ccusa
ccusa
Camp Counselors USA
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Guaranteed Placement option 

  • Do your skills and experience guarantee you a placement at camp?
  • What could you do before heading off to work at a US Summer Camp that will Guarantee you a Camp Placement?

All great questions - below you will find the activity areas at camp, the Skills, Experience and/or Degrees/Diploma needed or instructions on how you gain these before you head to camp. 

NOTE: To get a Guaranteed Placement and earn more money at camp, you must:

  1. Be fully accepted onto the Camp Counselors USA program by February 1st (the year you want to go to camp).
  2. If your qualification has an expiry date, it must be after 1st September (the year you want to go to camp).

 

WATERFRONT 

  • Boat Driving: Boat license, with signal/towing experience and personal experience in watersking or wakeboardings and tubing. Skill video required. Must also have skills for boat safety, risk assessments of the water and conditions, and maintenance
  • Lifeguard/Lifesaver: Current/Qualified/Enrolled Surf Lifeguard holding a Australian certification or Pool Lifeguard certification and higher are highly sought after (valid until at least September 1st for the year you are heading to camp). Click here for more details.
  • Sailing: Obtained an advanced level of Sailing or minimum level 1 sail instructor certificate, or similar coaching experience.Click here for more details.
  • Swim Instructor: Current recognised Swim Instructor certification. Consider these organisations to complete the course and your teaching prior to camp: Austswim, Swim Australia or Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association. Click here for more details
  • Wakeboarding: Advanced level of Wake-Boarding with teaching experience. Boat license, with signal/towing experience. Click here for more details.
  • Water-skiing: Advanced level of Water-Skiing with teaching experience. Boat license, with signal/towing experience. Click here for more details.
  • Windsurfing: At least 1 year advanced coaching experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Launching, starting and landing - determining the wind direction to enable easy launching, understanding terms (upwind, downwind and crosswind); climbing on and maintaining the neutral position, moving off and sailing across the wind on both tacks, stance and control - steering the sailboard by leaning the rig fore and aft, manoeuvres - turning the board through 180 degrees using the rig. Tacking by turning the bow through the eye of the wind, rigging - correct tensions, boom heights and tensions, rescue techniques and safety, care of equipment. 

ARTS & CRAFTS

  • Stained Glass: At least 2 years advanced experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Use glass and glazing hand and power tools, store and handle glass, assemble and construct glass components, perform soft soldering, protect glass, apply first aid and understand current environmental practices.
  • Pottery: At least 2 years advanced experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Create designs, manage kiln operations, make moulds and casts, hand building techniques, understand ceramic surface treatments, refine throwing techniques, understand how to apply glazes.
  • Woodwork: Carpentry apprenticeships, joiners and cabinet makers, OR Certificate in Fine Woodworking OR At least 2 years advanced experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Use, identify and care for non-powered tools, use, identify and care for powered tools, measure, mark, cut and assemble projects, design project and estimate material requirements, identify smaller projects that would be age appropriate and skill level appropriate, apply safety procedures including eye and ear protection.

 ATHLETICS/SPORTS

  • Fencing: Minimum Level 1 or similar coaching experience for at least one full year. Have local accreditation. OR at least 1 year advanced coaching experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Be able to identify the fencing code of ethics and code of behavior requirements, identify and correct use of all fencing equipment and weapons, advanced understanding of stances, positions, and lunges.
  • Golf: Minimum Level 1 or similar coaching experience for at least one full year. Minimum handicap of 10 (or less), and have local accreditation OR at least 1 year advanced coaching experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Immediate understanding of grip, set up and swing, immediate understanding of golf clubs skills set and have an official handicap, have an understanding of risk management and safety hazards on the green.
  • Tennis: Minimum Level 1 or similar coaching experience for at least one full year. Click here to learn more.

CIRCUS

  • At least 2 years advanced coaching and professional experience with the ability to demonstrate those skills. Click here for more details.

TEACHER DEGREE/CERTIFICATION/ EDUCATION

  • Physical Education Teacher: Degree/diploma and at least 1 full year formal teaching experience.
  • Special Education Teacher: Degree/diploma and at least 1 full year formal teaching experience.
  • Teacher (ages 11-16): Degree/diploma majoring in music, arts or sports and at least 1 full year formal teaching experience.
  • Teacher (ages 5-10): Degree/diploma majoring in music, arts or sports and at least 1 full year formal teaching experience.

