Summer Camp Secrets

When researching how to get a job at Summer Camp in the USA or Canada you’ll come across a huge number of agencies, all vying for your attention (and money). Most of these agencies are pretty great, with long established roots in the industry, while some are much newer, with less experience and therefore might be limited when trying to place you with your dream camp.

Over the years I’ve used many different agencies (not for any particular reason other than who made it easier/cheaper for me to apply from wherever I was at the time), all of whom have had their pros and cons.

Each agency offers something different to first time applicants (it all changes when you are a returner or a direct applicant) in terms of cost, pay and benefits such as insurance and flights. Below is a helpful chart displaying all the different costs and offerings from some of the top agencies – BUNAC, Camp Leaders, IENA, CCUSA, Camp America, NYQUEST, USA Summer Camp, WildPacks, InterExchange, and AmeriCamp:

**Updated October 2021**

For camps in the USA:

For camps in Canada: (**As of Dec 2020**)

There are a few other things on offer too with each company, for example, BUNAC & Camp America will pick you up at the airport and put you up in a hostel for the night in NYC before you go to camp.

In my opinion these extras are small factors in the decision making process and really they all balance out in the end. Also remember, if you choose a package that doesn’t include flights, expect to pay anywhere between £300-£600 for a return flight to the USA… personally I’d just go with a flight included option, unless you think you’ll get placed super early and can find cheap flights or you have loads of airmiles!

So there you have it. All your options for heading to Summer Camp as a counselor. I hope that this is a helpful tool for your when deciding which agency to go with. As you can see, there aren’t really huge differences between them other than cost, so I guess it just comes down to your own personal preference and the vibe you get from each one.

If you’re looking for returner costs, I’ve done a similar comparison here.