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FAQs

Welcome to our AmeriCamp Canada FAQ section!

Here we’ve put together all of the most common questions from our perspective and outgoing AmeriCamp Canada applicants! If your question isn’t answered here in our FAQ section, then please feel free to get in touch with us by phone, email or on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!

Our FAQ outline key information, such as program requirements, fees and visa information.

Program Requirements

You must be 18 by the time that you depart for Canada (typically before June 21st) in order to apply for AmeriCamp Canada.

To apply for the role of General or Activity Camp Counsellor you do not need to be a student but it may help your application in some cases!

Qualifications in certain areas are always desirable (especially outdoors experience). We find that personal experience is really valuable and, when combined with a positive ‘can do’ attitude, this produces the best kind of applicants!

Do your best to add as much detail to your skills section of your application as possible. Even if you don’t have the experience teaching it, the more skills and experience you have in different areas the better – as it shows you are a good, well-rounded candidate.

Most Camps have a 9-week contract starting in early to mid-June.

We can only accept applications with availability up to the 21st of June at the very latest. If you can’t start until after this date, please contact the office to discuss your options.

Top tip: The earlier you are available the better! Camps start hiring for some positions from late May, so if you do work longer than 9 weeks, you will be paid a daily rate on top of your initial salary.

Application FAQ

You can apply for AmeriCamp Canada right now! Follow the link below, and then fill out the online application form!

Apply Here

We will be taking applications up to 1st April 2022. If you wish to apply after this date please contact the office to discuss your options. Please be aware that applying after the deadline may reduce your chances of placement.

Interviews can be conducted at our head office, face-to-face in your hometown or University Campus, or virtually via Skype, Zoom or WhatsApp Video.

Interviews will usually be carried out in your local area and in person, with one of our lovely AmeriCamp Canada Campus Managers.

All of our Campus Managers have completed at least one summer at Camp and are the perfect person to chat to about what you’ll get up to at Camp! Interviews are quite casual so you don’t have to turn up suited and booted; think of it more as a chat to get to know you and talk about what skills you can bring to Camp!

Your interviewer will then complete an interview report and we can move you onto the next stage if you are successful.

Personal references should be completed by anyone who has known you for over 6 months in a professional capacity. Examples include teachers, coaches, employers, parents you have babysat for etc. We will also accept one reference from a co-worker.

Let’s face it, your video is what really brings your application to life! As a tool, it is the perfect opportunity to show off your personality, skills, and to convince a Camp Director to hire you. Keep it short and sweet (we recommend no more than 2 minutes), and be yourself!

Take a look at our ‘how to make your video’ for suggestions, think outside the box and don’t be afraid to get creative.

We can easily defer your application to next year, and you can simply pick up where you left off! If you wish to cancel altogether your fees will be non-refundable. Please refer to your program agreement for Terms and Conditions. You’ll also need to inform us in writing of your cancellation.

Fees And Figures

The program fee covers your application fee, i.e. the cost of us working with you to make sure that your application is submitted to and processed by our placement team, to get you placed at your perfect Camp!

Food and accommodation at camp along with 9 weeks of comprehensive medical insurance is also included in your fee.

This can vary greatly depending on the Doctor’s surgery you are registered with. Typically you shouldn’t be paying more than £40-£60, however, some practices do charge higher fees. Please give us a call in the office if you find the amount costly, we can give you some suggestions to help bring the cost down.

We have an incredible in house team that will provide you with quotes and help you to book your flights, all whilst giving you peace of mind. Return flights typically cost between £350 and £450.

Remember, we pay the highest salaries to our applicants. During your time at camp, you’ll earn up to $1900 CAD. We want you to experience Canada in the best way possible and having such a great salary will certainly help!

Getting Placed

Camp Fairs are a unique opportunity for applicants to approach and meet Camp Directors in person, which in some cases can prove invaluable! Meeting Camp Directors is a great way to make yourself stand out, and boost your chance of being placed at your dream Camp location. As if this wasn’t enough, you’ll also have the chance to meet the lovely AmeriCamp Canada office team – aren’t you lucky!

We will announce the dates, times and exact locations of all Camp Fairs shortly. Please note that attendance is compulsory to guarantee your chance of placement.

There is no exact amount of time it takes to get placed, although generally speaking the earlier you apply, the earlier you will be placed.

It is definitely worth making a note of the dates of our AmeriCamp Canada Camp Fairs held in December and January, as here you have an excellent chance to secure your placement on the spot! Don’t worry if you can’t attend, though, as our placement coordinator will be working through the year to match you with your perfect Camp.

Please also be aware that placements can occur anytime up to the 30th of June, so hold tight and keep the faith!

Whilst each and every Camp that we work with offers an amazing and unique experience, your placement actually depends primarily on you, the applicant! All camps will require individuals with certain skills, and so you will more than likely be placed according to the skills listed on your AmeriCamp Canada application.

For example, if your AmeriCamp Canada 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.

