How can we help?

Yes, the whole point of a Camp Fair is to help as many applicants as possible be placed at Camp! It is a great opportunity to meet your potential employer in person and wow them with your skills and experience. 

No, you need to have paid at least your deposit of £49 in order to be eligible to be hired at a Camp Fair. If you do arrive at a Camp Fair without paying, you will be given the option to speak to a member of the team about the program and pay on the day if you would like, but you will not be permitted to speak to Camps until a minimum payment and application have been made. 

You will sign up to a Camp Fair ahead of time and we will be in touch to let you know how to get ready to be hired on the day! 

On the day you will check in using your Eventbrite Ticket and head through to a large hall where Camps will be set up at individual stalls. You should speak to as many Camps as possible, and any that are a good fit for you will invite you to sit and interview. If you are lucky enough, you may receive multiple offers on the day for you to decide between!

Once you have decided on the Camp you’re going to be placed at, you will lock in your placement by checking out with our AmeriCamp team. 

Camp Fairs are our in-person hiring events we host across the UK for AmeriCamp participants. Camp directors will fly in from the US to hire AmeriCamp applicants in a huge range of roles, in person. This means that you could come along on the day, speak with some of our amazing Camps, and get placed on the day - securing your placement at Camp quickly and easily!

Yes, our hiring portal allows you to receive interview requests from multiple Camps at one time, meaning you might receive interview invites from more than one Camp at a time. 

If you want to maximize the number of Camps you get the chance to speak with to broaden your hiring opportunities, we recommend attending a Camp Fair. 

You do not need to accept the first offer you receive but a lot of our applicants do, as we have a thorough vetting process that ensures the Camps we match you with are a really good fit! If you receive this offer towards the end of the season (February onwards) we do highly encourage you to accept it as there will be fewer placements available at this time. 

If you feel that the Camp isn’t the best fit for you, we will do our best to place you elsewhere. However, keep in mind that by rejecting an offer you do waive your right to refund under the placement guarantee. 

It will depend on the Camp and how urgently they are hiring for that role - the best thing to do is ask them! If you get offered a position and want to take some time to think about it, just politely ask how long you have to make your decision. 

We recommend staying open-minded and accepting every interview you are offered! You never really know what a Camp may be like before speaking to the Directors and so it is best to take every opportunity possible.

No, the hiring portal only allows Camps to reach out to applicants and not the other way around, to streamline the process. 

Once you are live to Camps on the online hiring portal (i.e. you have completed all of Stage 2 of your application), you will be visible to all the Camps we work with in a hiring portal. Camps can search for applicants by filtering by your:

• Age and gender
• Availability dates
• Camp type preferences 
• Skills

If you are a good match for a role they are hiring for they will send you an interview request and you then have a certain time frame to set up an interview with this Camp.

For example: if a Camp Director was looking for a female swim instructor for a Day Camp, available by June 3rd, they would put those filters into the portal and see all the applicants who match that skill, Camp preference and availability. 

Our US team will also manually match applicants to Camps to speed up the process, suggesting certain applicants for certain roles the Camps are hiring for. 

If you are not placed, by no fault of your own, by June 1st of the intended year of travel, you will receive a full refund of program fees paid to AmeriCamp.

This refund guarantee does not apply if:

• You have failed to respond to Camp offers in a timely manner or otherwise contributed to the lack of placement.
• You reject a placement from a Camp (for any reason other than the Camp not aligning with the dates and preferences stated on your application). 
• You are not fully Visa Ready by April 1st.

If you want to improve your chances of being placed, you could: 

• Update your preferences and availability - broadening your availability dates or Camp type preferences will get you seen by more Camps!
• Review your application - check your skills, application video and broader written application are really strong. If you want to add any additional or new details, get in touch with AmeriCamp. 

