Camps that use unpaid middle school/high school students

[Anonymous]

This camp offers many different camp options, and I signed up my kid for a few weeks. After I signed up, I notice that they have recruiting advertisment for unpaid middle & high school students for help at summer camp in exchange for their student social service hours/volunteering. Is it common in dmv area? It is not a church run camp oland the price is like $400-$500/week, not any cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's common. It's call SSL hours -- student service learning. Students need x # of hours to graduate.

They are called CIT - counselor in training, and they get SSL hours for it.

It's a great way to earn SSL hours. DC is going like 120 hours this summer from being a CIT.

[Anonymous]

Is it common in dmv area? It is not a church run camp oland the price is like $400-$500/week, not any cheaper.

Yes, except not only was my son unpaid, I had to pay a nominal amount for him to do it (he is a rising 9th grader). It didn't bother me as his parent, but I did wonder about it in terms of safety of the campers/ratios. It was for a sports camp, and he's definitely qualified to help teach the sport to campers, but in terms of dealing with campers with behavioral disabilities or helping (not solely responsible for) watching kids in the pool, it struck me as odd.

[Anonymous]

My 14 year work works as a CIT during the summer and loves it. I look at it as a win-win.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Now I see it is not nothing unusual. My kid is a day camper, 1st grader. And, this is the only camp I have known that does not have as many adults/college kids to run the camp as I thought to be. They have volunteers to do the check in, and they could not answer some questions I have and my kid was confused where he should go to. Volunteer forgot to give him group assignment and check him in on sysyem, and he wandered around inside a bit and came back asking where he should go to. An adult caught him in the hallway, and she told him to go back to get group assignment. I happened I was still there. We were a bit lost & confused today on the first day upon checking in, and that makes me a bit worried. I hope that my kid will have a good time.

[Anonymous]

Does the camp feel unsafe? Do you think they may leave your child behind when going somewhere? If so, maybe you should switch camps.