We work with Camps all across Canada and guarantee that wherever you may be placed, your Camp will be just as special as any other! Ultimately Camp is Camp; the place you’ll make lifelong friends, the place you’ll long for once you’re back home, and most importantly where you’ll be having your summer of a lifetime along with your fellow Campers!

The best way to have a say in which area you are placed in is to attend one of the Camp Fairs. We hold these in January, these are the best way to go about meeting Camp Directors face-to-face and securing that dream job!

However, we would recommend not getting too hung up on the location of the Camp, as Camp is an incredible experience wherever you are placed! Instead, engage your sense of adventure and don’t get bogged down with only considering Camps in Toronto and Vancouver, for example! If there’s somewhere that you are desperate to see, don’t forget that you can use travel time after you’re finished at Camp.

For those looking to be placed together, you’ll need to look at attending one of our Camp Fairs.

Please be aware that this is not guaranteed, as it is the Camp Director’s decision to hire more than one person at a time. It is more than possible that the Camp only have a position for one of your party, or that you don’t all have the skills the Camp is looking for etc.

We would advise that you always keep your options open, as we have found that some Camp Directors are put off from hiring friends as they believe that this prevents applicants from fully embracing the spirit of Camp.

Don’t let this put you off though, we can assure you that you’ll have an incredible experience wherever you are placed, and you can always meet your friend/partner at the end of Camp for your travel period. Plus you’ll have more way more crazy Camp stories to share!

Most Camps will reach out to you via email, so it is important you check your mail daily. It is especially important to check your junk/spam folders as well, as the email will be coming from a Canadian address and so may have been filtered incorrectly by your mailbox.

Each year placements are lost because people don’t respond to emails quickly enough, or they are lost in spam, so please don’t be one of them! Make sure you are on the ball and are replying to Camps/Camp Directors promptly.

In most cases you will hear from your Camp directly after interview, however in some cases you will get placed directly so ensure you are checking your email account regularly.

We wouldn’t advise you to turn down your first placement without speaking to us first; we will take a look at the reasons why the Camp might not suit you, and can make changes to your application.

If you really feel that the Camp isn’t the best fit we will do our best to place you elsewhere, however we can’t guarantee you would be offered a second placement. All of the Camps we work with are truly amazing and you will have the summer of a lifetime – wherever you may end up!

Our placement teams works extremely hard to ensure that all of our applicants have the very best chance of being placed, however, if we are unable to place you, we can defer your application over to next year and you will not have to pay any program fees that you have already paid to AmeriCamp Canada again.

We work with awesome Camp Directors to provide you the opportunity to work at Camp. They will start by taking a look through your application and may offer you an online interview. If all goes well, your placement will be confirmed shortly afterwards. It is also not unusual to be placed without an interview – if this happens, congratulations! This would suggest that the Camp Director must have really liked your application.

We also run our Camp Fairs throughout the year where you have the opportunity to meet with Camp Directors face-to-face to secure your dream placement on the spot. Stay tuned!

Visas and Insurance

You are responsible for securing your visa. It is extremely rare that anyone is denied a visa, however in such a case all fees are non-refundable. If you have any concerns please call us prior to participating in the visa process.

Yes! As part of your program fees you will be provided 63 days worth of medical insurance to covered both accident and illness. This will cover you at Camp and on your days off.

For more information, please contact the AmeriCamp Canada team.

AmeriCamp Canada provide you with medical insurance to cover you for your Camp dates, and upgrade options for travel insurance to cover you for flight cancellations, baggage loss/theft/damage and for other personal items.

Before, At and After Camp

This really depends on the role you are hired for, though from General Camp Counsellors to Support Staff roles, we can guarantee you’ll be getting stuck in with all kinds of work, along with free time to do whatever you please!

For details about specific roles, check out our ‘Positions’ page! No single day at Camp is ever the same, but for an idea of what your typical day at Camp might look like, check out our Daily Life page.

Knowing what to pack vs what not to pack can be tough, so we’ve done the legwork for you! For an overview of what we’d recommend taking to our team, call +44 161 312 3640.

Yes they do. Many have Wi-Fi throughout Camp as well, however please be aware you will not have access to this during working hours especially in ‘unplugged’ Camps. Remember you are at Camp for the kids!

Your first point of contact should be your Camp Director, they will have years of experience in dealing with all sorts of issues.

Alternatively you can contact us by calling +1 917-267-7675 or email info@americampcanada.com and we will get straight back to you. You will be given an emergency contact number during the mandatory orientation.

Our number one priority in this situation will be to get you home as quickly as possible. You will need to call the provided emergency number, this will be given to you during the mandatory orientation.

Yes! When passing through the border arriving into Canada, you have the facility to request travel time on the work permit. Alternatively, you can use an ETA which gives you up to three months to freely travel or your Working Holiday Visa which permits up to 24 months travel.

We will also offer some fantastic travel packages to allow you to travel the second largest country in the world.

General/Miscellaneous

Each year AmeriCamp Canada sponsor multiple societies, from providing free kits, sponsoring competitions and tournaments, through to givings societies cash incentives for promoting AmeriCamp Canada. For more information please email info@americampcanada.com, and we’ll be in touch.