overseas summer camps/year workign abroad

[at the drive in]

I finished school last year and am thinking of taking a year off and if i get selected do one of these camps/work overseas. I was wondering if any one had any experience with ethier off the above. If so what were they like. What are the cost at a rough estimate. CCUSA (www.ccusa.com) is having an info next week in my town
thanks will

[parallax]

I get a letter about once a month from these people. I'm really keen to do it, but it happens during OUR winter = middle of the year.

Anyone with some info, please hit us up.

[Cave Dweller]

From what i understand you don't get paided much at all (although they pay for your airfare and accomidation) but worst of all you have to put up with a bunch of snotty american brats.

A better option would be to do one of those teach english things to little kids in china or something like that. Same deal, you don't get paid much but at least you are not looking after americans, you know? I had a friend do this and she said it was great.

-Matt

[Jaz]

Hokay, so in the beginning I was looking at the same thing as you - didn't know what to do, so I went along to one of the CCUSA evenings, liked what I saw and was on a plane to the states a few weeks later. Camps are great! I liked mine so much that I actually went back two more times (I worked in canada inbetween the first and second year, then came home inbetween 2nd n 3rd).

In the first year the pay is pretty shitty (it goes up each additional year you go), about US$100 per week - enough to pay for some tourist stuff, as well as a little bit of travelling after camp, but make sure you have enough saved for travelling afterwards before you go to the camp, as you WILL meet some very cool americans who will want to travel with you or invite you to come visit your state/town.

I think that the air flight is usually about $1500 or so return, they can usually cut you a good deal through the CCUSA program.

If you want a good camp, and you want to enjoy it, choose to go to a PRIVATE camp, none of these friggin church camps where they pay peanuts and have crap equipment (apologies to those who love that sort of thing). My camp was in maine on the side of a lake, had three almost brand new ski/wakeboard specific boats, and had about 25 different activities you could do.

I was in charge of the mtb section, so I spent about 3 or 4 hours a day taking kids for xc mtb rides, then another couple of hours either stuffing around in my shed or helping out in another activity (ultimate frisbee, kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, farts n crafts, you name it).

You will have to live in the same cabin as kids, hang out with them etc, but they can actually be pretty cool. I had older kids most of the time, and they were good fun.

In short, I would do it again, and I will except for my shoulder and uni, so I will be back there in 2006 or 07... if you want to know anything else, pm me or say it here... I'm sure that others on here have done a similar sort of thing.

-Jared

[at the drive in]

Thanks for that guys. I saw in the internet that being a mountain bike instructor was in demand which pleases me. What is the free time like. Are you given much time off too go out to clubs and pubs. From what i have read and heard i am keen to go. there is a meeting in town on tuesday which i am going too.
cheers

[Jaz]

Time off out of camp is usually two nights and one full 24 hour day... at least in my camp it was - it probably changes from place to place...