ACA Home Forums Too old for a new career in the world of Camps?

I have always loved everything about camp and wanted to be involved but was not able to do so because I needed to just "work" in order to provide. Now I am in a position to have a career I want. Recently, I returned to school after a very long career in administration. With the hopes of getting involved with youth programs and camps as a new career, I am taking classes in child development and working toward my AA and than BA. I look through jobs regarding this type of career, it appears for any position, I need some type of experience. I am willing to do any job big or small, working with kids or administration? I am basically trying to "get my foot in the door" so I can start gaining some experience. I just don't know where to go to get this experience and I don't know if I am wasting my time because I am not young (43 years old but young at heart). I live in Los Angeles/Ventura County area. Any suggestions would be great.

I would go ahead and give a summer camp job a try just to test it out. When I was a kid, I had some counselors that were older. They had kids they would register for camp and be a counselor. One of my art counselors one year had a daughter in my unit. Another lady would work for a week every year at camp and brought her children with her. Even if you don't have children, you can still try a camp job.

Many camps will hire "older" staff. For example, at my camp it isn't unusal for the Group Leader of our youngest campers to be a bit older than the bulk of the staff. We've also hired older Program Directors for areas like: cooking, arts & crafts, fine arts, etc. Our "older" staff doesn't live in bunks with campers, so there isn't an awkward feeling there.

I suggest looking at more traditional camps, as they are more willing to hire older staff and not just college students. I worked at GS camps for a while before working at a traditional camp, and I found that while working for GS camps, they were a bit unwilling to hire someone over 30... unless they were already established at camp or part of the council.

If you are willing to travel, there are many camps in PA and MA that are traditional. Most have openings for Group Leader or Head Counselors for the youngest campers.

- Teenster :cool:

If you would like to get some experience, I would suggest loooking for experince this summer, and camps are looking for paid staff and volunteers now. I would suggest looking for traditional camps, but you may encounter some camp directors-- who may be close in age to you-- to have some hang ups on your age-- which I also encountered when I was 24 and applying for camps. I was told I was " too old" to work at camp.

I work at a municipal family camp each summer. My boss (the year-round on-site camp manager) and I are over 60. So, at the young age of 43, I say go for it. Now is the time that camps are hiring. Write a great cover letter and apply. Although most camps interview by phone, you may be able to visit Southern California camps and introduce yourself. Call ahead. Have you considered year-round positions?

I worked at two careers before I was able to work in camps. For seven years, I volunteered one week each year as the chef of my kid's camp. That led to my first full-summer job in 2009. I was not able to work camps for the next three years, but returned last summer for a four-month season at my current camp. My second year begins in May.

Odd because the camp I work at is a Girl Scout camp and they hire a lot of older people. One of the general counselors that I'm working with this summer is in her 40s.

10 yrs ago I worked with a counsellor who was 52, and other than me needing to deal with anything during the night because as soon as her head hit the pillow she was asleep until the morning she managed fine. And that was a GS camp.

As I always tell the kids, you are never to old to go to camp.
I am 41 and still work at camps. Although I'm taking this summer off. A lot of camps still have older staff. You might want to ask this question when you are interviewing. You might not be able to be in a cabin (ACA has a new regulation for that ). or the Camp might have a rule on that but you can still work at camp somehow.
A lot of private camps have older adult staff. Try Camp Lohikan in PA , they have a wide range age of staff on their camp. It's a great camp, I worked there for two summers.
They also have some sister camps too.
Again private camps are known to have more older staff.

What is the new ACA regulation for ages of staff in the cabins? I went to a camp last year, the campsite is ACA accredited, but the camp renting the site is not ACA accredited.

I'm getting to that age slowly (turned 30 at the end of last summer), but I've found that it's about interest and energy level more than age.

...Also, whenever camp alumni come to visit, no matter how old they are, it's always amazing how they just fit right in!

I'm not sure if ACA has a limit on the age a person can be to live in a bunk with campers. A few years ago we had a cabin counselor for the younger girls who was in her 30s. That was kind of unusual as at all camps I've been to, the older staff (26+) didn't live with the campers.

- Teenster

I have been to a camp where there was a 30 year old lifeguard who lived in the cabins-- but of couse everyone lived in the cabins execpty for Kitchen staff, Laundry Staff, and the Camp Director/ Asst. Camp director

I've never really worked with seasonal staff over 30, but I know of some people/camps that do, as you can see in the previous posts. Technically it's illegal to not hire someone capable because of their age. That being said, I'm sure it happens. And I would absolutely look for a camp that has older summer staff or at least has in the past because I feel like they would be more open to it. Also, keep in mind that you will be working side by side with primarily 18-23 year olds and that can be great but it can have its challenges especially when you're also living with them 24/7 for 3 months. I felt the age gap when I was about 3 years older than the primarily 18-20 yr old staff and closer in age to the camp director.

This is if you are looking for a counselor position. If you look for a non-cabin leading specialist or an assistant director position I feel like it might be easier, especially as a director of some sorts. That being said, go for it! If you want to work with kids this is a great way to get a lot of experience! So while legally you don't really have to mention your age, I would at least try and figure out the dynamics and history of the camp and hiring older staff just so that you can have the best experience possible!

Good luck and camp is a lot of fun so I hope you get to go this summer!

Like Giggles said, it is sometimes hard for older staff to work with staff in the 18-21 range, or just in general college kids. I started at my current camp as a group leader (unit leader in GS terms) and I was 25 at the time. Most of my staff weren't even in their 20s yet, and there was really some struggle, but we worked through it. Now, I am in more of a director position so I don't have to work with general staff, though I still hear of some frustration.

While it is technically illegal to ask for age, there are some camp jobs which require a minimum age. For example, you may have to be 21 in order to drive a boat or a camp vechical. Though, I don't think you'll have a problem on the minimum age side of things.

- Teenster

43 is not too old. Neither is 53 or 63. We need youthful staff with their creativity and never-ending energy. We need to balance that with older staff with their maturity and life experience. If you love kids and all that camp does for them, then you belong at camp!

You're never too old for camp!! I'm 31 and have been doing camp for a really long time. I don't know that I can let it go and my job lets me do it because I'm a teacher the rest of the year. It's an amazing experience and I love it. My camp hires older staff. Are you only looking in California?

I have been doing camps for almost as long as you campingqueen, if not older. One camp I used to volunteer for, they had volunteers who lived in the cabins who are in their mid-60's along with volunteers who are in high school, so you are not too old for camp

I am thirty six and am still crazy about camp.

You and me are almost the same age-- I am 35 and still crazy about camp.

[quote=MickeyCDH]I am thirty six and am still crazy about camp. [/quote]

Food for thought: Young camp staff become old camp staff in the course of time.