• Attend a Camp Fair - the majority of attendees will be hired on the day! 
• Be open minded - don’t reject interview requests or disregard certain Camps before you have had a chance to speak to them! 
• Get Visa Ready - towards the end of the hiring season, Camps are more likely to contact applicants that are ready to apply for their Visas to avoid delays to their arrival at Camp. 
• Contact us - if you have not heard from any Camps and need some more support getting placed! 

Everyone gets placed at a different time, so don’t worry if you have not been placed just yet, it might just take a little time! Remember, every Camp hires at different times of the year so the right Camp for you may have not even started hiring yet. 

Two things to consider that may be affecting your ability to be placed are:

• If it’s later in the season, you may be skipped over by Camps if you are not Visa Ready. Camps know the processing times for important documentation and visa applications can be long, and so may not risk hiring someone who could potentially not get their Visa in time for the start of the summer. 
• If you are not receiving contact from AmeriCamp there could be an issue with your email, such as emails bouncing or ending up in spam. This could affect your chances of placement if Camps cannot reach you or never hear back from you. 

You can contact Camps if you would like to but we do not necessarily recommend it! The reason being that most Camps prefer to hire through an agency, like AmeriCamp, to ensure:

• Applicants have been properly vetted.
• Everyone they speak to is eligible and available for their Camp dates.
• AmeriCamp does the heavy lifting of finding applicants that match the roles Camps are hiring for, in effect sifting through applications for them.

If you do contact a Camp independently or apply directly on their website, it is possible you will not hear back from them if their preference is to hire through agencies. If they do respond to you, you will need to verify if they work with AmeriCamp. If the Camp does not currently work with AmeriCamp, our US team may be able to onboard them. You can contact AmeriCamp to inquire about this process. 

Since we work with hundreds of Camps across the US you could get hired just about anywhere. Because of this we always recommend not getting too hung up on one particular city or state. One of the special parts of the Camp Counsellor program is being able to immerse yourself in the culture of an area you may have never had the chance to experience otherwise.

If there is somewhere in particular you want to visit, you can travel just about anywhere in the US during your 30 day Post-Camp travel grace period!

We cannot guarantee placement with a friend, however it is definitely possible. Every AmeriCamp participant has their own application so it is rare for two friends to be hired together through the online hiring portal, since you will be presented to Camps as individual profiles.

However, if you are keen to get placed with a friend, your only option will be to get hired together at one of our in-person Camp Fairs. At these events you can meet with Camps face to face and enquire about being hired as a pair/group. You can check out the Camp Fair page on our website to see what events we have upcoming. 

Please be aware that this is still not guaranteed, as it is a Camp Director’s decision whether to hire more than one person together, and they may be reluctant to do so.

Don’t let this put you off - we encourage our applicants to embrace the adventure of going to Camp solo. After all, you can always meet your friends after Camp to go traveling if they are elsewhere in the country. 

Every Camp will be hiring for a slightly different set of roles and experience levels, so your placement will depend on you, your skillset and your experience. For example, if your AmeriCamp application outlines that you are an accomplished rock climber, then you will naturally be considered by Camps who are hiring for a climbing instructor role. 

Because of this, it may not always be possible to place you at a specific Camp of your choosing - but trust in our team to match you with a Camp that matches you perfectly!

There is no exact time frame for how long it takes to get placed - for some applicants it will happen quite quickly, and for others it takes several months. Don’t worry if it takes longer for you to find the perfect Camp for you, it’s different for everyone.

Our hiring season runs from August, and Camps can keep hiring all the way up until the summer starts, however most roles will be filled by February of the program year. 

Yes, you can contact AmeriCamp to change your reference details at any point before applying for your Visa. 

References can be rejected for the following reasons:

• The reference has been submitted incomplete i.e. several questions have been unanswered.
• The reference contacted AmeriCamp to let us know they are unable to complete the reference for you. This usually happens if they have not worked closely enough with you to comment on your work or if the company policy is to not complete external reference forms.
• The person listed does not meet the requirements of a reference e.g. they are a family member or have not known you for at least 6 months. 

