Where Else But Camp?
How the camp experience prepares staff for real jobs and real life
by Rodger Popkin

The real world skills that campers and staff learn at camp are often difficult for those who have not had the camp experience to understand completely. The reality is that work and life lessons occur when one is immersed in the life of camp. Camp is a human relations laboratory — where people are encouraged to invent and re-invent themselves. The process of self-invention will involve all the building blocks necessary for a life based on self-knowledge, focused purpose, and a well-defined understanding of our personal place in the world.

The camp experience is intimate, and its lessons cannot be avoided.  It is a template for the development of insight and empathy in pursuit of a common goal. It is the work world stripped down to   its essentials. These essential competencies require self-awareness, self-control, and self- discipline — all used in the service of a working community. The truth is, camp work offers great opportunities for supervised and measured personal growth. The willingness and ability to protect the safety and happiness of a child begins with faith in character and work ethic.

That profound act of trust will require both accepting and offering constructive criticism — to become a participant and leader of a team, anticipate and resolve problems, teach and learn, and adapt to stress and fatigue. Essentially, to create a world in miniature. The reverberations of that world will echo throughout lifetimes.

Camps are a microcosm of the world. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Nothing in a real world seasonal job or an internship will offer that kind of practical global vision. Impacting those around you will help define strengths, as well as weaknesses and flaws. This level of inspired self-knowledge will serve the future well. Knowing and understanding one’s self is the best tool for a successful work life. 

The camp "work" experience provides an environment that emphasizes the ability to recognize, interpret, and manage one's own feelings and desires. Camps want staff who can self-regulate and manage impulses, while incorporating a realistic sense of proportion into interactions with others. The act of living and working in camp requires the mastery of restraint and the acceptance of personal responsibility. It is not coincidental that everyone in camp from the oldest staff to the youngest camper must define success in those same terms. The camp experience can help define and refine what is necessary for success at work and in life.

Those who live in the camp community know that it is a tolerant, forgiving space where innocent mistakes become the nutrients for future achievement — space to navigate between temporary wants and long-term self-respect. The lasting value of working in camp will express itself in all future endeavors. It is rewarding to know that after having worked successfully in camp, the "real" world will appear more manageable. Of course, the easy part of working in a camp is the fun, friendship, and memories that lasts a lifetime.

This article, written by Rodger Popkin, will be published in the May/June issue of Camping Magazine. Rodger is the second generation Owner/Director of Blue Star Camps and is a past national president of the American Camp Association®. He is a recipient of the organization’s Distinguished Service Award for his long-time dedication and contribution to the camping community.

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