10 FAQ’s about Staff Life at Camp IHC

What does a day in the life look like?

Tough question! Why?… because every day at camp you will wake up to something new.

The younger campers will get up slightly earlier than the older campers. At 7.30am the music will play and you’ll help the campers get out of bed and ready for the day. After breakfast you’ll head to the flagpole to start the day… and yes we raise the flag! In the morning the campers will spend a few hours in various activities before lunch. After lunch there are more activities, usually general swim & snack time. The early evening brings time to chill out and shower before dinner. After dinner there is always a larger camp activity planned before bedtime. The activities change every day for each group. After them the campers settle down and get ready for bed and the staff either do bunk watch or have free time to relax and hang out with their friends.

The days are long, but they go by so quickly.

When do I get time off?

You’ll have time off each day, usually during one of the six activity periods, with the exception of half-staff days (Mondays and Thursdays). Your group leader or activity director will determine your time off on a daily basis. During this time off you may not leave camp.

You also get one full day off each week. We split our staff into A staff and B staff in order to ensure that we have sufficient coverage on camp. If you’re on A staff, you will have off Sunday night and all day Monday, while B staff have off Wednesday night and all day Thursday.

Can I use my cell phone?

Cell phone service at camp is extremely limited. (Trust us, it’s a blessing!) There is a staff lounge called the Rhodhouse where you can keep your phone in a locker and use it during your time off. Cell phones may never enter the cabin or be carried around camp.

Camp is the most incredible environment and no-one wants to spend it being glued to a screen all day. There’s so many better things going on! The even better news is that we have a media team taking tens of thousands of photographs over the summer. So when the time is right your Insta feed will be looking b-e-a-utiful.

What type of food is served?

Last year we revamped the Lodge (our dining hall) and invested in our kitchen facilities. Our kitchen team are such a valuable asset to camp and they go above and beyond to make our food service one of the best in the summer camp industry. The meals change every day but here’s the type of food you can expect.

Breakfast

Waffles, pancakes, scrambled eggs, bagels, cereal bar, yoghurt station & fresh fruit.

Lunch

Taco Tuesdays, mac n cheese, sandwich bars, wrap station, pizza, chicken burgers, caesar salad & grilled cheese.

Dinner

Spaghetti meatballs, sweet & sour chicken, wings, cookout, roast beef, turkey, & pasta dishes.

We always provide a salad bar that is stocked with broccoli, green beans, carrots, beetroot, tuna, tofu, tomatoes, quinoa, chicken salad, cucumber, sweetcorn, cottage cheese, mushrooms, peppers, cauliflower, feta cheese, arugula, dried fruits and a range of freshly made salad dressings.

Is there a curfew for staff?

Yes. All staff have a 12:59:59AM curfew at night. You are required to check-in prior to this time and return directly to your cabin. All staff must sleep in the cabin to which they have been assigned. Tuesday is 11:59:59 as we have the staff meetings. The curfew is to make sure you are getting enough sleep.

How much money should I bring?

If you’re an International staff member you are required to have sufficient funds upon your arrival to the US. For Camp Counselors it’s $300 and for support staff it’s $1000. This minimum is to prove you have the means to cover the cost of your trip.

The amount of money you bring depends on how adventurous you are. Remember that you get a day off each week which you can choose to stay off camp if you wish. This means covering the cost of accommodation and any activities which you may get up to. There is also post-camp travel to consider which is a great way to round off the summer camp experience. There will be late night trips to Walmart, local pizza and ice-cream parlors, McDonalds, the outlets & thriftshops.

If you’re reserved a day off might cost you roughly $25–$40 and if you’re super outgoing you might be closer to $75-$100.

Just remember at camp your food and accommodation is included and IHC help provide free transportation to local areas on day off so you can save that little bit extra.

What are the facilities like?

Most facilities at camp fall under the 4 A’s — Adventure, Athletics, Arts & Aquatics. Over the last few years we’ve made significant improvements to each of these areas, often building game changing facilities that no other camp has! IHC is built around the beautiful Lake Lenape. You can see all over facilities on the camp map here:

What are the campers like?

We might be biased, but we have the best campers in the world. We’re a co-ed sleep away camp so we are lucky to really form great bonds with our campers and staff for the full 7 weeks of summer. Next August you will learn how much our campers will impact you in such a short space of time. Why? Because they are funniest, most wonderfully spirited kids. Yes, they can be challenging too and they will tire you out with their never ending energy… but ask anyone in the camping industry and they will tell you, ‘it’s the hardest job you’ll ever love.’

The campers age from 6–16 years old and return each year to their summer home.

I’m an activity specialist, will I have time to join in other activities?

Most days you will have one free period off to relax or join your group. There will 100% be opportunities over the summer for you to try new things. Both your campers and cabin staff will love you if you joined in with them for that hour.

Camp is all about communication and ‘taking one for the team’ so if your activity director has enough coverage you might be able to the period off when your group is at the ropes course, or the waterfront, or yoga etc. There will also be days when you have to compromise because you’re co-staff really want to take a certain period off to try something.

Camp is all about being open-minded and flexible.

What documents do I need to bring?

We sound like a broken record here but please check, double-check, and check again one more time that you have ALL the correct paperwork.

Your Passport & J1 VISA

Flight itinerary

Visa paperwork — DS-2019 form

SEVIS receipt

Insurance documents

Your camp contract

Your police check and medical form

Please check with your agency to make sure you don’t need any other paperwork before you fly!

What’s the weather like at camp?

We’re located in the beautiful endless mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. In the middle of summer the days get really hot, like 85F (or around 28C) so make sure you have plenty of sunscreen. At the start of the June and around the start of August the morning and nights can be cold so a warm pair of joggers and a hoodie are great things to pack. Again, whilst the weather is normally blue skies and sunshine we’re also prone to the occasional thunderstorm and downpour. A waterproof jacket is an essential item.