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If a reference is rejected, this section of the application will be reverted back to Draft in Matchio for you to add an alternative reference. 

Your references will be sent an email from AmeriCamp with a quick online form to complete with questions about you, your relationship to the reference and strengths for the AmeriCamp program. This should take no more than a couple of minutes. 

This will depend on your application category:

• At least one reference must reply to our reference request before you can be live to Camps on the online hiring portal as a First Timer.
• Two references must reply to our reference request before you can apply for your Visa, in any application category. 

We require a minimum of 2 references but you can add up to 4 on your application. 

No, your references cannot be provided by friends or family members. This includes any family members you may have been taught by, worked for or babysat for. 

Your references should be from people who have known you in a professional or educational capacity and are not family members or friends.They need to have known you for at least 6 months and have had contact with you in the last year. 

Examples of references you could use include employers, supervisors, tutors, teachers, coaches, or parents you have babysat for etc. 

You don't need to post your video publicly. Our recommendation is to post this on YouTube as an unlisted video, meaning it is only visible via a link. To do this, select UNLISTED when posting your video and share the link with us on your application. Camps will then be able to view the video without it being visible to the public.

Avoid uploading this video as private or on systems like iCloud where the link will expire, as this means AmeriCamp and our Camp directors will not be able to access the video. 

You should include: 

• Why do you want to go to Camp?
• A little bit about yourself e.g. details of your University course/current job
• Why would you be a great fit for the AmeriCamp program?
• Your relevant skills and experience
• Any photos and videos you want to use to support what you are talking about 

You should avoid: 

• Focusing on the travel you want to do after Camp
• Highlighting the skills and experience you do not have 
• Photos or videos that are not Camp-appropriate e.g. you drinking alcohol 
• Being in a loud or dimly lit location 

Your AmeriCamp application video should be between 2 - 5 minutes long.

You don’t need fancy editing or a camera, as this video can be quickly and easily filmed on your phone, just like you are FaceTiming a friend! Camps want to see your enthusiasm for the program and get a sense of your personality, so don’t overthink it or overly script what you say. 

If you do have some amazing editing skills you want to show off, feel free to jazz up the video with pictures and videos of your skills and experience!

Yes, an Application Video is mandatory on the AmeriCamp program as it is essential to standing out to Camps. This is required before your application can go live to Camps for hiring on the online portal.

In the unlikely event you fail your interview, you will receive a full refund of program fees.

You can book your AmeriCamp interview once you have finished all parts of Stage 1 of the application, including any necessary Medical Follow Ups.

No, these interviews are only ever held virtually and never in person.

The AmeriCamp interview is an informal conversation about your motivations, skills and experience and you do not need to prepare anything in particular. Come into the interview enthusiastic and ready to talk about why you will be a great fit for Camp, and maybe think of a couple of questions you can ask your interviewer as they will have first hand experience of the program.

It is a requirement of our Visa Sponsorship that you speak directly with us about your application and answer questions regarding your participation. We are required by the US Department of State to interview every applicant we onboard.

In addition to this, it gives us a chance to get to know you better and then share what we learn with the Camps looking to hire you.

We interview all of our applicants before you speak to Camps so we can assess your suitability for the program and get to know you better. This will be an approximately 40 minute video interview through a video call service such as Google Meets, with one of our Brand Ambassadors (an alumni of the program who has been to Camp previously).

Yes. In the hiring portal, Camp Directors will usually filter their search by skills, regardless of if they are hiring general counsellors or activity leaders, so they can staff their Camp with counsellors who are versatile and able to support in the areas they need support the most.

Certifications can be uploaded to the skills section of the application, but this should only include certificates or qualifications that are not school or University grades. Exam results and University degrees will not be accepted as proof of certification in a skill.