GYMNASTICS

  • Apparatus, Floor and Tumbling Minimum Level 1 or similar coaching experience for at least one full year in apparatus, floor and tumbling. Has completed local accreditation. OR at least 1 year advanced coaching experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Immediate understanding of differences in male and female gymnastics and the appropriate gymnastics circuit, training obtained in (female): physical conditioning, floor, bars, vault, beam, training obtained in (male): physical conditioning, floor, bars, vault, parallel bars, pommel horse and rings, demonstrate basic pair and group balance skills, choose and organize exercises and drills with or without equipment, assess participants readiness to attempt further skills progressions, choose and implement sport acrobatic balance skills that are fun, safe and appropriate to participant’s abilities.

HORSE RIDING

  • Dressage, English Riding, Jumping, Western Riding Minimum Level 1; Pony Club C+ (or higher); BHA level; or similar coaching experience as well as at least 1 full year formal coaching experience. OR at least 1 year advanced coaching experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Plan lessons and review effectiveness, have the ability to independently and safely catch, halter, lead, tie, groom and tack horses, strictly manage group behavior while building a trust with students, able to assess horse temperament and rider selection, teach rider exercises, agility, school figures and use of arena, teach forward positions, strides, distances and horse gymnastic jumping, teach show jumping and cross country, teach riders how to correctly fit lunging equipment, teach riders techniques of lunging a quiet horse, immediate understanding and implementation of the training scale used in dressage, ability to manage a stable and recognize the skill capabilities of junior staff, evidence of training if primarily a western rider.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE SKILLS

  • Outdoor Education Instructor: Degree in Education with an emphasis on outdoor education, or Certificate in Outdoor Education. Click here for more details.

PERFORMING ARTS

  • Lighting/Sound Technician: Degree/Diploma in Lighting or Sound with at least 1 year experience. OR at least 2 years advanced professional experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills:  Characterize audio theory and audio measurements, interface the components of a basic sound system, patching and or wiring up lights to dimmers or electronic control consoles, interpret the basic theories in theatrical and concert lighting, demonstrate proper practices in the areas of recording, and concert sound and lighting.
  • Magic: At least 2 years advanced coaching and performance experience with the ability to demonstrate those skills. Click here for more details.
  • Music Technician/Producer: Degree/Diploma with at least 1 year performance experience. OR at least 2 years advanced coaching and performance experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Has strong communication and problem solving skills; good hand-eye co ordination, professional knowledge of music recording and editing software, professional technical skills in using electronic audio equipment, microphones, mixing consoles and equalizers, experience with project managing during the recording, mixing and mastering processes.
  • Piano: Level 8 (or higher) with at least 2 years performance experience.
  • Recording Engineer: Degree/Diploma or equivalent or at least 1 year experience. OR at least 2 years advanced coaching and performance experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Responsible for getting clean, balanced recordings of all audio tracks at a professional level, post production - able to take all of the individual audio tracks -- instruments, vocals, other sound sources -- and assemble them into a balanced, musically appealing whole, able to use pro tools and audio editing software.

ROPES/CLIMBING

  • High/Low Ropes or Rock/Wall Climbing: Diploma or equivalent with at least 1 year experience. OR At least 2 years advanced coaching experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: The setting up of safe and efficient top rope and abseil teaching systems using a variety of belays and sites, methods for conducting students safely and efficiently on single and multi pitch climbs, self rescue techniques and emergency situation responses, site choice with relation to safety, environmental factors and outcome for the participant, teaching techniques and group management issues, vertical mobility via ascending and descending ropes, course and equipment maintenance and safety checks, environmental and land management concerns. Click here for more details

TARGET SPORTS

  • Archery: Minimum Level 1 or similar coaching qualification with at least 1 full year formal coaching experience. OR at least 2 years advanced coaching experience with the ability to demonstrate these skills: Understand the standard range and safety practices, understand common risks and develop risk reduction strategies, determine if a student should be shooting left or right handed, identify and demonstrate the steps for developing shooting technique, safely and effectively remove arrows from a target butt, understanding how to string and adjust bows, score, cool down and evaluate.
  • Riflery: Gun or Shooting License with at least 1 year range experience required. Proof submitted regarding what weapons trained on.

If you have any questions about the above or would like further clarification, please call CCUSA and we are always happy to chat to you about any of these and our programs.