Wild Packs!

Vague speedy update!

Yesterday evening the University sent out an email about a summer camp programme called Wild Packs, which is basically an organisation that has connections to tons of summer camps around the States, and you can apply through them and they try and find you a placement on one of these camps! I have wanted to work at a summer camp for ages, and was thinking of applying for next summer (2015) so I'd have enough money saved, because the one I was looking at, Camp America, was pretty expensive. But Wild Packs is actually cheap - you only pay for flights, they provide food, laundry cost, internet, accommodation, and they also pay you for working there so flights will be refunded basically anyway! Plus, you don't have to pay to submit an application like you do with Camp America.

So, I applied this morning, and you put down things you're interested in or have experience with, so I put down theatre (though obviously I'm not an expert but I've been in quite a few pantomimes which was great fun!), videography and archery (which if my mum is reading this, she'll laugh but I have tried quite a few times and it is fun!).

I actually got a call a few hours later about my application and the lady I spoke to, Kate, was super nice! She talked about what positions that were available and set me some 'homework'. Because the traditional 'camp counsellor' role is really heavily applied for, she suggested maybe going for a teaching thing. Now, she mentioned teaching archery and one of my 'homework assignments' was to do some more archery so I'd feel competent teaching children, and she had a point when she said they wouldn't exactly be experienced and said most of them would only want to try it out because of The Hunger Games. However I'd rather not teach archery because a) I'm not great and b) Being responsible for  kids with bows and arrows is not a happy prospect for  me.

But she mentioned maybe helping in the media department (my homework if I want to do this is submit a video, but although I can do that, I'm not an expert and my editing skills would not be amazing compared to others), or finally I could write about wanting to do a pantomime with the kids at camp because it's not a huge thing in America. This is my favourite option because panto is great for everyone - I'm definitely not a good singer or actor but with panto it doesn't matter! I'd love to be a part of helping kids put on a pantomime, especially if they have no idea what exactly a pantomine is!

Or, alternatively, I could help out at a camp for children with autism, which I would really love to do. I've had quite a lot of experience in this area and it wouldn't involve me being heavily responsible for teaching kids something I'm not amazing at myself!

Either way, I have to complete one of these homework assignments and edit my application, and this is going really fast but I'm super excited! I might not get the placement but the great thing is that you don't have to pay anything until they accept you onto the programme, so it's free to apply!

Hope you're all well and will keep you updated!

Paige :)