five Fresh Air Fund camps. Its located in New York state, in a town called Fishkill which is about an hour and a half outside of New York City.

2. What type of camp is it and how did you find the experience?
The Fresh Air Fund provides 2-week long free summer camp programmes for kids from low income communities within New York City. The camp gives them the chance to get out of the city and experience being out in nature and taking part in activities they wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to participate in, while developing key skills such as self-confidence, teamwork and independence. I was at the all-girls camp and we had campers from the ages of 7 to 16. We had around 200 campers per session and had 4 x 2-week session over the summer. I had a super positive experience working with the Fresh Air Fund, I was quite apprehensive as I hadn’t done anything like this before, but we had really great training and all the Directors were amazing at helping us out. I think having the chance to be at an underprivileged camp also meant all the kids really enjoyed the new experiences, for example working at the waterfront a lot of the kids had never swam before so getting the chance to teach them things such as floating on their back so they could feel more confident in the water, or seeing the kids move up a swim level made me feel like a proud mum! I feel like I learnt a lot about different cultures through being at camp as we had campers and staff from all over the world, which I thought created a really inclusive environment to be working in.

3. Was there anything difficult about working at this type of camp, if so what?
It was definitely a challenge to match the energy and big personalities that some of the kids brought with them sometimes, but I feel I got better at this as camp went along. We also had a lot of homesickness to deal with because for most of the kids this was there first experience being away from home and living in the outdoors. Some of the kids were really mature for there age, maybe due to there home environment and so there were a few occasions where I had some difficult conversations or slightly challenging behaviour to overcome.

4. What is a piece of advice you could give to others working at a similar type of camp that you wish you had known before you went?
Just be willing to listen and give the kids the attention they deserve as it will go a long way in building up a good relationship with them – at the end of the day if the kids can trust you and have a good laugh then you’re onto a winner! I’d say be prepared to go completely back to basics as well, the first week for me was a bit of a culture shock going into a wooden hut with no electricity, surrounded by all new noises and the bugs haha, but it all adds to your experience and after a few weeks it just becomes normal and part of the experience.

5. What was your role at camp? 
I was one of eight lifeguards , and part of our role was to teach swim lessons to all the kids during there time at camp. The kids were swim-tested on there first day, had around 3 lessons and free-swim to practice and then had the chance to retest on there final swim session to see if they could move up a level. I loved getting to spend everyday at the Waterfront as it was definitely the most beautiful place at camp, even when you were having a rubbish day – just standing on the beach looking out over the lake and watching the sunset could always put a smile on my face! I also loved getting the chance to help some of the kids learn to swim for the first time and then seeing them practice what you’d just taught them.

6. What was the highlight of your summer?
It’s impossible to choose one moment, it would almost be easier to list the moments that weren’t so great because there were so few of them! If I had to pick a couple though, I’d definitely say the people that I met at camp were one of my highlights. You spend so much time with these people and it just builds up such a strong relationship – I remember one night I’d had some bad news from home and my whole waterfront team we just went down to the lake, put our favourite songs on, made smores on the fire and watched the sunset – that’s my real camp family right there. Another highlight was also the post camp travel, I was super lucky to spend 3 weeks on the West Coast and I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole time I was there, so I’d definitely recommend staying on after camp to explore! Finally, probably just seeing the kids have fun, especially the ones who maybe found it hard to settle in, or watching them set themselves a goal for camp and achieve it. Just seeing them grow as young people and achieve new things and knowing that you played a small role in that just gives you that warm inside feeling and makes the effort you put in all worth it. I actually made some short videos of my time away, which are way better at showing my highlights than trying to write them down.

* To watch Chloe’s YouTube summer highlights video, click on the link HERE! *

7. What three items could you not have survived the summer without?

1. Sun cream – you spend 90% of your time outside so you get through a lot of this stuff. Its surprisingly expensive in the States, so make sure you take plenty with you to try avoiding having to buy too much.
2. Camera – I was constantly taking pictures, it’s nice to capture the memories so you’ll have them to look back on and show family and friends. There were a few occasions where I left my camera in my suitcase though, and decided to just enjoy the moment.
3. Portable charger – I guess this depends on your camp but I only had access to plug sockets on my days/nights off, so taking a huge portable charger with me that could hold 7 or 8 phone charges meant I could still keep in contact with friends and family in the evenings.

8. How does camp fit in with your life at home and how was your life changed since returning from camp?

I’d been wanting to do camp for quite a few years prior to going, but it was finding a summer that was long enough for me and where I didn’t have exams or school that clashed with the dates. I think since returning from camp I’ve just really caught the travel bug, it was my first experience of solo travel and properly exploring a country and it’s just made me want to do so much more – the only issue is the student budget I’m stuck on! I think I also learned to not worry about the little things so much, and just focus on doing things I enjoy.

9. Did you feel supported by your camp and agency while at camp? Which agency did you choose to go with and how was your experience with them?

I couldn’t have felt more supported by my camp. They were amazing whenever I had any issues either with things at camp or at home, they were there with everything you needed. It really was like having a second family as cringe as it sounds.

I went through Americamp and it meant I got paid really good wages, which was great for travel after camp. They are passionate about what they’re offering, which is always a bonus! I did find it hard sometimes to get in contact with them, and you do have to organise a lot of stuff yourself, but if you want to save some money and have more flexibility sorting out your own flights then they’re a great company to go with, and I’d definitely recommend them.

10. Are you planning on returning to camp either this year or in the future?

Unfortunately, I can’t return this year due to placements at University but I’m hoping to try and return in 2020 as one final adventure before I enter the world of work! I’d 100% be returning as a lifeguard, as the Waterfront was my favourite place at camp and I can’t imagine not being there.

Still wanting to know more about underprivileged camps? Click HERE to read Sam’s Counselor File post about his experience at Camp Homeward Bound, or click HERE to hear from other Camp Counselors!

Want to be involved in the next Counselor Files post? Get in touch either on the ‘Contact Me‘ page, send me an email (howtosurivesummercamp@outlook.com), or via Twitter!