Summer Camp Secrets

So you’ve read about 3 Adventures, what they are like and what they can offer as a summer camp agency, now it’s time to learn about another one of the major players in the summer camp industry – CCUSA.

CCUSA (Camp Counselors USA) provide ‘exciting Summer Camp jobs, work or volunteer experiences and adventures in the USA and around the world‘. They are a company that also offer a few other options besides summer camp opportunities, but for the sake of this post, I’ll just be discussing how their summer camp system works.

Through CCUSA you can apply to work at summer camp not only in the USA, but also in Canada, Russia and Croatia (more on these other awesome countries coming soon, but for now we will be focusing on summer camp in the USA)!

CCUSA have been running for over 25 years and they ‘take great care in making sure that every participant receives a perfect camp placement‘. They are a designated J-1 visa sponsor and their experience means that they will be able to help you solve any problems with your application and the entire process along the way. They are always super helpful and one of the greatest things about CCUSA is that they are pretty much worldwide – you can apply for summer camp from almost any country in the world!

Like all other agencies, it is free to apply – just make an account and follow the application step by step. You will then have an interview with someone from CCUSA and (hopefully) soon your application will be on its way to America!

So, what do you get?

• Outstanding customer service from whichever country you apply in.
• Face to face interview with one of their experienced interviewers.
• DS2019 form & SEVIS receipt (required for visa application) and assistance with your J-1 visa application.
• 3 months of comprehensive medical insurance whilst in the USA.
• Pre-departure orientation in the UK to prepare you for your summer adventure.
• Placement at a camp based on your camp type choice and experience/skills .
• Option to take a CCUSA flight or book your own international flights*
• FREE food and accommodation during your contracted time at camp.
• 24/7 support from CCUSA whilst you are in the USA.
• Phone card and t-shirt.

*There are two options regarding flights – you can either book your own flights (meaning your wages from camp will be higher), or CCUSA can organise your flights for you once you are placed. This is totally up to you and it really depends on how early you get placed – the earlier you are placed, the cheaper your flights could be if you book them yourself. But if you are placed quite late, it might work out cheaper for you to let CCUSA sort your flights instead.

Wages also vary quite a lot with CCUSA, as it depends on a few different factors – your age, what position you are hired for at camp and which flight option you choose. You could earn anywhere from $700 (CCUSA flight option) to $1745 (skilled position + own flight option).

And, what do you pay?

Like I mentioned above, there are two options when applying to summer camp through CCUSA – their flight or your own flight.

• CCUSA flight option – £525*
• Own flight option – £299*
• There are, as with all the other agencies, a few other fees to such as your visa ($180), police check (roughly £45) and flights (if you go for the own flights option) – I have outlined how much it really costs to go to camp in another post.
• If you are a returner (or applying direct to a specific camp that have already offered you a position), CCUSA will charge you just £199 for their support, visa service and medical insurance Bargain.*

*Correct as of Sept 2016

And that’s CCUSA in a nutshell. If you want to know more about them, or are interest in applying, you can head straight to their website, or have a look at their Facebook and Twitter pages for heaps of info and updates.

You can also get in touch with them directly by phone at +44 0208 874 6325 or visa email at info@ccusa.co.uk