A summer job with a difference

BTEC Travel and Tourism National Diploma students Sofia Khan and Chris Hardy are spending this summer working for Camp America.

Camp America runs summer camps across the USA and every year thousands of students from across the world travel to work, gain experience and just as importantly have fun at the same time.

Sofia and Chris have now left their homes for the summer to work as Camp Counsellors for 10 weeks. They also have some time to do some travelling at the end before returning for the second year of their course.

Both students are at the end of successful first years which also saw them travel to Canada, visiting Toronto and Niagara Falls as part of their course.

When in America Chris is going to a camp in Hunter, New York State which caters for both children and adults with special needs as that's where his interests lie.

The camp will have around 500 staff working on an almost one-to-one basis with people of all ages; from 7 to 92.

Chris is also a qualified life guard and has experience in working to improve people’s co-ordination using sport; so hopes these skills will be called upon.

Sofia is going to Milford in New Jersey to a camp called Cedar Lake which caters for 11-14 year olds. Sofia will live in a bunk house with 14 students and another camp counsellor, as part of her preparation she had to submit teaching plans including wet weather activities (which she hopes she will not be using) and is looking forward to looking after the children from when they wake up until they go to bed.

Both Chris and Sofia were excited before they left and we hope to get an update from them over the summer.