YMCA

Group Leader

June - August 2019 • Oshkosh, WI

What I liked

Working with kids and building connections with them. Also, field trips every week to places such as Wisconsin Dells and lambeu

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

You must like working with kids and have patience

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Palatine, IL

What I liked

I loved being able to work with kids everyday and engaging in different types of activities with them. The theme of my camp changed weekly, so I saw fresh faces often. It was great to build relationships with all my students and see them grow from the start of camp to then end.

What I wish was different

For my camp in particular, the activities changed weekly. One week was movie making camp and every kid in my camp was given a chrome book to edit and make movies. I wish they taught the counselors how to work with these devices because when they had questions, it was hard to answer them since I didn’t know.

Advice

Make sure you come in with a positive attitude everyday because the kids know when someone thing is up and observe you at all times. The kids will be more engaged in activities knowing you are engaged too. Keep that upbeat energy up at camp and it will make a difference!

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Brooklyn Heights, NY

What I liked

I loved the experience of working with kids, also my fellow camp counselors were great as well. The Y was only around an hour from my home, and transportation was easy.

What I wish was different

Some of the field trips were very unorganized and pretty chaotic.

Advice

It's draining to work with kids all day, make sure to get lots of sleep, and bring snacks.

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Sports Coordiantor

June 2019 • Toledo, OH

What I liked

I like learning about the different aspects that go into being a coordiantor such as budget and scheduling. It gives me skills for the future in my career.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Pool Lifeguard

May 2019 • Boise, ID

What I liked

My coworkers are wonderful!

What I wish was different

Staffing is always an issue. I wish more people were interested in becoming lifeguards.

Advice

Learn to say “no.” I’ve been asked to cover a lot of shifts due to the low staffing problem.

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Augusta, MI

What I liked

It was an awesome job. Cool staff, change kids lives, have fun in the sun.

What I wish was different

The food!

Advice

Act intentionally to get to know deeply these kids. It is trans formative!

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Unit Head Counselor

June - August 2019 • Attleboro, MA

What I liked

I loved working with children and helping them to develop their social skills, while also making their summer fun filled with different activities!

What I wish was different

Advice

When working with children you have to be patient and positive!

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General Intern

June - August 2019 • San Francisco, CA

What I liked

The staff and volunteers there are very nice and friendly, and I have learned a few things from the teen workshops I had to attend

What I wish was different

I wish there are more programs under the Y that I can shadow for

Advice

Get to know the staff and volunteers if anyone decided to intern or volunteer for the Y. It's a very lovely experience.

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Hopkinton, MA

What I liked

working with kids

What I wish was different

the counselors I worked with were awful human beings

Advice

its important to get actual experience with kids if you plan on working with them in the future

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Equestrian Director

April 2019 • St. Paul, IN

What I liked

The work environment, the people

What I wish was different

More staff

Advice

Taking risks is one of the best ways to learn more about yourself and to grow as a person, or a leader in my case.

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Youth Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Sun Prairie, WI

What I liked

I liked working with the kids every day and teaching them new activities. My favorite days were Mondays when they would run up to me and tell me about their weekends. They really want me to come back next summer, but I haven't decided yet.

What I wish was different

I wish I had worked with one group, but instead I was jumping around between all the groups.

Advice

You definitely need to be patient while working with kids.

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Archery instructor

June - August 2019 • Hopkinton, MA

What I liked

I got to work with children and I got to practice archery every day.

What I wish was different

Summer camp is all-day-everyday which doesn't allow for vacations or much free time during the week.

Advice

It is a lot of fun if you love being outdoors and working with children. If neither of those applies to you, then you will not enjoy it.

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Kidzone Specialist and Swim Instructor

September 2015 • Wyoming, MI

What I liked

I love working with kids and teaching them how to be safe and good swimmers. I also love to see the progression my students make from the very first lesson to the last, it is very rewarding.

What I wish was different

I would like to have more opportunities to go outside or do different activities. In the kid zone we stay inside and in the summer it would be nice to get out and use the fields to play different games with the kids.

Advice

I would say to make sure you prepare before teaching swim lessons or learn games if your at the kid zone. Entertaining is a lot of work and it is important to keep the kids active and engaged throughout the day.

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Camp Counselor

August 2019 • New Paltz, NY

What I liked

Working with kids!

What I wish was different

I wish it was longer!

Advice

Explore other interests besides your major!

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Front Desk Receptionist

July 2019 • Seattle, WA

What I liked

Being able to interact with my community

What I wish was different

Being able to have the resources to help people who are in need who come through the YMCA with a membership

Advice

Be open minded, everyone who comes to the Y has a story

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Camp coun

May - August 2019 • Houston, TX

What I liked

I love the experience with kids from all over Houston I had telhe chance to learn their likes and dislikes and watch friendships grow.

What I wish was different

I wish that location had a better hands on and interactive staff.

Advice

I have a passion for kids and listening to what they want and this was one of the best jobs I’ve had that allows for that to happen.

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Denver, CO

What I liked

I loved camp as a child so naturally I wanted to work at a camp when I got old enough. I started this job when I was 16 in 2016 and it changed my life. I went back for 2 more summers after that because I loved the job.

What I wish was different

Sometimes camp can be messy and stressful, there are a lot of kids and many of them don't view camp as somewhere they need to be on their best behavior at. It could be an emotionally exhausting job but also insanely rewarding.

Advice

I would say that if you are looking for a fun job, work for the YMCA with children. Children are such an amazing source of hope and inspiration that is contagious and you're life will be made better if you spend more time with them.

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Childcare Aide

June - August 2019 • Summerville, SC

What I liked

Loved working with the kids & helping them progress in school

What I wish was different

We could have provided more fun and engaging activities

Advice

Always build a good relationship with the parents

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special needs counselor

June - August 2019 • Ravenna, OH

What I liked

EVERYTHING

What I wish was different

More funding and kids to attend the program

Advice

Amazing, everyone should get to know special needs kids on a deeper level. They’re amazing!

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Assistant

May - July 2019 • Greencastle, IN

What I liked

I enjoyed being able to work with the children everyday. I am an Elementary Education major so the YMCA provides me with extra experience!

What I wish was different

I did not enjoy how sporadic things were. All of the activities were very poorly planned and assistants had trouble teaching when they just learned about the activity 5 minutes prior.

Advice

If you have the opportunity to be a camp counselor or assistant with students at the YMCA, do it! These children are spending they summer here and need good role models in their life.

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