Camp America applications for summer 2018 have opened and thousands of young people are signing up to spend their next summer in the USA. With results day for AS and A-level students now here, it can be an anxious time of the year for many students across the UK.
With Camp America, it doesn’t matter what grades you get and there are no qualifications necessary to apply. All that is asked is that you’re enthusiastic, open minded and willing to take on a challenge. The cultural exchange programme can enhance your CV, help you gain life skills and is recognised all around the world by employers. No matter what grades any students gain, there is always a place for them at camp to be the best version of themselves.
‘’It’ll definitely help you come to the conclusion that you can achieve anything’ was how Robert Rinder, known for his ITV court show Judge Rinder described his time at camp. Robert participated in the Camp America programme and worked at Tamarack Camp in 1997. When recommending the programme to others, he stated ‘What it comes down to, really what matters in nearly all jobs and certainly at the bar, certainly pretty much anything in television… it’s about your capacity to be able to get on with other people and how you can articulate really difficult things in a really simple way. Well, the best platform you can do that with is children. Give me an example of when you’ve had a challenge – I’ve got a Camp America story. Give me an example of when you’ve used teamwork – I’ve got a Camp America story. Give me an example of how you’ve faced adversity – I’ve got a Camp America story. It answers all those sorts of questions and you can find something that will have happened, good and bad, during those two to two-and-a-half months which are enormously valuable.’
Nicky Byrne, Marketing and Communications Manager at Camp America had no idea what she wanted to study in sixth form, so she left school at 16 and went into full-time work with no previous experience in the travel industry or marketing. Ten years on, she’s regularly invited to speak as a ‘youth marketing expert’ at industry events and conferences, has taken part on the Camp America programme herself and has started a masters course. She’s travelled across the world and become a marketer, a copywriter and a child protection officer. Her advice to all students waiting on results is ‘Whatever your results, if you’re not sure what to do next, do Camp America. It will help you to figure things out and gives you the confidence to take on any challenge. You learn to work hard, do what you love, take chances and aim for whatever it is you want. Even if you don’t fit the job requirements.’
Beth Laidlaw has recently finished studying chemistry at masters level at the University of Newcastle. She attended Hidden Lake Camp for three years, a Girl Scout camp in New York, and states ‘Camp America has always been a welcome break to my serious Chemistry studies. Not only does it serve as a much needed stress relief but it also provides me with skills and experience that truly round out my education.’
Regardless of what results each student receives on Thursday, Camp America will always be there for anyone looking for a summer of a lifetime where no qualifications or grades are necessary.
Read the Camp America blog: 5 reasons why you shouldn’t worry about results day.