We would recommend including the following for each of your skills:

• When did you learn this skill and how long have you been doing it?
• In what capacity have you participated in this skill? E.g. team, club, with family.
• Why do you enjoy this skill?
• What techniques, styles, projects have you got experience in?
• Have you got experience in a leadership/coaching role? If so, with what age groups?  
• How would you lead this skill at Camp? E.g. any games/ideas.

Skills are divided into three categories of expertise and you need to choose one for each of the skills you list. This could be:

1. Beginner: You participate in this activity as a hobby sometimes and/or it is something you only started recently.
2. Intermediate: You regularly participate in this skill and feel confident in various aspects of it.
3. Advanced: You have multiple years of experience in this skill and/or have experience leading/coaching this skill.

If you are worried you won’t have skills to list on your application, you probably have more than you think! The full list of skills you can choose between will be visible on your Matchio portal under the Skills section, which you can use for inspiration. Think about your hobbies and interests e.g. activities you have participated in at school/University or as a hobby in your spare time. Remember you’re teaching children not adults, so you may have enough experience to apply your skills at Camp. 

To improve on your chances of being hired, you could: 

• Spend some time gaining more experience - if you apply earlier in the hiring season, you have time to get some additional experience and add that to your application later down the line by contacting AmeriCamp. 
• Consider working at a Special Needs or YMCA/Underprivileged Camp as these Camps tend to hire applicants for more general roles, rather than for specific skills. 
• Contact us to discuss your background and we will be able to help you highlight your strengths! 

Childcare is an available option in the Skills section of the application, but where possible, you should avoid listing this as one of your three skills. Other skills are a lot more eye-catching to Camps looking on the hiring portal as Childcare related information can be included in the Work Experience section. 

Some skills are more hireable than others! A skill might be more hireable if it is more common at Camps, thus in higher demand; or more rarely included on applications, needing more specialised or niche experience. Other skills are less hireable as they are less relevant to Camp or are very commonly listed on applications. You can still list these skills on your application, but they are less likely to stand out to Camps. 

Examples of more hireable skills include: 

• Watersports and boat driving 
• Swimming and lifeguarding
• Commonly played sports in the US e.g. tennis, basketball and volleyball
• Horseriding and equestrian
• Specialised art and design skills e.g. woodworking and ceramics
• Outdoor adventure skills e.g. archery and high ropes

Examples of less hireable skills:

• General Arts and Crafts 
• Childcare
• Animal care (unless highly qualified)
• Cooking

Our Camps hire for a huge range of Skills, the full list of which you can see on your application portal under the Skills section. For a general idea you can check out the Camp Activities page of our website.

Using our expertise in Camp expectations and conditions and a history of data from previous AmeriCamp participants, we have generated a set of policies regarding physical fitness that must be met. We have a Medical Follow Up process where we will contact all applicants with a pre-existing condition to assess whether they meet these prerequisites on an individual basis. In most cases you will be accepted to the program, but if for any reason we deem your pre-existing condition too severe for participation in the program, you would receive a full refund of program fees. 

In most cases, yes, however it depends on the severity of the condition. Camp is an incredibly physically and emotionally demanding environment where you will be outdoors, potentially working long days, taking part in physical activity, and dealing with hot or unpredictable weather. Due to this, for some people the Camp environment is not conducive with their medical condition and they struggle with heightened symptoms. 

We have a Medical Follow Up process where we will contact all applicants with a pre-existing condition to assess whether they meet the prerequisites for participation on an individual basis. This may involve a short phone call where we ask additional questions concerning your condition and the severity of it.

In the Personal Health History section of your application, you will be asked questions concerning: 

• Pre-existing conditions or mental health conditions 
• Prescription medications 
• Allergies and dietary restrictions
• General lifestyle - drinking, smoking etc. 

Camp is a physically and emotionally demanding environment that requires certain health requirements to participate. In order to assess that you are physically and mentally fit to participate in the AmeriCamp program, we ask a brief set of health history questions in the Stage 1 application.